They had not gone five yards when he stopped.
"You are limping. What is it?"
She murmured something about the stones.
"You had better ride," he decided briefly. "Rupert will carry you like a
lamb. Ready? How's that?"
He lifted her up into the saddle as if she had been a child, and stooped
to arrange her foot in the strap of the stirrup.
"Good heavens!" she heard him murmur, as he touched her shoe. "No wonder
the stones seemed hard! Quite comfortable?" he asked her, as he
straightened himself.
"Quite," she answered meekly.
And he marched on, leading the horse with care.
At the gate of the shadowy little compound that surrounded the bungalow
she had quitted so precipitately he paused.
"I will leave the animal here," he said, holding up his hands to her.
She slipped into them submissively.
The cry of a jackal somewhere beyond the native village made her start
and tremble. Her nerves were still on edge.
Major Baring slipped the bridle over the gate-post and took her hand in
his. The grip of his fingers was very strong and reassuring.
"Come," he said kindly, "let us go and look for this bogey of yours!"
But at this point Hope realized fully that she had made herself
ridiculous, and that for the sake of her future self-respect she must by
some means restrain him from putting his purpose into execution.
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