Far to Seek - A Romance of England and India by Maud Diver
page 56 of 598 (09%)
page 56 of 598 (09%)
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that seemed fated to wreck their brave adventure. To gain all, they had
risked all: and events had amazingly justified them. Within a year of his ill-considered marriage Sir Nevil had astonished all who knew him with the unique Exhibition of the now famous Ramayána pictures, inspired by his wife: a series of arresting canvases, setting forth the story of India's great epic, her confession of faith in the two supreme loyalties--of the Queen to her husband, of the King to his people. His daring venture had proved successful beyond hope. Artistic and critical London had hailed him as a newcomer of promise, amounting to genius: and Lilámani Sinclair, daughter of Rajputs, had only escaped becoming the craze of the moment by her precipitate withdrawal to Antibes, where she had come within an ace of losing all, largely through the malign influence of Jane--her evil genius during those wonderful, difficult, early months of marriage. Nevil had returned to find himself a man of note; a prophet, even in his own county, where feathers had been ruffled a little by his erratic proceedings. Hence a discreetly changed attitude in the neighbourhood, when Lilámani, barely nineteen, had presented her husband with a son. But--for all the gracious condescension of the elderly, and the frank curiosity of the young--only a discerning few had made any real headway with this attractive, oddly disconcerting child of another continent; this creature of queer reserves and aloofness and passionate pride of race. The friendliest were baffled by her incomprehensible lack of social instinct, the fruit of India's purdah system. Loyal wives and mothers who 'adored' their children--yet spent most of their day in pursuit of other interests--were nonplussed by her complete absorption in the joys and sanctities of home. Yet, in course of time, her patent |
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