'Aren't they divine? I did nothing, absolutely nothing, my first season
but paint them. And the shops--they're not bad, are they, for the size
of the place? Though today, upon my soul, there doesn't seem to be a
yard of white spotted veiling among them.'

'That is annoying,' said Madeline, 'if you want spotted veiling.'

'Isn't it? Well'--Mrs. Innes take a deep breath--'you DIDN'T tell him
last night?'

'N--no,' said Madeline, with deliberation.

'I WAS grateful. I knew I could rely upon you not to. It would have been
too cruel when we have only just been reunited--dear Horace would have
had to sleep in the--'

'Pray--'

'Well, Horace is the soul of honour. Is your ayah in there?' Mrs. Innes
nodded towards the bedroom door. 'You can not imagine what long ears she
has.'

'I have no ayah. There is only Brookes;' and as that excellent woman
passed through the room with a towel over her arm, Madeline said, 'You
can go now, Brookes, and see about that alpaca. Take the rickshaw; it
looks very threatening.'

'Maid! You ARE a swell! There are only four genuine maids in Simla that
I know of--the rest are really nurse-girls. What a comfort she must be!
THE luxury of all others that I long for; but alas! army pay, you know.
I did once bring a dear thing out with me from Nice--you should have
seen Horace's face.'

'I couldn't very well go about quite alone; it would be uncomfortable.'

'Except that you Americans are so perfectly independent.'

'On the contrary. If I could order about a servant the way an
Englishwoman does--'

'Say you are not going to tell him! I've got such a lot of other calls
to make,' exclaimed Mrs. Innes. 'Dear Lady Bloomfield won't understand
it if I don't call today, especially after the baby. What people in
that position want with more babies I can not comprehend. Of course you
haven't noticed it, but a baby is such a shock to Simla.'

'Don't let me keep you,' Madeline said, rising.

'But you haven't promised. Do promise, Miss Anderson. You gain nothing
by telling him, except your revenge; and I should think by this time
you would have forgiven me for taking Frederick away from you. He didn't
turn out so well! You can't still bear me malice over that convict in
Sing Sing.'

'For his sake, poor fellow, I might.'

'Coming along I said to myself, "She CAN score off me badly, but surely
she doesn't want to so much as all that." Besides, I really only took
your leavings, you know. You thr