“Of course; of course,” said Mrs Morley. “You will take great care of her, my dear boy?”
“Take care of her!” cried Archie. “Why, Sir Charles would have me out and shoot me, or wring my neck, if I didn’t. Look here, madam, I’m too fond of Lieutenant Archibald Maine to run any risks. Now are you satisfied?”
“Quite,” said the Doctor’s wife, forcing a laugh.—“There, my dears, be off as soon as you can—but wait till I get a scarf.”
“What are you going to do, auntie?”
“See you down to the boat, of course, my dear.” A very few minutes later the Doctor’s wife was standing on the banks of the river watching the Resident’s handsomely fitted sampan—not his official dragon-boat—being punted by two sturdy men up the glistening waters, Minnie turning from time to time to wave her hand, and lastly her scarf, just as they disappeared.
“It is foolish of me to be so nervous and frightened about crocodiles,” said Mrs Morley, as she turned her straining eyes from where she had been watching the boat. “There isn’t a sign of any of the horrible reptiles; and if it were dangerous those people would not be going up the river in the same direction;” and she remained watching a small naga with about half-a-dozen men plying their oars, sending the slightly built craft steadily up-stream. “Ah, well, I want to see them back. What a lovely evening it is going to be; but how rapidly the night closes in! I almost wish I had gone with them, for it will be very lovely when the moon begins to rise among the trees.”
The Doctor’s wife gave a slight shiver as a faint waft of wind came sweeping over the tops of the forest trees, and she drew her scarf lightly over her head and shoulders as she quickened her steps to return to the bungalow. “It’s not cold,” she said half uneasily, “and yet I shivered. It’s as if the nervous feeling were coming back. Two hours! Well, they will soon slip by.”