CHAPTER III
THE BARREN SOIL
No one could look askance at poor Ralph Dacre's young widow. LadyHarriet Mansfield graciously hinted as much when she paid her state callwithin a week of her arrival. Also, she desired to ascertain Stella'splans for the future, and when she heard that she intended to return toKurrumpore with Mrs. Ralston she received the news with a species ofcondescending approval that seemed to indicate that Stella's days ofprobation were past. With the exercise of great care and circumspectionshe might even ultimately be admitted to the fortunate circle whichsunned itself in the light of Lady Harriet's patronage.
Tommy elevated his nose irreverently when the august presence waswithdrawn and hoped that Stella would not have her head turned by theroyal favour. He prophesied that Mrs. Burton would be the next to comesimpering round, and in this he was not mistaken; but Stella did notreceive this visitor, for on the following day she was in bed with anattack of fever that prostrated her during the rest of his leave.
It was not a dangerous illness, and Mrs. Ralston nursed her through itwith a devotion that went far towards cementing the friendship alreadybegun between them. Tommy, though regretful, consoled himself by theready means of the station's gaieties, played tennis with zest,inaugurated a gymkhana, and danced practically every night into theearly morning. He was a delightful companion for little Tessa Ermstedwho followed him everywhere and was never snubbed, an inquiring mindnotwithstanding. Truly a nice boy was Tommy, as everyone agreed, and theregret was general when his leave began to draw to a close.
On the afternoon of his last day he made his appearance on the verandahof The Grand Stand for tea, with his faithful attendant at his heels, tofind his sister reclining there for the first time on a _charpoy_ welllined with cushions, while Mrs. Ralston presided at the tea-table besideher.
She looked the ghost of her former self, and for a moment though he hadvisited her in bed only that morning, Tommy was rudely startled.
"Great Jupiter!" he ejaculated. "How ill you look!"
She smiled at his exclamation, while his small, sharp-faced companionpricked up attentive ears. "Do people look like that when they're goingto die?" she asked.
"Not in the least, dear," said Mrs. Ralston tranquilly. "Come and speakto Mrs. Dacre and tell us what you have been doing!"
But Tessa would only stand on one leg and stare, till Stella put forth afriendly hand and beckoned her to a corner of her _charpoy_.
She went then, still staring with wide round eyes of intensest blue thatgazed out of a somewhat pinched little face of monkey-like intelligence.
"What have you and Tommy been doing?" Stella asked.
"Oh, just hobnobbing," said Tessa. "Same as Mother and the Rajah."
"Have some cake!" said Tommy. "And tell us all about the mongoose!"
"Oh, Scooter! He's such a darling! Shall I bring him to see you?" askedTessa, lifting those wonderful unchildlike eyes of hers to Stella's."You'd love him! I know you would. He talks--almost. Captain Monck gavehim to me. I never liked him before, but I do now. I wish he'd comeback, and so does Tommy. Don't you think he's a nice man?"
"I don't know him very well," said Stella.
"Oh, don't you? That's because he's so quiet. I used to think he wassurly. But he isn't really. He's only shy. Is he, Aunt Mary?" The blueeyes whisked round to Mrs. Ralston and were met by a slightly reprovingshake of the head. "No, but really," Tessa protested, "he is a nice man.Tommy says so. Mother doesn't like him, but that's nothing to go by. Thepeople she likes are hardly ever nice. Daddy says so."
"Tessa," said Mrs. Ralston gently, "we don't want to hear about that.Tell us some more about Captain Monck's mongoose instead!"
Tessa frowned momentarily. Such nursery discipline was something of aninsult to her eight years' dignity, but in a second she sent a dazzlingsmile to her hostess, accepting the rebuff. "All right, Aunt Mary, I'llbring him to see you to-morrow, shall I?" she said brightly. "Mrs. Dacrewill like that too. It'll be something to amuse us when Tommy's gone."
Tommy looked across with a grin. "Yes, keep your spirits up!" he said."It's dull work with the boys away, isn't it, Aunt Mary? And Scooter isa most sagacious animal--almost as intelligent as Peter the Great whocoils himself on Stella's threshold every night as if he thought thebogeyman was coming to spirit her away. He's developing into a habit,isn't he Stella? You'd better be careful."
Stella smiled her faint, tired smile. "I like to have him there," shesaid. "I am not nervous, of course, but he is a friend."
"You'll never shake him off," predicted Tommy. "He comes of a romanticstock. Hullo! Here is his high mightiness with the mail! Look at thesparkle in Aunt Mary's eyes! Did you ever see the like? She expects todraw a prize evidently."
