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She said nothing therefore, and Sir Reginald considerately turned the subject by asking Nick what disguise he intended to assume. "I?" said Nick. "I haven't absolutely decided, sir. I've got a fool's dress somewhere that might serve." He turned, releasing Olga's hand, to take a screw of paper from a salver with which Kasur at that moment approached him.
If she well ... if in any way he found she had treated Lance shabbily, he might find it hard to control himself or forgive her: equally detestable and equally true. But uncertainty was more intolerable still.... He found the household ready for immediate flitting, and Mrs Elton in a fluster of wrath and palpitation over startling news from Kasur. "The station burnt and looted.
"Miss sahib, how should I know? My lord goes in the night while his servant is asleep." "In the night!" Again incredulously she repeated his words. "And to the city! Kasur, are you sure?" Kasur became more vague. "Perhaps he goes to the cantonments, Miss sahib. How should I know whither he goes?" It was an unsatisfactory conversation, obviously leading in every direction but the one desired.
Quasur, or kasur, is in Hindustani flame: in English Gipsy kessur signifies smoke; but I have heard a Gipsy more than once apply the same term to flame and smoke, just as miraben stands for both life and death. Very Oriental is the word kismet, or destiny, as most of my readers are probably aware.
"Trust me!" laughed Nick. There came a knock at the door, to which Kasur responded. It was Olga's ayah. A few whispered words passed between them, then the khitmutgar softly closed it and approached Nick. "Miss sahib is tired this morning, and cannot ride with the sahibs. She asks that you will go to her, sahib, before you leave." Nick glanced at Max. "You had better come too."
Shall we tell Kasur to order the horses, and go for a canter?" She turned beside him. "Yes, I shall like that. But why did you say I was always hard on Max?" "The result of observations made," he answered lightly. She smiled with a hint of wistfulness, and said no more. The child Olga would have argued the point. The woman Olga held her peace.
There was no reply to her call, and she was about to repeat it when Kasur the khitmutgar came along the verandah behind her. "Miss sahib, Ratcliffe sahib has not yet come back from the city," he said. Olga turned in astonishment. "The city, Kasur! How long has he been there? When did he go?" The man looked at her with the deferential vagueness which only the Oriental can express.
"There is a strange sahib in the drawing-room, who waits to see the Miss sahib," he said. Olga's heart gave a wild bound. "To see me? What name, Kasur?" "Miss sahib, he gave no name. 'She knows me, he said. 'I will announce myself." Olga turned to the verandah steps, as if drawn thereto by some unseen magnetic force. Sedately Kasur followed.
Moment by moment her uneasiness grew. The conviction that Nick was in danger came down upon her like a bird of evil omen, and inaction became intolerable. She turned in her chair with the intention of calling to Kasur to order her horse that she might go in search of him.
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