“Absolutely certain, General. I’ve seen enough of it!”
“You have specimens you can produce?”
“Dozens, sir—the moment I can get my papers unpacked.”
“Good. That settles his hash, I think. Now, Mrs Ambrose, I’m not going to keep your husband longer to-night. Your brother will take you round to your quarters, and if you find anything wrong with ’em, let me know at once, d’ye see?”
“Indeed I will, Sir Harry, but it’s too good and kind y’are to us. Sure we’ll be spoilt!”
“There ain’t many people to call me good and kind—outside my own family and the private soldiers,” chuckled Sir Harry. “But listen a moment, ma’am.” Richard and Brian had gone down the steps to the horses, and he held her back. “I have asked Lord Maryport for Bayard as my Commissioner in settling the new treaty, so if all goes well he will be coming back here almost as soon as he sets foot in Bombay. What d’ye think of that?”
“Ah, now, how pleased Ambrose will be! You have told him?”
“Nay, I leave that for you to do, when you can speak to him quietly. I can see he finds it difficult to work under any one but his ill-used friend, and I honour him for it.”
“Sure y’are too good to us entirely, Sir Harry!” and the General was well pleased with voice and look. But it is probable he did not intend the news to be reserved, as Eveleen did reserve it, until she and her husband, having been duly inducted by Brian into the palatial quarters reserved for them, were in bed on opposite sides of a room which looked about half a mile across. Richard was just dropping asleep when he heard his wife’s voice.
“Ambrose! Ambrose! Are y’asleep already? Listen to me now.”