Lady Haigh seemed impressed, though perhaps she was only thinking deeply, and her husband, instead of resting on his prophetic laurels, unwisely descended to argument. “He’s not a marrying man; and to go throwing your friend at his head is merely lowering her in his eyes. He would see it in a moment.” “My dear Dugald!”--Lady Haigh awoke from a brown study--“what extraordinary things you are saying! I haven’t the slightest intention of throwing Penelope at any one’s head. It’s really vulgar to suspect every woman that comes near him of designs on Major Keeling.” “Then why do you want to take Miss Ross up with us?” “Because I am her only friend in India, of course. I wish you wouldn’t put such thoughts into my head, Dugald,” plaintively. “Now if anything should come to pass, I shall always feel that I have helped in bringing it on, and I do hate match-making.” “But you said she was handsome,” objected the discomfited husband. “Well, and is Major Keeling the only unmarried man in the world? Why, Captain Ferrers is coming up to Alibad too.” “So he is. By the bye, didn’t you say he hadn’t seen her since she was a child? My word, Elma, he will have a crow to pluck with you when he finds what you have robbed him of.” “I haven’t robbed him,” said Lady Haigh serenely. “I have only kept him from taking an unfair advantage of Penelope’s inexperience. He may win her yet. He shall have a fair field and no favour. He is coming here to-night.” “Oh, that’s your idea of a fair field, is it? No favour, certainly.” “Of course I want them to meet under my eye, until I see whether there is any hope of his reforming.” “Well, we shall be a nice little family party on the frontier.” “Shan’t we? Let me see, Major Keeling is going because he is the heaven-sent leader, and you because you fought your guns so well at Umarganj, and I because you got leave for me. Colin Ross is going because his father was an old friend of Major Keeling’s, Ferrers because the General begged Major Keeling to take him as the only chance of keeping him out of mischief, and Penelope is going because I am going to ask leave for her.” “Don’t you hope you may get it? Well, if you have no more thunderbolts to launch, I’ll go and get into some cooler things.” CHAPTER II. THE AUTOCRAT.