"
Three minutes later Lady Meadowcroft rushed on deck and flung her arms
impulsively round Hilda. "You dear, good girl!" she cried; "how sweet
and kind of you! I really COULDN'T have landed if you hadn't promised
to come with us. And Dr. Cumberledge, too! So nice and friendly of
you both. But there, it IS so much pleasanter to deal with ladies and
gentlemen!"
So Hilda won her point; and what was best, won it fairly.
CHAPTER X
THE EPISODE OF THE GUIDE WHO KNEW THE COUNTRY
We toured all round India with the Meadowcrofts; and really the lady who
was "so very exclusive" turned out not a bad little thing, when once
one had succeeded in breaking through the ring-fence with which she
surrounded herself. She had an endless, quenchless restlessness, it is
true; her eyes wandered aimlessly; she never was happy for two
minutes together, unless she was surrounded by friends, and was seeing
something. What she saw did not interest her much; certainly her tastes
were on the level with those of a very young child. An odd-looking
house, a queerly dressed man, a tree cut into shape to look like a
peacock, delighted her far more than the most glorious view of the
quaintest old temple.
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