Mrs. Fellowes' modest room was beginning to be a familiar place to the Eurasian girls. She had not followed any hard-and-fast plan in conducting the meetings further than making it her object to draw forth these young women who lolled listlessly about the pandals of their pent-up homes, to endeavour to fill their hearts with new thoughts, and their hands with useful work. "The pioneer meeting," Mr. Morpeth gleefully called it, no effort of quite a similar kind ever having been attempted before for the betterment of the aimless lives in the purlieus of the Eurasian quarter. Mrs. Fellowes and her "lieutenant," as Hester called herself, proved inventive in happy methods in which cheerful work and rational amusement intermingled. The older lady, with unwearied skill and patience, shaped useful garments for the girls, and tried to persuade them to substitute neat sewing for their careless methods of fixing them up anyhow. Interesting books were always provided for reading aloud, as well as a growing library fed by Mr. Morpeth. A piano, the gift of an unknown donor, had been lately introduced, greatly enhancing the popularity of the gathering, which was only beginning to be known; and Mrs. Fellowes was always on the outlook for new recruits. The end of the hour had come on this afternoon, and Hester was divulging Mrs. Fellowes' invitation to Ennore to the assembled girls when she was interrupted by a new arrival. A young woman, attired more gaudily than was usual to the "Friendly," had pushed open the door and taken her seat without note or comment, and was gazing intently at Hester. The new-comer was the object of much whispering and many scowls from the frequenters of the meeting. Hester presumed that she wished to become a member, but her aspect was so unconciliatory that she felt some hesitation in addressing her, and applied for information to a girl standing by her side. All she could learn was that the girl had only recently appeared in Vepery and was unknown to her; the stranger, however, seemed to have sharp ears. "If it's my name you want," she said, "I'm not ashamed of it as some might be of theirs. Mine's Miss Leila Baltus!" A displeased murmur went round the meeting, and all eyes were directed to Miss Baltus, who tossed her head defiantly. "We are glad to see you," began Hester with quiet courtesy. "We welcome everyone to our meeting." She paused, but resumed, "With regard to Mrs. Fellowes' kind invitation, we shall have to restrict our number to those already on our list." Approving nods from the company acknowledged the reasonableness of Mrs. Rayner's remark. A girl, who evidently knew more about the stranger than the one to whom Hester had applied for information, said in a loud whisper to her neighbour: "Cheap on Leila for her impudence! She's got thatt awfulee high and mighty since she went to Calcutta--and thatt spiteful too!"