"So that's where we are, Mister Rayner! You would fling off your old acquaintance like a pair of done shoes!" cried the girl, her insinuating smile changing to an angry scowl. Her companion making no reply, she seemed to decide on more conciliatory tactics.
"Well, maybe it's truth that you've grown such a grand toff and you'll want to fight shy of prawn curry and all that. And to tell the truth there ain't much supper going with us now a days, or anything else. We've got behindhand, mother and me, and Claud won't be good for a single pice now he's married, so we're real hard up. Come now, since I'm so close to your beautiful house this morning you'll not grudge me a cup o' coffee in your verandah. It's a long tramp between Vepery and this grand place of yours. Oh, my, it's grand and no mistake!"
The girl looked admiringly towards the fine two-storied house, at one of the entrances of which the mail-phaeton was now disappearing on its way to the stables.
More embarrassed than ever, a happy thought occurred to the young man.
"So sorry I can't ask you to come in to-day. I've got a visitor and must really hurry off to him. But look here, Leila, sorry to hear you're down in your luck! This will perhaps help a bit"; and taking a ten-rupee note from his pocket-book he handed it to the girl, congratulating himself that now he would effect an escape.
But he reckoned without his host.
"Well, since you're too busy for even a chat with your old sweetheart this morning, she'll just need to come again another time," said the girl, with a toss of her head, as she crumpled the note in her long brown fingers. "I'll hand your little gift to mother. She'll send you a chit to thank you awfulee for minding on her."
Miss Baltus seemed at last disposed to retreat, but a "loose end" was being discovered by Mr. Rayner. Fearing it might develop into a serious tangle, he decided to take his courage in both hands.
"Look here, Leila, perhaps you don't know that a Mrs. Rayner now reigns here. I brought a wife from England with me."
The announcement was evidently quite unexpected. The girl's amber skin grew a shade darker. Her lustrous eyes flashed fire, and violent emotion seemed to check her utterance for a moment; then she burst forth in fury: