if she had been disposed to go her own way. I fancy about half of
them proposed to her--not that she ever said as much to me--
but whenever I observed one looking sulky and giving himself airs
I could guess pretty well what had happened. These young puppies
are all alike, and we are not without experience of the species
out here.

"Seriously, Major, I think you are to be congratulated. I consider
that you ran a tremendous risk in asking a young woman, of whom you
knew nothing, to come out to you; still it has turned out well. If
she had been a frivolous, giggling thing, like most of them, I had
made up my mind to do you a good turn by helping to get her engaged
on the voyage, and should have seen her married offhand at Calcutta,
and have come up and told you that you were well out of the scrape.
As, contrary to my expectations, she turned out to be a sensible
young woman, I did my best the other way. It is likely enough you
may have her on your hands some little time, for I don't think she
is likely to be caught by the first comer. Well, I must go and have
my bath; the dust has been awful coming up from Allahabad. That
is one advantage, and the only one as far as I can see, that they
have got in England. They don't know what dust is there."

When the bell for breakfast rang, and Isobel made her appearance,
looking fresh and cool, in a light dress, the Major said, "You
must take the head of the table, my dear, and assume the reins of
government forthwith."

"Then I should say, uncle, that if any guidance is required, there
will be an upset in a very short time. No, that won't do at all.
You must go on just as you were before, and I shall look on and