to leave the child alone, she gave
up her efforts in despair. Tessa was riding for a fall.

It came eventually, after two hours' provocation on her part and stern
patience on Monck's. Stella, at work in the drawing-room, heard a sudden
sharp exclamation from the verandah where Monck was seated before a
table littered with Hindu literature, and looked up to see Tessa, with a
monkey-like grin of mischief, smoking the cigarette which she had just
snatched from between Monck's lips. She was dancing on one leg just out
of reach, ready to take instant flight should the occasion require.

Stella was on the point of starting up to intervene, but Monck stopped
her with a word. He was quieter than she had ever seen him, and that
fact of itself warned her that he was angry at last.

"Come here!" he said to Tessa.

Tessa removed the cigarette to poke her tongue out at him, and continued
her war-dance just out of reach. It was Netta to the life.

Monck glanced at the watch on his wrist. "I give you one minute," he
said, and returned to his work."

"Why don't you chase me?" gibed Tessa.

He said nothing further, but to Stella his silence was ominous. She
watched him with anxious eyes.

Tessa continued to smoke and dance, posturing like a _nautch-girl_ in
front of the wholly unresponsive and unappreciative Monck.

The minute passed, Stella counting the seconds with a throbbing heart.
Monck did not raise his eyes or stir, but there was to her something
dreadful in his utter stillness. She marvelled at Tessa's temerity.

Tessa continued to dance and jeer till suddenly, finding that she was
making no headway, a demon of temper entered into her. She turned in a
fury, sprang from the verandah to the compound, snatched up a handful of
small stones and flung them full at the impassive Monck.

They fell around him in a shower. He looked up at last.

What ensued was almost too swift for Stella's vision to follow. She saw
him leap the verandah-balustrade, and heard Tessa's shrill scream of
fright. Then he had the offender in his grasp, and Stella saw the deadly
determination of his face as he turned.

In spite of herself she sprang up, but again his voice checked her. "All
right. This is my job. Bring me the strap off the bag in my room!"

"Everard!" she cried aghast.

Tessa was struggling madly for freedom. He mastered her as he would have
mastered a refractory puppy, carrying her up the steps ignominiously
under his arm.