es ached,
was trying, I can tell you; and after all that, not to hit the brute was
too bad."

The days passed quietly at Deennugghur. They were seldom alone at Major
Hannay's bungalow in the evening, for Wilson and Richards generally came
in to smoke a cigar in the veranda; the Doctor was a regular visitor,
when he was not away in pursuit of game, and Bathurst was also often one
of the party.

"Mr. Bathurst is coming out wonderfully, Miss Hannay," Mrs. Hunter
said one day, as Isobel sat working with her, while the two girls were
practicing duets on a piano in the next room. "We used to call him
the hermit, he was so difficult to get out of his cell. We were quite
surprised when he accepted our invitation to dinner yesterday."

"I think Dr. Wade has stirred him up," Isobel said calmly; "he is a
great favorite of the Doctor's."

Mrs. Hunter smiled over her work. "Perhaps so, my dear; anyhow, I am
glad he has come out, and I hope he won't retire into his cell again
after you have all gone."

"I suppose it depends a good deal upon his work," Isobel said.

"My experience of men is that they can always make time if they like, my
dear. When a man says he is too busy to do this, that, or the other, you
may always safely put it down that he doesn't want to do it. Of course,
it is just the same thing with ourselves. You often hear women say they
are too busy to attend to all sorts of things that they ought to attend
to, but the same women can find plenty of time to go to every pleasure
gathering that comes off. There is no doubt that Mr. Bathurst is really
fond of work, and that he is an indefatigable civil servant of the
Company, but that would not prevent him making an hour or two's time
of an evening, occasionally, if he wanted to. However, he seems to have
turned over a new leaf, and I hope it will last. In a small station like
this, even one man is of importance, especially when he is as pleasant
as Mr. Bathurst can be when he likes. He was in the army at one time,
you know."

"Was he, Mrs. Hunter?"

"Yes. I never heard him say so himself, but I have heard so from several
people. I think he was only in it for a year or so. I suppose he did not
care for it, and can quite imagine he would not, so he sold out, and
a short time afterwards obtained a civil appointment. He has very good
interest; his father was General Bathurst, who was, you know, a very
distinguished officer. So he had no difficulty in getting into our