ly in her honor. It is not
often he has two so close together."

"Oh, that is nonsense, Doctor."

"I don't think so. He has done the same sort of thing several times
before, when he has been specially taken by some fresh face from
England."

Others besides the Doctor remarked that the Rajah was not quite himself
that evening. He was courteous and polite to his guests, but he was
irritable with his own people, and something had evidently gone wrong
with him.

The next day he called at the Major's. The latter had not told Isobel
of his intention, for he guessed that had he done so she would have gone
across to Mrs. Doolan or one of her lady friends, and she was sitting in
the veranda with him and young Wilson when the carriage drove up.

"I was so sorry to hear that you were unwell, Miss Hannay," the Nana
said courteously. "It was a great disappointment to me that you were
unable to accompany your uncle last night."

"I have been feeling the heat the last few days," Isobel said quietly,
"and, indeed, I do not care much about going out in such hot weather
as this. I have not been accustomed to much society in England, and the
crowd and the heat and the lights make my head ache."

"You look the picture of health, Miss Hannay, but I know that it is
trying for Englishwomen when they first come into our climate; it is
always a great pleasure to me to receive English ladies at Bithoor. I
hope upon the next occasion you will be able to come."

"I am much obliged to your highness," she said, "but it would be a truer
kindness to let me stay quietly at home."

"But that is selfish of you, Miss Hannay. You should think a little of
the pleasure of others as well as your own."

"I am not conceited enough to suppose that it could make any difference
to other people's pleasure whether I am at a party or not," Isobel said.
"I suppose you mean that as a compliment, Rajah, but I am not accustomed
to compliments, and don't like them."

"You will have to learn to become accustomed to compliments, Miss
Hannay," the Rajah said, with a smile; and then turning to the Doctor,
began to tell him of a tiger that had been doing a great deal of harm
at a village some thirty miles away, and offered to send some elephants
over to organize a hunt for him if he liked, an invitation that the
Doctor promptly accepted.

The visit was but a short one. The Rajah soon took his leave.

"You are wrong altogether, Isobel," the Doctor said. "I have