in Doolan laughed, while the Doctor said, "It is just the contrary,
my dear; I am quite sure that if you were in Mrs. Cromarty's place,
and had two tall, washed out looking daughters, you would not feel the
slightest desire to place Miss Hannay in the same carriage with them."

"I call that very disagreeable of you, Doctor," Isobel said, flushing,
"and I shall not like you at all if you take such unkind and malicious
views of people. I don't suppose such an idea ever entered into Mrs.
Cromarty's head, and even if it did, it makes it all the kinder that she
should think of offering me a seat. I do think most men seem to consider
that women think of nothing but looks, and that girls are always trying
to attract men, and mothers always thinking of getting their daughters
married. It is not at all nice, Doctor, to have such ideas, and I shall
thank Mrs. Cromarty warmly, when I see her, for her kindness in thinking
about me."

Accordingly, that afternoon, when they met at the usual hour, when the
band was playing, Isobel went up to the Colonel's wife.

"I want to thank you, Mrs. Cromarty. Dr. Wade has told me that you had
intended to offer me a seat in your carriage to the races. It was very
kind and nice of you to think of me, and I am very much obliged to you.
I should have enjoyed it very much if it hadn't been that Mrs. Hunter
is coming to stay with us, and, of course, I shall be under her wing.
Still, I am just as much obliged to you for having thought of it."

Mrs. Cromarty was pleased with the girl's warmth and manner, and
afterwards mentioned to several of her friends that she thought that
Miss Hannay seemed a very nice young woman.

"I was not quite favorably impressed at first," she admitted. "She has
the misfortune of being a little brusque in her manner, but, of course,
her position is a difficult one, being alone out here, without any
lady with her, and no doubt she feels it so. She was quite touchingly
grateful, only because I offered her a seat in our carriage for the
races, though she was unable to accept it, as the Major will have the
Hunters staying with him."

CHAPTER VI.

The clubhouse at Cawnpore was crowded on the evening before the races.
Up to eleven o'clock it had been comparatively deserted, for there was
scarcely a bungalow in the station at which dinner parties were not
going on; but, after eleven, the gentlemen for the most part adjourned
to the club for a smoke, a rubber, or a game