routine, the handsome furnishings, Marion's music, the great house, the
many precise personal duties set for her, to be got through at stated
times; and Mrs. Armour's rather grand manner. But there was the relief
to this, else the girl had pined terribly for her native woods and
prairies; this was the park, the deer, the lake, the hares, and birds.
While she sat saying over after Mrs. Armour words and phrases in
English, or was being shown how she must put on and wear the clothes
which a dressmaker from Regent Street had been brought to make, her eyes
would wander dreamily to the trees and the lake and the grass. They soon
discovered that she would pay no attention and was straightway difficult
to teach if she was not placed where she could look out on the park.
They had no choice, for though her resistance was never active it was
nevertheless effective.

Presently she got on very swiftly with Richard. For he, with instinct
worthy of a woman, turned their lessons upon her own country and Frank.
This cost him something, but it had its reward. There was no more
listlessness. Previously Frank's name had scarcely been spoken to her.
Mrs. Armour would have hours of hesitation and impotent regret before
she brought herself to speak of her son to his Indian wife. Marion tried
to do it a few times and failed; the general did it with rather a forced
voice and manner, because he saw that his wife was very tender upon the
point. But Richard, who never knew self-consciousness, spoke freely of
Frank when he spoke at all; and it was seeing Lali's eyes brighten and
her look earnestly fixed on him when he chanced to mention Frank's
name, that determined him on his new method of instruction. It had its
dangers, but he had calculated them all. The girl must be educated at
all costs. The sooner that occurred the sooner would she see her own
position and try to adapt herself to her responsibilities, and face the
real state of her husband's attitude towards her.

He succeeded admirably. Striving to tell him about her past life, and
ready to talk endlessly about her husband, of his prowess in the hunt,
of his strength and beauty, she also strove to find English words for
the purpose, and Richard supplied them with uncommon willingness. He
humoured her so far as to learn many Indian words and phrases, but he
was chary of his use of them, and tried hard to make her appreciative
of her new life and surroundings. He watched her waking slowly to