He stretched a leisurely arm and took the letter from the salver thatthe Indian extended. It was for Mrs. Ralston, and she received itblushing like an eager girl.
"Why does Aunt Mary look like that?" piped Tessa, ever observant. "It'sonly from the Major. Mother never looks like that when Daddy writes toher."
"Perhaps Daddy's letters are not so interesting," suggested Tommy.
Tessa chuckled. "Shall I tell you what? She'd ever so much rather have aletter from the Rajah. I know she would. She keeps his locked up, butshe never bothers about Daddy's. I can't think what the Rajah finds towrite about when they are always meeting. I think it's silly, don'tyou?"
"Very silly," said Tommy. "I hate writing letters myself. Beastly dullwork."
"Perhaps you will excuse me while I read mine," said Mrs. Ralston.
Stella smiled at her. "Oh do! Perhaps there will be some interestingnews of Kurrumpore in it."
"News of Monck perhaps," suggested Tommy. "There's a fellow who neverwrites a letter. I haven't the faintest idea where he is or what he isdoing, except that he went to his brother somewhere in England. He isdue back in about a fortnight, but I probably shan't hear a word of himuntil he's there."
"You have not written to him either?" questioned Stella.
"I couldn't. I didn't know where to write." Tommy's eyes met hers withslight hesitation. "I haven't been able to tell him anything of ouraffairs. It's quite possible though that he will have heard before hegets back to The Green Bungalow. He generally gets hold of things."
"It need not make any difference." Stella spoke slowly, her eyes fixedupon the green race-course that gleamed in the sun below them. "So faras I am concerned, he is quite welcome to remain at The Green Bungalow.I daresay we should not get in each other's way. That is," she looked ather brother, "if you prefer that arrangement."
"I say, that's jolly decent of you!" Tommy's face was flushed withpleasure. "Sure you mean it?"
"Quite sure." Stella spoke rather wearily. "It really doesn't matter tome--except that I don't want to come between you and your friend. Nowthat I have been married--" a tinge of bitterness sounded in hervoice--"I suppose no one will take exception. But of course CaptainMonck may see the matter in a different light. If so, pray let him do ashe thinks fit!"
"You bet he will!" said Tommy. "He's about the most determined cuss thatever lived."
"He's a very nice man," put in Tessa jealously.
Tommy laughed. "He's one of the best," he agreed heartily. "And he's thesort that always comes out on top sooner or later. Just you rememberthat, Tessa! He's a winner, and he's straight--straight as a die.""Which is all that matters," said Mrs. Ralston, without lifting her eyesfrom her letter.
"Hear, hear!" said Tommy. "Why do you look like that, Stella? Mean tosay he isn't straight?"
"I didn't say anything." Stella still spoke wearily, albeit she wasfaintly smiling. "I was only wondering."
"Wondering what?" Tommy's voice had a hint of sharpness; he lookedmomentarily aggressive.
"Just wondering how much you knew of him, that's all," she made answer.
"I know as much as any one," asserted Tommy quickly. "He's a man to behonoured. I'd stake my life on that. He is incapable of anything mean orunderhand."
/> Stella was silent. The boy's faith was genuine, she knew, but,remembering what Ralph Dacre had told her on their last night together,she could not stifle the wonder as to whether Tommy had ever grasped theactual quality of his friend's character. It seemed to her that Tommy'sworship was of too humble a species to afford him a very comprehensiveview of the object thereof. She was sure that unlike herself--he wouldnever presume to criticize, would never so much as question any actionof Monck's. Her own conception of the man, she was aware, had alteredsomewhat since that night. She regarded him now with a whollydispassionate interest. She had attracted him, but she much doubted ifthe attraction had survived her marriage. For herself, that chapter inher life was closed and could never, she now believed, be reopened.Monck had gone his way, she hers, and they had drifted apart. Only bythe accident of circumstance would they meet again, and she wasdetermined that when this meeting took place their relations should beof so impersonal a character that he should find it well-nigh impossibleto recall the fact that any hint of romance had ever hovered even for afleeting moment between them. He had his career before him. He followedthe way of ambition, and he should continue to follow it, unhindered byany thought of her. She was dependent upon no man. She would pick up thethreads of her own life and weave of it something that should be worthwhile. With the return of health this resolution was forming within her.Mrs. Ralston's influence was making itself felt. She believed that theway would open out before her as she went. She had made one greatmistake. She would never make such another. She would be patient. Itmight be in time that to her, even as to her friend, a blossoming mightcome out of the barren soil in which her life was cast.