It said much for her own and her brother's popularity with the planters
that their intimacy with him did not cause them to be disliked. These men
as a class are not unjust to natives, but intimate acquaintance with the
Bengali does not tend to make them love him. For the Dalehams' sake most of
the men in the district received Chunerbutty with courtesy. But his
manager, a rough Welshman of the bad old school, who openly declared that
he "loathed all niggers," treated him with invariable rudeness.

As the Hindu engineer and Noreen ascended the steps of the verandah
together, the girl said:

"You are coming to the club this afternoon, are you not?"

"Yes, Miss Daleham, that is why I have been waiting at your bungalow to see
you. I wanted to ask if we'd ride over together."

"Of course. We must start early, though. I want to see that the servants
have everything ready."

"I don't think I'd be anxious to go if it were not _your_ 'At Home' day,"
said the Bengali, as they seated themselves in the drawing-room that Noreen
had made as pretty as she could with her limited resources. "I don't like
the club as a rule. The fellows are so stand-offish."

"You mustn't think so, Mr. Chunerbutty. They aren't really. You know
Englishmen as a rule are not expansive. They often seem unfriendly when
they don't mean to be."

"Oh, they mean it right enough here," replied the Hindu bitterly. "They all