se of the heart. I believe I was only in the
_nick_ of time. It seemed the old tartar and her widowed sister-in-law
were in touch with a possible husband. So they had given the screw a
fresh turn, assisted by the family _guru_. He had just honoured them
with a special visit, expecting to find the lost sheep regenerate and
eager for his blessing. Shocked at the tale of her obstinacy, he
announced that, unless he heard otherwise within a week, he would put a
nameless curse upon her; in which case her honourable grandmother would
not allow the poor child to eat or sleep under her honourable roof."

Roy's hand closed sharply on the arm of his chair. "Confound the fellow!
It's chiefly the mental effect they rely on. They're no fools; and even
men like Grandfather--who can't possibly believe such rot--seem
powerless to stand up against them. Does _he_ know all this?"

"It's hard to tell. They're so guarded--even the most enlightened--in
alluding to domestic matters. Without a shade of discourtesy, they
simply keep one outside. Poor Aruna was terrified at having told me.
Broke down utterly. But no idea of giving in. It's astonishing the grit
one comes upon under their surface gentleness. She said she would starve
or drown rather. _I_ said she should do nothing of the kind; that I
would speak to Sir Lakshman myself--oh, very diplomatically, of course!
Afterwards, all in a rush, came my inspiration. Some sort of secretarial
work for me would sound fairly plausible. (Did you know--I'm making a
name, in a small way, over my zeal for Indian women?) On the strength of
that, one could suggest a couple of rooms in the Residency; and she
could still keep on at the hospital with Miss Hammond, giving me certain
afternoons. It struck me as flawless--_till_ I imparted it to Vinx and
saw him tweak his left eyebrow. Of course he was convinced it 'wouldn't
do'; Sir Lakshman ... my position ... and so on. I said I proposed to
make it do--and the eyebrow twitched worse than ever. So I mildly
reminded him that _he_ had not held Aruna sobbing in his arms, and he
didn't happen to be a mother! Which was unanswerable.--And, my dear Roy,
I had a hectic week of it, manipulating Sir Lakshman and Aruna _and_ the
honourable grandmother--strictly unseen! I'm sure she's anti-English.
I've got at all the other high-borns; but I can't get at her.
However--with a bold front and a tactful tongue, I carried the day. So I
hope the holy man will transfer his pote