Presently, however, Aunt Tilly got tired of the four chunam walls of the sitting-room, though they had been washed gleaming white for her benefit. She decided that she might even forego in some measure the benefit of the punkah which was swung from the centre of the high ceiling, and shift her quarters to the window where she could entertain herself by watching the passers-by, which she perceived was the chief recreation of her niece.
Being installed there one afternoon she happened to catch sight of one with whose appearance she had once been familiar. In spite of the flight of years which had whitened his head and bent his shoulders, she at once recognised him.
"Well now, Leila, if thatt ain't David Morpeth—him as used to live in the best Eurasian quarter in Calcutta in my back days!"
"Oh, he's no rare sight," returned Leila contemptuously. "You can see him passing any day of the week. He goes in for meetings and clubs—for the good of us Vepery folk, if you please! I give him, and the likes of him, a wide berth."
"And for whatt do you do thatt?" asked Aunt Tilly, in a disapproving voice.
"Oh, they'd like to catch me and tie me to a mission stool. But I'm a match for the likes of them!"
"Well now, Leila, it strikes me you're standin' in your own light as regards thatt one, any way. He was always a good sort, was David Morpeth. I might say one of the best, for his papa and mamma were well set folk in Daramtalla, and David had a grand post in Truelove Brothers. They say he was the first Eurasian they ever made a partner. But whatt did he do but spoil himself with his marriage to a flibberty-gibbet, Rosina Castro, and never had a day's happiness till she died when their boy was born. Flo, her sister, took the boy away to England with her—as if his native land wasn't good enough for him! I don't know whatt became of them. I lost sight of the whole lot. But, Leila, since you say thatt David lives near and often passes, I've a mind to waylay him and have a chat about old times. No, I'll do better than thatt. I'll just make bold and give him a call—and take you with me. Suppose we hire thatt littlee bandy you were speaking of? We can go first to Morpeth's place and then take a drive to the fashionable beach. Yes, thatt will do veree nicely. I'd like to go drivin' up in prettee style to Morpeth's place," she wound up, patting her cinnamon-tinted curls with an air of satisfaction.
"Verree well, Aunt Tilly," replied Leila, delighted to hear that her suggestion of a drive to the beach was responded to, and deciding not to oppose the proposed-visit to Mr. Morpeth, though the project was by no means to her liking. "As like as not his boy will say 'Master can't see,'" she said to herself, "but if he does let us in and he begins coaxin' me about thatt Girls' Club, I'll stand firm. Never will I set foot within thatt door again to be patronised by the like of her"; and Miss Baltus bent over her work with an angry heart.
The hired bandy, its syce arrayed in an out-at-the-elbows blue tunic and turban, arrived duly one afternoon at the door of the house in Salamander Street. The carriage had to wait some time till Mrs. Rouat and her niece had given the finishing touches to their gay visiting toilettes. At length the older lady sank down with a sigh of satisfaction on the cushions provided by her sister-in-law as a needful addition to the springless seats of the country vehicle.
"What a grand bungalow and what a prettee garden!" she exclaimed as the carriage drew up at Mr. Morpeth's house. "It's easy to see he's a man of substance, Leila!"