"By the way, Salwey, you saw that Miss Chandos? I never was so astonished as when I came face to face with her in the paddock here; last time we met she was at Homburg, with every man in the place at her feet." "Including yourself," suggested Salwey. "I should rather think so. Of course, a poor devil like me dared not lift his eyes to fifteen thousand a year." "Then she is the original V. C." "What a brilliant guess! She tells me her people live here, and has promised to introduce me." "Yes," assented Salwey, with dispassionate brevity. "I say, I've got a month's leave owing, and I intend to put it in here." "Hullo! they are off!" and there was a dead silence. The constantly moving dark clump had suddenly scattered into items--there was a hum-hum-hum of thundering hoofs--a cloud of dust, a flight of bright jackets, of bent backs and uplifted arms--they passed the post, and Dulcimer had won by a neck. Captain Haig looked upon his success as a good omen. Beaming with pride--and the fact of having won eight hundred rupees--he led his pony into the paddock, and subsequently hurried out to the enclosure in order to seek for Miss Chandos, and receive her congratulations. "Ah, here you are!" he exclaimed, when they met; "I have been hunting for you everywhere. Did you see the race well?" "Yes--you won," she said, "I am so glad." "It was a near thing, but Todd is a clever boy, and just pulled it off. Rajahpore seems to bring me good fortune. I shall make it my head quarters. When will you be so kind as to introduce me to your people?" The words were hardly out of his mouth before he was surrounded by a crowd of half-castes--they actually pushed and jostled one another in order to get close to him, and an excited, over-dressed, elderly woman began: "Verona, won't you introduce me to your friend?" Although Verona had known that this terrible moment must surely arise, she grew white to the very lips as she caught the glimmer of horrified amazement dawning in Captain Haig's blue eyes. Well, she was about to test his friendship! Would it stand the strain? "Captain Haig," she said, and her manner was outwardly composed, "this is my mother, Mrs. Chandos." "O-ah, how do you do?" she said, effusively. "A friend of Verona's, I see. Oh, we are always awfully pleased to know her friends. Let me present you to----" here she waved a soiled white-gloved hand: "My dater Dominga." Dominga accorded him a smile--and one of her looks! "And my dater Bellamina." Bellamina merely giggled hysterically. "My married dater Mrs. Montagu Jones, and Mr. Montagu Jones--my son Nicholas." One after the other the family bowed themselves, and shook hands with him with every evidence of the most cordial satisfaction. At first his stupefaction was so complete, that Captain Haig was unable to utter one single word.