They aren't really. You know
Englishmen as a rule are not expansive. They often seem unfriendly when
they don't mean to be."

"Oh, they mean it right enough here," replied the Hindu bitterly. "They all
think they're better than I am, just because I am an Indian. It is that
hateful prejudice of the English man and woman in this country. It is
different in England. You know I was made a lot of in London. You saw how
all the men in that boarding-house we stayed at before we sailed were my
friends."

"Yes; that was so, Mr. Chunerbutty," replied Noreen, who was secretly tired
of the subject, with which he regaled her every day.

"And as for the women--Of course I don't want to boast, but all the girls
were keen to have me take them out and were proud to be seen with me. I
know that if I liked I could have picked up lots of ladies, real ladies, I
mean, not shop-girls. You should have seen the way they ogled me in the
street. I can assure you that little red-haired girl from Manchester in the
boarding-house, Lily----"

Noreen broke in quickly.

"Please don't tell me anything about her, Mr. Chunerbutty. You know that I
don't like to hear you speak disrespectfully of ladies." Then, to change
the disagreeable subject, she continued: "Fred will be back to breakfast
soon. Will you stay for it? Then we can all ride together to the club."

"Thank you. I should like to," replied Chunerbutty. To show his freedom
from caste prejudices he not only ate with Europeans, but even showed no
objection to beef, much to the horror of all orthodox Hindus. That a
Brahmin, of all men, should partake of the sacred flesh of the almost
divine cow was an appalling sacrilege in their eyes.

Leaving him with a book she attended to the cares of her household,
disorganised by the absence of cook and butler, who had gone on ahead to
the club with the supplies.

When, after an eight miles' ride, the Dalehams and Chunerbutty reached the
wooden shanty that was the rendezvous of the day, they found that they were
not the first arrivals. Four or five young men swooped joyously down on
Noreen and quarrelled over the right to help her from the saddle. While
they were disputing vehemently and pushing each other away the laughing
girl slipped unaided to the ground and ran up the wooden steps of the
verandah. She was instantly pursued by the men, who followed her to the
back verandah where she had gone to interview her servants. They clamoured
to be allowed