"Honor, come out! I want you."
Desmond's voice, followed by a peremptory rap on the door, startled the girl back to a realisation of the flight of time. The sun had set, and a grey light filled the room. Without a passing thought of the tears upon her face, she lowered the bolt and confronted Evelyn's husband.
"Ladybird isn't back yet," he said quickly. "It'll be dark in ten minutes. I must know where she went to, and go after her myself."
Honor bit her lip. To tell him at such a moment would be madness; yet he was in an ill mood to oppose.
"Can't you send the orderly?" she asked, with something less than her wonted assurance.
"No. I am going myself. This is no time to fuss over trifles. Something may have gone wrong——"
"Hush,—listen! What's that?"
The shuffling and grunting of jhampanis, and the thud of the lowered dandy, were distinctly audible in the stillness.
"There she is!" Desmond said eagerly; and a moment later the blood in his veins was chilled by a long-drawn wail from the verandah. "Hai—hai—mere Memsahib murgya!" [33]