Six Women

me he was with Saidie in the bungalow, Hamilton, had he been

ng to stay with her. Everywhere that the Commissioner's wife went, riding or driving, Mrs. Hamilton accompanied her; and whenever he met th

station followed its example. The story of Mrs. Hamilton's woes and wrongs had spread all over the community, and proved a theme of delightful and never-ending interest to all the ladies of the station. They were unanimous in supporting her. Not one voice was raised in favour of Hamilton. He was a monster, a heartless libertine, given over to all sorts of t

hey were never tired of condoling with her on having such a brute of a husband. What more natural, poor dear! than that she should refuse to live with him in India, if the climate did not suit her? So unreasonable of him to expect it! The question of a family, too! why, what woman was there now who did not hate to have her figure spoiled, and

ched by their wives, and being in the position of the fox who had lost his br

e," they agreed, "to set up a bl

ot having invitations to give or to answer. All that he regretted was the ultimate resignat

her presence make him unhappy. Hamilton had some difficulty in turning her mind from the resolve to kill herself by way of serving him; and it was only his solemn oath to her that she wa

social life of the station; but she knew he would not feel that, that he would only welcome the greater leisure he had to spend in his Eden with her. To play the martyr for a time had been interesting, but its pleasure was beginning to wane; moreover, she could not stay permanently with the Commiss

lly at her face in the glass. Old and haggard as usual it looked; but to-d

have only this one thing to care about now, and I'll do it som

evil look deepened on her face from minute to minute, a

y over roses and stephanotis, opening bud after bud to the azure above them; the gay call of the birds rang through the clear morning air; the perroquets swung in ecstasy on the bamboo branches, crying out shrill comments on each other's toilet. The scent of a t

e. She was gentle, calm, and resigned in manner, as usual, excessively grateful for all they had done for her, and the kindness shown her. She spoke very sweetly of her husband, told them how she had hope

it out before his wife could stop him. He tugged violently at his moustache, waiting for h

a wife's duty to submit to whatever cross Providence lays upon h

abruptly, breakfast being concluded. He said nothing, but his mental ejaculation was

orning Hamilton found a note from her on his office desk

r England. They seem to have altered their ti

tend to worry you again. You must lead your own life until, perhaps, some day you wish to return to me. You

NE

away his first true instincts, and replace their warning with a lumbering reason. He sat deep in thought, gazing at the table before him. If it were true, if she were really going, if

ing relative to himself in them, and settled down to his work. Twelve, one, and two passed, and he looked up at the clock, wondering if she were really gone. He seemed to have no inclination for lunch, so he worked on without leaving the office, and only rose to clear h

ce so natural, come back to him. Her spirit, whether she were absent or present, seemed always with him-a gay, bright, beautiful vision ev

old; but close to the horizon lay two bright purple bars, like lines of writing in the West: t

hey, and it was quite dark, with a sullen heavy darkness, before they reached the bungalow. It seemed very quiet, with an indefinable sense of stillness in the garden and wide hall

ts transparent purple gauze, lay composed upon the bed, a little to one side. The glorious hair, unbound, rippled in a dark river to the floor; the head rested sideways as in sleep, upon the pillow. In silence Hamilton approached; near the bed his foot slid suddenly; he looked down; there was a tiny lake of scarlet blood, blackening at its edges,

her! Then utter rest and blackness. He looked round thinking. The room was quite empty, undisturbed. The great pearls on Saidie's neck were untouched. They gleamed gently in the pale light from his lamp. No robber, no outsider had

ighted another lamp, putting it on a bracket in the wall, and left the room, descending to the vacant hall. He went to the verandah and calle

f the Poor, the Mem-Sahib came-the white Mem-Sa

ing cries. Then he raised his hand and there was silence, but fo

all, the butler, "tell me all you know. Y

and fell at his master's

Your servant is a poor man, and he saw no more till the runners went away with the palanquin. So we said, 'The white Mem-Sahib has gone,' and my mistress said to me she felt drowsy and must sleep, and went upstairs to the Light of Heaven's room and shut the door. And your servant was laying the table in your honour's dining-room a little later, and he went to close the jillmills,[3] for the wind was rising, and your serv

led in streams down his livid cheeks. A wail went up from the other servants at his word

s hand to the trembling m

y years, and never lied to me. This is another's

iled with him, calling upon Heaven to ble

hich he crossed to the hall; through this he walked

f the flowers remorselessly, and even for the moment he stood there, a rain of thin, white, shredded petals was flung into his face. The branches of the trees groaned and whined in the thick darkness, the swish of broken and bent bamboo came from all sides, the roar of the dust driven through the foliage filled his ears

path that led straight to the compound gate. The unhappy bushes and tortured branches of the trees, bent and twisted by the onrushing wind, lashed his

is eyes saw, not so very far, out on the plain, dull in the whirling mist, the dancing uncertain light of a carried lantern. As the tiger darts f

shriek they dropped the handles, as Hamilton flung himself suddenly on the chair; the lantern fell into the sand and went out. The natives, thinking the devil, the actual spirit of the storm, had overtaken them, fled howling into the blackness, their cries swallowed up like whispers in the roar

agony; two white hands beat helplessly in the black air beside him. He looked hard into her eyes, bending down to her close, very near, as his hands sank deeper into her neck, his fingers locked more tightly round it. In a few seconds the light of the eyes went out, the

ir, lantern would all be be

s to the dim stars, glimmering one here and there, far off and veiled in the heavens. He went back; the wind helped him. On its wings he seemed borne

burned steadily, but low. Their oil was used up, their life, like his, was nearly done. The bed

to her and

Ah his treasure! his world! Surely now all was well since she was safe in his arms! He did not feel the deathly coldness. There wa

n as her breast pressed hi

s, so it went back now to the lips that