of their
elders at her English friends, her obstinacy in the matter of caste and
the inevitable husband. _Hai! hai!_ At her age, what did she fear? Had
the English bewitched her with lies? Thus Peru, aged nine, jocosely
proceeding to enlighten her; egged on by giggles and high-pitched
laughter from the prospective brides. For in the zenana reticence is
not, even before children. Aruna herself had heard such talk; but for
years her early knowledge had lain dormant; while fastidiousness had
been engendered by English studies and contact with English youth.
Useless to answer. It simply meant tears or losing her temper; in which
case, Mataji would retaliate by doctoring her food with red pepper to
sweeten her tongue.

Meanwhile, sharpened pressure in the matter of caste rites and rumours
of an actually maturing husband, had brought her very near the end of
her tether. Again Thea was right. Her brave impulse of the heart had
only been just in time. And hard upon that unbelievable good fortune
followed the news that Roy was coming.

Tremulously at first, then with quickening confidence, her happy nature
rose like a sea-bird out of troubled waters, on the wings of a secret
hope....

* * * * *

And now he was here, under this friendly roof that sheltered her from
the tender mercies of her own kind. There were almost daily meetings,
however brief, and the after-glow of them when past; all the
well-remembered tricks of speech and manner; and the twinkle of fun in
his eyes. Lapped in an ecstasy of content, hope scarcely stirred a wing.
Enough that he was there----

Great was her joy when Mrs Leigh--after scolding him in the kindest way
over the girl mother and two more starving children, picked up
afterwards--had given her leave to take special charge of them and
lodged them with the dhobi's wife. This also brought her nearer to Roy.
And what could she ask more?

But with the approach of the Dewali, thoughts of the future came
flocking like birds at sundown. Because, on Dewali night, all tried
their luck in some fashion; and Mai Lakshmi's answer failed not. The men
tossed coin or dice. The maidens, at sunset, when the little wind of
evening stirred the waters, carried each her chiragh--lamp of her
life--and set it afloat on tank or stream, praying Mai Lakshmi to guide
it safe across. If the prayer was heard, omens were favourable. If the
lamp should sink, or be shattered, omens were evil. And