Nurse in India Read Online Free PDF

fool who must be saved from her own idiocy.
    “And what exactly do you mean by that?” he demanded.
    “That I ’ m not afraid of making this Bhindi trip—and that I ’ m not scared by your bullying, either.”
    “Bullying?” He seemed taken aback by the word.
    “That ’ s what I said. You may mean well. But if you imagine you ’ re going to treat women in that blustering, caddish way and get away with it—well, I for one won ’ t put up with it. So far as I am concerned, I never wish to speak to you again.”
    For a moment he did riot speak. Then he said, incredulously, “But, Stella, surely you understand—”
    She would not look at him; to meet the expression that she knew instinctively was dawning in his eyes would be too great a test of her strength. She must be resolute, must send him away.
    “There ’ s nothing to understand,” she returned curtly. “And nothing to say—except that I wish you a very good morning.”
    Still he hesitated. She could feel his eyes searching her lace, and her heart was beating to suffocation. But suddenly Roger turned and swung out of the room and down th e veranda steps. Starting up his car with quite unnecessary violence, he drove off down the tree-lined a venue, making so much noise that had not Jelly been a heavy—and late—sleeper, there would certainly have been some awkward questions to answer as to the reason for the commotion.
    She had so much to do in the way of preparations for her patient ’ s comfort during her week ’ s absence that the minutes flew by; and though Jelly, when she at last woke up, commented on her pallor, it was clear that she had no notion of its cause—had no inkling of the misery and unrest that were tearing at the younger woman ’ s heartstrings.
    Too unhappy now to feel even a tremor of nervousness, it was a relief to Stella when the moment of departure arrived, and she was getting into the huge but battered old Austin that was the pride and glory of the local garage. It was early afternoon, the hour of her usual siesta, but in spite of her fatigue the jolting and bumping of the car along the pitted and uneven road made it impossible to drop off into a doze. She could only brood, in a veritable agony of mind, over the bitter success of her attempt to break with Roger. How easy it had been, after all, to extinguish that weak little flame of love that had been lighted in his heart.
    Presently, however, as the pace of the turbaned driver grew slower and slower and his muttered imprecations more tediously frequent, weariness overcame her, and she slipped into sleep.
    She had only slumbered a few moments, it seemed, when she was awakened by the sound of horses ’ hooves close at hand, and peering through the windows she found that darkness had fallen.
    Glancing at her wristwatch she saw to her amazement that it was past six o ’ clock, and now realized, for the first time, that the car had ceased its snail - like progress and had come to a standstill.
    Voices reached her now; the horsemen were talking to the driver. And she called out eagerly, “Is that you, Armand?”
    Evidently, however, she did not make herself heard, and she was about to rap on the partition that separated her from the driver, when there was a crash of gears, and the Austin, lurching forward, got under way again and proceeded on its journey.
    I hope to goodness there ’ s not much more of this, she thought, beginning to feel thoroughly irritable—and painfully in need of a cup of tea. But a few minutes later her annoyance was lost in a much stronger emotion. The car, moving more quickly now on a far better road, turned through an immense gateway; and as she looked through the little back window of the car, a great door swung into place behind them. And when, really frightened, she leaned out and asked the driver where he was taking her, he answered, his face expressionless, “To the palace, memsahib . It is His Highness ’ s command.”

 
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