st house. A quarter of an hour later a cloud of dust along the road
betokened the approach of the Dak Gharry, and two or three minutes later
it dashed up at full gallop amid a loud and continuous cracking of the
driver's whip. The wiry little horses were drawn up with a sudden jerk.

The Major opened the door. A little man sprang out and grasped him by
the hand.

"Glad to see you, Major--thoroughly glad to be back again. Here is your
niece; I deliver her safe and sound into your hands." And between them
they helped a girl to alight from the vehicle.

"I am heartily glad to see you, my dear," the Major said, as he kissed
her; "though I don't think I should have known you again."

"I should think not, uncle," the girl said. "In the first place, I was
a little girl in short frocks when I saw you last; and in the second
place, I am so covered with the dust that you can hardly see what I
am like. I think I should have known you; your visit made a great
impression upon us, though I can remember now how disappointed we were
when you first arrived that you hadn't a red coat and a sword, as we had
expected."

"Well, we may as well be off at once, Isobel; it is only five minutes'
walk to the bungalow. My man will see to your luggage being brought up.
Come along, Doctor. Of course you will put up with me until you can look
round and fix upon quarters. I told Rumzan to bring your things round
with my niece's. You have had a very pleasant voyage out, I hope,
Isobel?" he went on, as they started.

"Very pleasant, uncle, though I got rather tired of it at last."

"That is generally the way--everyone is pleasant and agreeable at first,
but before they get to the end they take to quarreling like cats and
dogs."

"We were not quite as bad as that," the girl laughed, "but we certainly
weren't as amiable the last month or so as we were during the first
part of the voyage. Still, it was very pleasant all along, and nobody
quarreled with me."

"Present company are always excepted," the Doctor said. "I stood in loco
parentis, Major, and the result has been that I shall feel in future
more charitable towards mothers of marriageable daughters. Still, I am
bound to say that Miss Hannay has given me as little trouble as could be
expected."

"You frighten me, Doctor; if you found her so onerous only for a voyage,
what have I to look forward to?"

"Well, you can't say that I didn't warn you, Major; when you wrote home
and asked me to