CHAPTER V

“Comealong,Mary,getitover.” “Irefusetoshakehandswithanyofthemen,unlessithastobetheNawabBahadur.” “Whomhavewesofar?”Heglancedalongtheline.“H’m!h’m!muchasoneexpected.Weknowwhyhe’shere,Ithink—overthatcontract,andhewantstogettherightsideofmeforMohurram,andhe’stheastrologerwhowantstododgethemunicipalbuildingregulations,andhe’sthatParsi,andhe’s—Hullo!therehegoes—smashintoourhollyhocks.Pulledtheleftreinwhenhemeanttheright.Allasusual.” “Theyoughtnevertohavebeenallowedtodriveinit’ssobadforthem,”saidMrs.Turton,whohadatlastbegunherprogresstothesummer-house,accompaniedbyMrs.Moore,MissQuested,andaterrier.“WhytheycomeatallIdon’tknow.Theyhateitasmuchaswedo.TalktoMrs.McBryde.Herhusbandmadehergivepurdahpartiesuntilshestruck.” “Thisisn’tapurdahparty,”correctedMissQuested. “Oh,really,”wasthehaughtyrejoinder. “Dokindlytelluswhotheseladiesare,”askedMrs.Moore. “You’resuperiortothem,anyway.Don’tforgetthat.You’resuperiortoeveryoneinIndiaexceptoneortwooftheRanis,andthey’reonanequality.” Advancing,sheshookhandswiththegroupandsaidafewwordsofwelcomeinUrdu.Shehadlearntthelingo,butonlytospeaktoherservants,sosheknewnoneofthepoliterformsandoftheverbsonlytheimperativemood.Assoonasherspeechwasover,sheenquiredofhercompanions,“Isthatwhatyouwanted?” “PleasetelltheseladiesthatIwishwecouldspeaktheirlanguage,butwehaveonlyjustcometotheircountry.” “Perhapswespeakyoursalittle,”oneoftheladiessaid. “Why,fancy,sheunderstands!”saidMrs.Turton. “Eastbourne,Piccadilly,HighParkCorner,”saidanotheroftheladies. “Ohyes,they’reEnglish-speaking.” “Butnowwecantalk:howdelightful!”criedAdela,herfacelightingup. “SheknowsParisalso,”calledoneoftheonlookers. “TheypassParisontheway,nodoubt,”saidMrs.Turton,asifshewasdescribingthemovementsofmigratorybirds.HermannerhadgrownmoredistantsinceshehaddiscoveredthatsomeofthegroupwasWesternized,andmightapplyherownstandardstoher. “Theshorterlady,sheismywife,sheisMrs.Bhattacharya,”theonlookerexplained.“Thetallerlady,sheismysister,sheisMrs.Das.” Theshorterandthetallerladiesbothadjustedtheirsaris,andsmiled.Therewasacuriousuncertaintyabouttheirgestures,asiftheysoughtforanewformulawhichneitherEastnorWestcouldprovide.WhenMrs.Bhattacharya’shusbandspoke,sheturnedawayfromhim,butshedidnotmindseeingtheothermen.Indeedalltheladieswereuncertain,cowering,recovering,giggling,makingtinygesturesofatonementordespairatallthatwassaid,andalternatelyfondlingtheterrierorshrinkingfromhim.MissQuestednowhadherdesiredopportunityfriendlyIndianswerebeforeher,andshetriedtomakethemtalk,butshefailed,shestroveinvainagainsttheechoingwallsoftheircivility.Whatevershesaidproducedamurmurofdeprecation,varyingintoamurmurofconcernwhenshedroppedherpocket-handkerchief.Shetrieddoingnothing,toseewhatthatproduced,andtheytoodidnothing.Mrs.Moorewasequallyunsuccessful.Mrs.Turtonwaitedforthemwithadetachedexpressionshehadknownwhatnonsenseitallwasfromthefirst. Whentheytooktheirleave,Mrs.Moorehadanimpulse,andsaidtoMrs.Bhattacharya,whosefacesheliked,“Iwonderwhetheryouwouldallowustocallonyousomeday.” “When?”shereplied,incliningcharmingly. “Wheneverisconvenient.” “Alldaysareconvenient.” “Thursday...” “Mostcertainly.” “Weshallenjoyitgreatly,itwouldbearealpleasure.Whataboutthetime?” “Allhours.” “Telluswhichyouwouldprefer.We’requitestrangerstoyourcountrywedon’tknowwhenyouhavevisitors,”saidMissQuested. Mrs.Bhattacharyaseemednottoknoweither.Hergestureimpliedthatshehadknown,sinceThursdaysbegan,thatEnglishladieswouldcometoseeherononeofthem,andsoalwaysstayedin.Everythingpleasedher,nothingsurprised.Sheadded,“WeleaveforCalcuttato-day.” “Oh,doyou?”saidAdela,notatfirstseeingtheimplication.Thenshecried,“Oh,butifyoudoweshallfindyougone.” Mrs.Bhattacharyadidnotdisputeit.Butherhusbandcalledfromthedistance,“Yes,yes,youcometousThursday.” “Butyou’llbeinCalcutta.” “No,no,weshallnot.”HesaidsomethingswiftlytohiswifeinBengali.“WeexpectyouThursday.” “Thursday...”thewomanechoed. “Youcan’thavedonesuchadreadfulthingastoputoffgoingforoursake?”exclaimedMrs.Moore. “No,ofcoursenot,wearenotsuchpeople.”Hewaslaughing. “Ibelievethatyouhave.Oh,please—itdistressesmebeyondwords.” Everyonewaslaughingnow,butwithnosuggestionthattheyhadblundered.Ashapelessdiscussionoccurred,duringwhichMrs.Turtonretired,smilingtoherself.TheupshotwasthattheyweretocomeThursday,butearlyinthemorning,soastowrecktheBhattacharyaplansas