ty little figure in white, a charmingly
pretty girl with golden hair and blue eyes, came out on the verandah.
Seeing him she walked down the steps to meet him and held out her hand,
saying in a pleasant, musical voice:

"You are Mr. Wargrave, of course? Welcome to Ranga Duar."

Frank, uncomfortably conscious of his dishevelled appearance and
travel-stained attire, almost blushed as he took off his hat and
quickened his steps to meet her, wondering who this delightful young
girl--she looked about nineteen--could be. Possibly an elder sister of
the children outside. But as they shook hands she said:

"I am the wife of the Political Officer here. My husband, Colonel
Dermot, has just gone up to the Mess to see your C.O., Major Hunt."

Frank was astonished. This pretty young girl, scarcely more than a child
herself, the mother of the two chubby babies! Touched by her kind manner
he shook her hand warmly and said:

"Thank you very much for your welcome, Mrs. Dermot. It's awfully good of
you, and I--I assure you I appreciate it a lot just now. I was coming to
tell you--I wonder do you know that your babies--I suppose they _are_
yours--are playing what seems to me rather a dangerous game with an
elephant at the side of the house."

Mrs. Dermot smiled; and the dimples that came with the smile carried his
mind back for an instant to Violet.

"Yes, they are my chicks," she said. "I left them in Badshah's charge."

Frank was not altogether reassured. The young mother evidently did not
know what was happening.

"But--pardon me--is it quite safe? I was a bit scared when I saw them.
The animal was tossing them up in the air."

"You needn't be alarmed, Mr. Wargrave--though it's very good of you to
be concerned and come to tell me," she replied. "But Badshah--that's the
elephant's name--is a most careful nurse and I know that my babies are
quite safe when they are in his care. He has looked after them since
they were able to crawl. Come and be introduced to him. I must tell you
that he is a very exceptional animal. Indeed, we almost forget that he
is an animal. He has saved our lives, my husband's and mine, on more
than one occasion. Next to the children and me I think that Kevin loves
him better than anyone or anything else in the world. And after my
chicks and Kevin and my brother I believe I do, too. As for the babies,
I'm not sure that he doesn't come first with them."

She led the way round the house, and in spite of he