The Road to Mandalay Part 15

"Why, of course she will," a.s.sented Eva Pomeroy; "she does not have a niece out every mail. I dare say she has already bought you a nice saddle horse. You will be riding every morning, and we can meet and arrange all sorts of jolly picnics and expeditions. I shall come round and look you up as soon as I've unpacked and settled."

At this moment a heavy bang announced the letting down of the gangway, over which a crowd instantly poured and scattered about the decks.

Among the first to appear aft was an immense individual, wearing a loose tussore suit, a huge pith topee, and a black and yellow c.u.mmerbund. His face, with its great jowl, wide lipless mouth, short chin, and a pair of goggle eyes, was distinctly of the frog type.

"Which of you is Miss Leigh?" he demanded in a loud voice, as he approached the group of girls.

Sophy stood forward and before she could evade the outrage, this ugly fat man had put his hands on her shoulders and given her a smacking kiss on each cheek.

Even in this exciting moment of imminent departure, the circle paused for a moment and stared aghast--such an appalling person to claim and kiss Sophy Leigh! What a frightful shock for the unfortunate girl--whilst the sensations of several young men on the verge of the group are better imagined than described!

Herr Krauss, for his part, had received a surprise of a far more agreeable nature, being entirely unprepared to welcome such a pretty, fashionable young lady, in the character of his wife's niece. Flora had invariably spoken of her relatives as "ugly, dowdy little things"; but then, she had only known them at the awkward age and, being herself remarkably handsome, was super-critical with regard to beauty.

"Now come along and show me your luggage," urged Herr Krauss, releasing his new acquaintance, "and I will see about it. The hand gepack can go in the car."

With a sense of dazed bewilderment, Sophy took a hasty leave of her friends and prepared to follow her leader. As she kept close behind him, whilst he forced his way through the crowd, she noticed his short, thick neck, and powerful, aggressive shoulders--she also noticed that he allowed her to carry all her parcels herself.

When at last they reached the car, he stepped in with surprising agility and said as he seated himself:

"Now come along, put your things, umbrellas, wraps and parcels here.

My man," nodding towards a native, "will look after the heavy baggage.

Better stick your dressing-bag in front, as there is not much room. I take up two shares--ha! ha!"

This remark was painfully true. His burly form occupied most of the back seat, and Sophy with difficulty squeezed herself in beside him.

As they glided slowly away, through the dense throng, she looked about her--her curiosity as raw and eager as that of Shafto.

"What a wonderful, busy place!" she exclaimed. "I see you have telephones and trams in all directions."

"Oh, trams!" Krauss echoed contemptuously. "We have _everything_ in Rangoon; great shops and offices, public buildings, a cathedral, a mosque, theatres, clubs, sawmills, rice mills, banks--oh yes, it's a fine place, and so rich," and he smacked his lips as he added, "Burma is the land of opportunity."

"How is my aunt?" inquired Sophy.

"Only middling--she will be glad to see you, and I expect you will do her good. We live a long way out--in Kokine, where Germans herd together, and I take this chance of a talk. I am a busy man--particularly of late; and time with me means _money_, so I'll tell you what I have to say in as few words as possible."

Sophy nodded her head in agreeable a.s.sent.

"Some years ago my wife met with a bad accident--a fall, out paper-chasing. It did not seem much at the time, though she lost her nerve; but it came against her later. During the last two or three years her health has broken down; she suffers from chronic neuralgia in head and spine, and for days she lies like a dead woman."

"Oh, poor Aunt Flora, how very sad!"

"Yes, you may say so. Well, for the last ten years she has had an invaluable maid--Fernanda, a Portuguese half-caste, a treasure, who waited on and nursed her, and took entire charge of the housekeeping.

Fernanda understood my tastes to a T--the curries and stews and blood sausages that I am fond of, and was a rare hand at coffee. Then came a blow! Fernanda made up her silly mind to marry a Scotch engineer and go to Australia. I was at my wits' end the day she gave notice; I said to myself: 'Ach Gott! what can we do? No maids in Rangoon, and meine liebe Flora so helpless!' Then a splendid thought came into my mind--her nieces! Flora is fond of her family and has often talked of your mother, and of you, so I wrote off at once, and--here you are!"

Sophy was about to speak, but he laid a heavy, restraining hand upon her arm and continued:

"There are just one or two little things I wish to say. Your aunt has a clever ayah who knows what to do, and when, she has her attacks I leave her alone--by her own wish. Also, she doesn't like to have her health noticed--though everyone knows that she's more or less an invalid. I believe, if her mind were diverted and occupied she would be better."

