ught about her looks ... she had
grey hair...."

"Oh!" Mrs. Crosbie exclaimed--a deeply disappointed "Oh." "Probably much
older, then. That explains the lavender bags."

Silent Thomas Crosbie looked from his wife to Peter with considerable
amusement. He realised, if she didn't, that Peter was most successfully
putting her off the scent of more than lavender; but men are generally
loyal to each other in these matters, and he suddenly took his part in
the conversation and changed the subject.

Among Peter's orders to his butler that morning was one to the effect
that nothing the Miss-Sahib had arranged in the bungalow was to be
disturbed, and the lavender bag was returned to rejoin its fellows in
the cupboard.

It was four years since Peter had had any leave, and it appeared that
the lavender had the same effect upon him as upon Mrs. Crosbie. He felt
homesick--and applied for leave in May.

CHAPTER XII

"THE BEST-LAID SCHEMES"

Peter had been as good as his word, and had found a family returning to
India who were glad to take Ayah back to Bombay. And she, though sorry
to leave Jan and the children, acquiesced in all arrangements made for
her with the philosophic patience of the East. March was a cold month,
and she was often rather miserable, in spite of her pride in her shoes
and stockings and the warm clothes Jan had provided for her.

Before she left Jan interviewed her new mistress and found her kind and
sensible, and an old campaigner who had made the voyage innumerable
times.

It certainly occurred to Jan that Peter had been extraordinarily quick
in making this arrangement, but she concluded that he had written on the
subject before they left India. She had no idea that he had sent a long
and costly cable on the subject. His friend thought him very solicitous
for her comfort, but set it down entirely to her own merits and Peter's
discriminating good sense.

When the day came Jan took Ayah to her new quarters in a taxi. Of course
Ayah wept, and Jan felt like weeping herself, as she would like to have
kept her on for the summer months. But she knew it wouldn't do; that
apart from the question of expense, Hannah could never overcome her
prejudices against "that heathen buddy," and that to have explained that
poor Ayah was a Roman Catholic would only have made matters worse.
Hannah was too valuable in every way to upset her with impunity, and the
chance of sending Ayah back to India in such kind cus