“If I tell you, you’ll only laugh. It is a very little thing, but it’s the straw to show which way the wind is blowing. You didn’t notice, when Bahram Khan had had his prize, how Mab was left sitting alone for a minute. I knew just how she felt, ashamed and miserable and _wounded_, and I wanted to go to her, but Mrs Hardy had got hold of me, and I didn’t think she would improve matters. The Commissioner didn’t see--he never does see what other people are feeling, unless he happens to be feeling the same himself--but Fitz Anstruther did. He was by her side in a moment, saying just the kind of things that would lead her to forget her mortification. If he had seemed to intend to help her, she would have been angry, but it looked quite accidental, as if it was simply that he took pleasure in her society, and jumped at the chance of enjoying it when he found her alone for a minute. She will be grateful to him ever after, and that may be the beginning of even better things.” “Oh, you match-makers! The idea of coupling Mab and Anstruther, of all people! And you back him against the Commissioner?” “I do; unless Mab is deliberately playing for a high official future.” CHAPTER V. ROSE OF THE WORLD. “Awfully sorry, Mab, but I really can’t ride with you this morning. It’s bad enough when one of our wandering tribes comes in for a palaver, but to-day there are two of them, at daggers drawn with one another. They have both sent deputations to inform me that I am their father and their mother, and will I be good enough to pulverise the other lot? That means that I have a nice long day’s work cut out for me.” “Oh, what a bother!” grumbled Mabel. “And Georgia has got a lot of dreadful women in the surgery, and is doctoring them all round. How can she bear to have them about? Do you like having an M.D. for a wife, Dick?” “Personally,” said Dick solemnly, “I rather do; since Georgia is that M.D. Politically, it’s the making of me.” “No; really?” “Rather! Every woman of all these nomadic tribes has a stake in the country, so to speak--a personal interest in the maintenance of the system of government which has stuck Georgie and me down here. No Sarkar, no doctor; that’s the way they look at it.” “Well,” said Mabel, somewhat ashamed, “if it wasn’t that I have my habit on, I would stay and help her. But we were going to try Laili, Dick, and you promised faithfully to come.” “I know; it’s horribly rough on you. But I tell you what I’ll do. I’ll spare Anstruther to you for the morning, and he must ride out to me after lunch. Don’t break his neck first, mind.” “But will it be safe for you to go alone? Aren’t you afraid?” “Shade of my mighty father-in-law! afraid of what?” “Oh, I don’t know. It sounds the sort of thing----” “That one would naturally be afraid of? No, I would rather face any number of excited tribesmen than Burgrave at his blandest. I’ll send a _chit_ down to Anstruther, and he’ll be here in a few minutes.”