Really they are married at ten or eleven."
Isobel looked amazed at this her first insight into native life.
Mrs. Hunter smiled.
"I heard Mr. Bathurst saying something to you about it yesterday,
Miss Hannay. He is an enthusiast; we like him very much, but we
don't see much of him."
"You must beware of him, Miss Hannay," Mr. Hunter said, "or he
will inoculate you with some of his fads. I do not say that he is
not right, but he sees the immensity of the need for change, but
does not see fully the immensity of the difficulty in bringing it
about."
"There is no fear of his inoculating me; that is to say of setting
me to work, for what could one woman do?"
"Nothing, my dear," her uncle said; "if all the white women in India
threw themselves into the work, they could do little. The natives
are too jealous of what they consider intruders; the Parsees are
about the only progressive people. While ladies are welcome enough
when they pay a visit of ceremony to the Zenana of a native, if
they were to try to teach their wives to be discontented with their
lots--for that is what it would be--they would be no longer
welcome. Schools are being established, but at present these are
but a drop in the ocean. Still, the work does go on, and in time
something will be done. It is of no use bothering yourself about
it, Isobel; it is best to take matters as you find them."
Isobel made no answer, but she was much disappointed when Dr. Wade,
dropping in to tiffin, said his guest had started two hours before
for Deennugghur.
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