Page:Quartette - Kipling (1885).djvu/128

 —Lead on, Nubbee Baksh, to the deepest dungeon beneath the castle moat! (Taking out a cheroot.) By Jove! if all the prisoners and captives we pray for in church have such luck as mine, I should say it was rather a comfortable state of life—bar Smallweed. You have arranged that nobody is to be near my tent at dusk, you sly old villain?

—Oh yes, Sáhib! All constables that time cooking roti khhna. Sáhib only walk half a mile across to the grand trunk road; there sais waiting with horse under a tree by that small temple. All very pucca bundobust!

—Confound it! I shall be sorry to go—just at the time, too, that amiable young beak proposes to go philandering with Edith. Never mind! he never gathered shells with her. I suppose I must be off. Hullo! here's her handkerchief; I'll keep it for her till we meet again. (Picks it up, and is kissing it.)

—Come, I say; this is a little too bad. Give me that handkerchief, sir.

(caught).—Handkerchief, sir; yes, sir. The young lady must 'ave dropped it; smells very nice, sir.

—But that's no reason you should steal it!

—Steal it, sir! Now, what use would that be to me! I was only thinking what a beautiful young lady it belonged to; and that if everybody was as good and kind to poor fellows down on their luck as she has been to me, sir, giving me my breakfast, and tracts, and good advice, there would be precious few loafers, sir.

—Poor fellow! he really seems touched in his rough way. Perhaps the dear girl has been able to comfort him a little. But where is she? Qui hai!—Edith (Enter Edith. Wilmot retires slowly with Nubbee Baksh.) Look here, Edith, I've been thinking as it will be an hour before the dák comes in, and I have got throught the thick of my work, we might have a little whist—just a lesson, you know. I notice both you and Smallweed have vague notions on the subject of calling for trumps. What do you say to another brief lesson in Cavendish?

—It's so stupid playing with a dummy; indeed, when Mr. Smallweed plays, one might say with two dummies.

—Oh, Smallweed will learn in time! Here he is.