563296589345

The stationmaster waved his topi apologetically from side to side. His dark, squabby face looked
quite distressed.
‘I know, madam, I know! Most unprecedented! But the young Military Police officer have
positively commanded me to start the train! He declare that all is ready and he do not wish to be kept
waiting. I point out the irregularity. He say he do not care about irregularity. I expostulate. He insist.
And in short——’
He made another gesture. It meant that Verrall was the kind of man who would have his way, even
when it came to starting a train ten minutes early. There was a pause. The two Indians, imagining that
they saw their chance, suddenly rushed forward, wailing, and offered some grubby notebooks for Mrs
Lackersteen’s inspection.
‘What do these men want?’ cried Mrs Lackersteen distractedly.
‘They are grass-wallahs, madam. They say that Lieutenant Verrall have departed owing them large
sums of money. One for hay, the other for corn. Of mine it is no affair.’
There was a hoot from the distant train. It rolled round the bend, like a black-behinded caterpillar
that looks over its shoulder as it goes, and vanished. The stationmaster’s wet white trousers flapped
forlornly about his legs. Whether Verrall had started the train early to escape Elizabeth, or to escape
the grass-wallahs, was an interesting question that was never cleared up.
They made their way back along the road, and then struggled up the hill in such a wind that
sometimes they were driven several paces backwards. When they gained the veranda they were quite
out of breath. The servants took their streaming raincoats, and Elizabeth shook some of the water from
her hair. Mrs Lackersteen broke her silence for the first time since they had left the station:
‘Well! Of all the unmannerly–of all the simply abominable…!’
Elizabeth looked pale and sickly, in spite of the rain and wind that had beaten into her face. But she
would betray nothing.
‘I think he might have waited to say good-bye to us,’ she said coldly.
‘Take my word for it, dear, you are thoroughly well rid of him!… As I said from the start, a most
odious young man!’
Some time later, when they were sitting down to break-fast, having bathed and got into dry clothes,
and feeling better, she remarked:
‘Let me see, what day is this?’
‘Saturday, aunt.’
‘Ah, Saturday. Then the dear padre will be arriving this evening. How many shall we be for the
service tomorrow? Why, I think we shall all be here! How very nice! Mr Flory will be here too. I
think he said he was coming back from the jungle tomorrow.’ She added almost lovingly, ‘Dear Mr
Flory!’