nt to stand on one leg in the doorway. "Most people," she observed,
"say 'Hullo!' to their wives when they come in."

"Very intelligent of 'em," said Tommy. "Do you think the Rajah does?"

"I don't know," said Tessa seriously. "I went to the palace at Bhulwana
once to see them. But the Rajah wasn't there. They were very kind," she
added dispassionately, "but rather silly. I don't wonder the Rajah likes
white men's wives best."

"Oh, quite natural," agreed Tommy.

"He gave Mother a beautiful ring with a diamond in it," went on Tessa,
delighted to have secured his attention and watching furtively for some
sign of interest from Monck also. "It was worth hundreds and hundreds of
pounds. That was the last thing Daddy was cross about. He was cross."

"Why?" asked Tommy.

'"Cos he was jealous, I expect," said Tessa wisely. "I thought he was
going to give her a whipping. And I hid in his dressing-room to see.
Mother was awful frightened. She went down on her knees to him. And he
was just going to do it. I know he was. And then he came into the
dressing-room and found me. And so he whipped me instead." Tessa ended
on a note of resentment.

"Served you jolly well right," said Tommy.

"No, it didn't," said Tessa. "He only did it 'cos Mother had made him
angry. It wasn't a child's whipping at all. It was a grown-up's
whipping. And he used a switch. And it hurt--worse than anything ever
hurt before. That's why I didn't mind when he went to Heaven the other
day. I hope I shan't go there for a long time yet. It isn't nice to be
whipped like that. And I wasn't going to say I was sorry either. I knew
that would make him crosser than anything."

"Poor chap!" said Tommy suddenly.

Tessa came a step nearer to him. "_Ayah_ says the man who did it will be
hanged if they catch him," she said. "If it is the Rajah, will you
manage so as I can go and see? I should like to."

"Tessa!" exclaimed Stella.

Tessa turned flushed cheeks and shining eyes upon her. "I would!" she
declared stoutly. "I would! There's nothing wrong in that. He's a horrid
man. It isn't wrong, is it, Captain Monck? But if he shot my Daddy?" She
went swiftly to Monck with the words and leaned ingratiatingly against
him. "You'd kill a man yourself that did a thing like that, wouldn't
you?"

"Very likely," said Monck.

She gazed at him admiringly. "I expect you've killed lots and lots of
men, haven't you?" she said.

He smiled with a touch of grimness. "Do you