In half an hour, however, the increasing warmth and her sleepless
night began to tell upon her, and her uncle, seeing that she was
beginning to look fagged, said, "The best thing that you can do,
Isobel, is to go indoors for a bit, and have a good nap. At five
o'clock I will take you round for a drive, and show you the sights
of Cawnpore."
"I do feel sleepy," she said, "though it sounds rude to say so."
"Not at all," the Doctor put in; "if any of these young fellows had
made the journey out from Allahabad in that wretched gharry, they
would have turned into bed as soon as they arrived, and would not
have got up till the first mess bugle sounded, and very likely
would have slept on until next morning.
"Now," he went on, when Isobel had disappeared, "we will adjourn
with you to the mess-house. That young lady would have very small
chance of getting to sleep with all this racket here. Doolan's voice
alone would banish sleep anywhere within a distance of a hundred
yards."
"I will join you there later, Doctor," the Major said. "I have got
a couple of hours' work in the orderly-room. Rumzan, don't let my
niece be disturbed, but if she wakes and rings the bell send up a
message by the woman that I-shall not be back until four."
The Major walked across to the orderly room, while the rest, mounting
their buggies, drove to the mess-house, which was a quarter of a
mile away.
"I should think Miss Hannay will prove a valuable addition to our
circle, Doctor," the Adjutant said.
Pages:
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59