like teaching?' I asked.

'I can teach. Miss--my only pupil here has made capital progress.'

'I am afraid you must not measure the Bengali art student by the
standard of Miss Harris,' I replied coldly. He WAS a fool. We talked of
other things. I led him on to betray his ludicrous lack of knowledge
of the world in various directions. At other times it had irritated
me, that night it gave me purest pleasure. I agreed with him about
everything.

As he selected his smoke to go home with I said, 'Send your application
in to the Director of Public Instruction, Bengal--Lamb will tell you
how--and I'll see what I can do.'

They were only too thankful to get him. As a student it seemed he had
been diligent both in London and Paris; he possessed diplomas or
some such things bearing names which were bound to have weight with a
Department of Public Instruction anywhere. I felt particularly thankful
for this, for I was committed to him if he had not a rag to show.

The matter was settled in three weeks, during which Armour became
more and more the fashion in Simla. He was given every opportunity of
experiment in the society of which he was about to become a permanent
item. He dined out four or five times a week, and learned exactly what
to talk about. He surprised me one day with a piece of news of my own
department, which was a liberty of a very serious kind, but I forgave
him upon finding that it was not true. He rode Lamb's weight-carriers,
to cross which his short legs were barely adequate, and apart from
this disadvantage he did not ride them badly. Only one thing marred the
completeness of the transformation--he didn't dismiss the dog. The dog,
fundamentally, was still and ever his companion. It was a suspicious
circumstance if we had known; but we saw in it only a kind heart, and
ignored it.

I saw little of Dora Harris at this time. Making no doubt that she was
enjoying her triumph as she deserved, I took the liberty of
supposing that she would hardly wish to share so intimate a source of
satisfaction. I met them both several times at people's houses--certain
things had apparently been taken for granted--but I was only one of
the little circle that wondered how soon it might venture upon open
congratulations. The rest of us knew as much, it seemed, as Edward
Harris did. Lady Pilkey asked him point-blank, and he said what his
daughter found to like in the fellow the Lord only knew, and he was glad
to say that at pres