THE WORLD WITHOUT Certain people of importance. SCENE.--_Smoking-room of the Deychi Club. Time_, 10.30 P. M. _of a stuffy night in the Rains. Four men dispersed in picturesque attitudes and easy-chairs. To these enter_ BLAYNE _of the Irregular Moguls, in evening dress_. BLAYNE. Phew! The Judge ought to be hanged in his own store-godown. Hi, _khitmatgar! Poora_ whiskey-peg, to take the taste out of my mouth. CURTISS. (_Royal Artillery_.) That's it, is it? What the deuce made you dine at the Judge's? You know his _bandobust_. BLAYNE. 'Thought it couldn't be worse than the Club; but I'll swear he buys ullaged liquor and doctors it with gin and ink (_looking round the room_). Is this all of you tonight? DOONE. (_P. W. D._) Anthony was called out at dinner. Mingle had a pain in his tummy. CURTISS. Miggy dies of cholera once a week in the Rains, and gets drunk on chlorodyne in between. 'Good little chap, though. Any one at the Judge's, Blayne? BLAYNE. Cockley and his _memsahib_ looking awfully white and fagged. 'Female girl--couldn't catch the name--on her way to the Hills, under the Cockleys' charge--the Judge, and Markyn fresh from Simla--disgustingly fit. CURTISS. Good Lord, how truly magnificent! Was there enough ice? When I mangled garbage there I got one whole lump--nearly as big as a walnut. What had Markyn to say for himself? BLAYNE. 'Seems that every one is having a fairly good time up there in spite of the rain. By Jove, that reminds me! I know I hadn't come across just for the pleasure of your society. News! Great news! Markyn told me. DOONE. Who's dead now? BLAYNE. No one that I know of; but Gaddy's hooked at last! DROPPING CHORUS. How much? The Devil! Markyn was pulling your leg. Not GADDY! BLAYNE. (Humming.) 'Yea, verily, verily, verily! Verily, verily, I say unto thee.' Theodore, the gift o' God! Our Phillup! It's been given out up above. MACKESY. (_Barrister-at-Law_.) Huh! Women will give out anything. What does accused say? BLAYNE. Markyn told me that he congratulated him warily--one hand held out, t'other ready to guard. Gaddy turned pink and said it was so. CURTISS. Poor old Gaddy! They all do it. Who's _she?_ Let's hear the details. BLAYNE. She's a girl--daughter of a Colonel Somebody. DOONE. Simla's stiff with Colonels' daughters. Be more explicit. BLAYNE. Wait a shake. What _was_ her name? Three--something. Three-- CURTISS. Stars, perhaps. Gaddy knows _that_ brand. BLAYNE. Threegan--Minnie Threegan. MACKESY. Threegan! Isn't she a little bit of a girl with red hair? BLAYNE. 'Bout that--from what Markyn said. MACKESY. Then I've met her. She was at Lucknow last season. 'Owned a permanently juvenile Mamma, and danced damnably. I say, Jervoise, you knew the Threegans, didn't you? JERVOISE. (_Civilian of twenty-five years' service, waking up from his doze_.) Eh? What's that? Knew who? How? I thought I was at Home, confound you! MACKESY. The Threegan girl's engaged, so Blayne says.