A Bottle in the Smoke: A Tale of Anglo-Indian Life

by Janet Milne Rae

  CHAPTER VII.

  Mr. Rayner had not, as Hester supposed, been accompanied by his guest onhis drive. Some letters had reached Mark which required immediate reply,and as he was leaving for Puranapore after breakfast, he decided he mustforego the tennis-party in question, and devote himself to hiscorrespondence. He was now seated in a room adjoining the library whichhis host had put at his disposal. Mr. Rayner was meanwhile on his wayback from the tennis-party, not in the best of tempers, for his swornenemy, the sun, was now high in the heavens and its rays were beatingfiercely on his mail-phaeton.

  He was driving himself, and as he swept into Clive's Road he perceivedin the shade of the hedge a waiting figure whom he recognised withanything but satisfaction, to judge from his quick frown.

  "Leila Baltus, by jove! So she's turned up again,--worse luck! Thoughtshe'd taken herself off to Calcutta for good! She's evidently lying inwait for me too! Better interview her here than nearer the house," hemuttered to himself, as he threw the reins to the syce and leapt to theground, saying he would walk the rest of the way, and directing that thephaeton should be taken to the stables.

  "She's evidently bound for No. 7, or she wouldn't be so far from Vepery.Fortunate that I've waylaid the creature; she might have tackled Hesterand introduced herself as a former acquaintance of mine! What a closeshave I've had! Well, I'm in for a tussle now!"

  His angry frown was replaced by a studied smile as he hurried forward tomeet the same girl who had accosted Mark at Mr. Morpeth's gate. She wasnow carefully attired in a spotless white muslin dress and a gay hatwith a wealth of flowers.

  Mr. Rayner lifted his sun-topee.

  "Good morning, Leila! You're far from home! Didn't know you were inthese parts at all--thought you had gone to Calcutta to keep house foryour brother!"

  The girl's face was lit up by smiles. "No," she answered. "I'm hereagain in that hole Vepery. Claud took a wife and don't want me. But Ididn't know you were back from England, Alf, till two nights ago, when Isee you and another gent in that smart mail-phaeton. Oh my, what a toffyou did look! All the same, you oughtn't to turn your back on oldfriends. You might have looked me and mother up. She will be awfuleeglad to see you. You used to enjoy a bit supper with us. You'll mindthat prawn curry of mother's, don't you, now?" said the girl, with aninsinuating smile.

  Alfred Rayner stood hesitating. Was it possible the girl did not knowthat he was now a married man, and had no intention of continuing theacquaintance of his bachelor days or of eating prawn curry in Veperyagain? How bitterly he repented those days of his "griffinage!" when hehad been fool enough in idle hours to be feted and flattered by theBaltus household and other undesirable associates! The memory rankled,and was indeed the chief source of his bitterness against the wholeEurasian class. And with this pretty Leila he had been unwise enough tobe betrayed into a flirtation. He winced to recall it. Ever since hisreturn with his bride he had been congratulating himself that LeilaBaltus was no longer a denizen of Vepery, and would not cross his pathagain. Yet there she was, glancing at him with encouraging eyes and ananxious smile. What would she say when she learnt that only a few yardsdistant a beautiful English wife awaited him? It was an awkward dilemma.No wonder the young man felt the need of choosing his words carefully.

  "The truth is," he began slowly, "I'm too busy a man now to avail myselfof the pleasures of bachelorhood, Miss Baltus. Besides, the distancebetween Nungumbaukum and Vepery is great; so you must excuse me. Salaamsto your mother, forgive my hurrying off--haven't even had my tub yet!"Lifting his sun-topee he was about to beat a dignified retreat.

  "So that's where we are, Mister Rayner! You would fling off your oldacquaintance like a pair of done shoes!" cried the girl, her insinuatingsmile changing to an angry scowl. Her companion making no reply, sheseemed to decide on more conciliatory tactics.

  "Well, maybe it's truth that you've grown such a grand toff and you'llwant to fight shy of prawn curry and all that. And to tell the truththere ain't much supper going with us now a days, or anything else.We've got behindhand, mother and me, and Claud won't be good for asingle pice now he's married, so we're real hard up. Come now, since I'mso close to your beautiful house this morning you'll not grudge me a cupo' coffee in your verandah. It's a long tramp between Vepery and thisgrand place of yours. Oh, my, it's grand and no mistake!"

  The girl looked admiringly towards the fine two-storied house, at one ofthe entrances of which the mail-phaeton was now disappearing on its wayto the stables.

  More embarrassed than ever, a happy thought occurred to the young man.

  "So sorry I can't ask you to come in to-day. I've got a visitor and mustreally hurry off to him. But look here, Leila, sorry to hear you're downin your luck! This will perhaps help a bit"; and taking a ten-rupee notefrom his pocket-book he handed it to the girl, congratulating himselfthat now he would effect an escape.

  But he reckoned without his host.

  "Well, since you're too busy for even a chat with your old sweetheartthis morning, she'll just need to come again another time," said thegirl, with a toss of her head, as she crumpled the note in her longbrown fingers. "I'll hand your little gift to mother. She'll send you achit to thank you awfulee for minding on her."

  Miss Baltus seemed at last disposed to retreat, but a "loose end" wasbeing discovered by Mr. Rayner. Fearing it might develop into a serioustangle, he decided to take his courage in both hands.

  "Look here, Leila, perhaps you don't know that a Mrs. Rayner now reignshere. I brought a wife from England with me."

  The announcement was evidently quite unexpected. The girl's amber skingrew a shade darker. Her lustrous eyes flashed fire, and violent emotionseemed to check her utterance for a moment; then she burst forth infury:

  "A Mrs. Rayner reigns--and her not me! So this is your little game? Why,it's the same joke they used to make to me when you camesweethearting--'Mrs. Rayner would reign!' You false snake! But I'll beeven with you yet or my name's not Leila Baltus! You can go back to yourlovelee English bride, but my word, you're not done with her youfooled," she hissed as she made a step forward, holding out her thinfingers as if to return the rupee note, but on second thoughts shecrushed it in her palm again. "No, we shan't be ten rupees poorer anyhowbecause of the woman who has supplanted me! I'll just hand it on to mypoor mother to pay for the prawn curries she wasted on an ungratefultoad!" she muttered, turning her back swiftly on the young man andhurrying away.

  Alfred Rayner stood for a moment watching the slender swaying figuredisappearing down the leafy road, then he turned homeward, muttering:"Don't fancy I've scotched her. That horrid vixen will give me troubleyet! What a pity I gave her that money when I can ill spare it with allmy heavy expenses. Depend upon it, she'll be upon me for another notebefore long! I've a good mind to make a clean breast of it to Hester.She's no fool, she'll understand when I give her my side of the storythat I'm simply being persecuted and blackmailed by a half-caste liar!"

  Having decided on this course he walked briskly towards the house,taking the stable-entrance which happened to be nearest the part of theroad where he he had been talking with his old acquaintance.