"I'm a pretty good nurse," began Sophy; "I've a Red Cross certificate and I like nursing----"

"Oh, that is of no use," he interrupted impatiently. "You must nurse her _mind_; amuse her with cards, reading, games, music--that is your job. Well, then there is the housekeeping; you will have to take the place of Fernanda. She looked after the servants, the mending, the stores, and the cooking--you shall, step into _her_ shoes. Of course, it will be an immense responsibility for a young girl."

As he spoke he turned his head and looked at his _vis-a-vis_ with a glance which seemed to imply that he was endowing her with an empire.

"Of course, I am aware that you English are slatternly, ignorant, and extravagant managers," he continued pleasantly, "but my excellent friend and neighbour, Frau Wurm, has promised to take you in hand."

"But I'm afraid I could not undertake all this," protested Sophy. "I know very little of housekeeping in a large establishment. I can knit and sew, make coffee and savouries, arrange flowers--and that's about all."

"Gott! Gott! Can you not make confitures and cakes and salads?

Confiture I must have with every meal--a nice saucer of cherries or raspberries or greengages, so good with meat. Well, well, never mind, you shall soon learn. Frau Wurm will teach you much. We no longer see company--just two or three men to dine and smoke; your aunt has dropped her English circle. The English community changes, and many of her old friends have gone away or died--and a good job, too! We live in the German quarter and are surrounded by compatriots. You speak German, of course?"

"No--only French; German is so difficult."

"Tch! tch! tch! How lazy you English are! We all speak English. As for me, my mother was English--you could not tell that I was not born an Englishman?"

Apart from his appearance and guttural r's, this claim was justified.

"I suppose you made lots of friends on board ship?"

"Yes, a good many."

"Girls, I suppose--idle girls, who will come buzzing round to coax you to play with them. That is all they are good for; but you will have your work, as I have pointed out. If you are industrious, I shall lend you a horse that was your aunt's--he is not up to my weight--and I will take you to our fine club when I can spare an afternoon. At present, I am immensely occupied, engaged in collecting wolfram. Do you know what wolfram is?"

"No, I have never heard of it," humbly admitted Sophy.

"Well, it is ore used for hardening steel--extremely scarce and valuable; it comes from Tavoy, but business connected with it takes me up and down the river, and even as far as Calcutta and Singapore. Now, with you to look after the house and your aunt, I shall feel so free and easy in my mind. Ah, here we are; this is 'Heidelberg,'" he said, as the car swung in between two tall gate piers.

"Heidelberg" was a good-sized residence, with s.p.a.cious surroundings; palms, bamboos and crotona abounded, and a wonderful collection of gigantic cannas--red, yellow and orange--gave colour to the compound.

A crowd of lazy retainers, who were hanging about, gaped in silence upon the new arrival.

"Now, I'll take you to your aunt at once," said Krauss, descending heavily from the car, but making no effort to a.s.sist his niece. Then he led the way upstairs, striding along the veranda with a heavy, despotic tread, and through a large, dim drawing-room, where Sophy caught an impression of much carved furniture, the figure of a large alabaster Buddha gleaming through the shadows, and a stifling atmosphere of dust and sandalwood. Pushing aside a tinkling bamboo screen, they entered another apartment, which was yet gloomier and more obscure, and here on a wide sofa, propped, among large, silk cushions, lay a sick and wasted woman, who turned on Sophy a sallow face and a pair of drowsy, dark eyes.

"Here is your new treasure, mein schatz," announced her husband! "I brought her straight up."

"Oh, dear child," she murmured, "this is one of my--my dreadful days; so sorry--so sorry--so sorry," and she slowly closed her eyes upon her pretty niece.

Sophy stooped and lifted her hand (which was limp and clammy) to her lips, and said to herself, as she did so, that poor Aunt Flora was woefully changed. She recalled her as a beautiful vision, beautifully dressed, and so gay. Now her face was yellow and withered, and she looked positively old and gaunt.

All at once a buxom ayah advanced---a stout, straight-backed Madra.s.si, with her black hair in a chignon, a ring in her nose, jewelled rings in her ears, wearing a handsome blue-and-gold saree, coquettishly draped round her ample form, the usual short silk bodice, or _choli_, and numerous heavy bangles. She salaamed to Sophy with both hands, and Sophy, who had never before beheld such an apparition, gazed in admiring silence; the ayah's carriage, her gait and sheeny protuberance, recalled to mind a prosperous pouter pigeon.

"My missis plenty sick to-day," said Lily, "never seeing people--that no good; to-morrow, she may be arl right, but _now_ she must sleep, and I will take the new missy to her room."

Sophy's room, which was large and, rather bare, overlooked the stables, cook-house and servants' quarters, and here she was introduced to her own attendant Motee, a timid creature in white, who seemed to rise, as it were, out of the floor.

"Motee is the best lady's ayah in Rangoon," explained Lily with an offhand air, "she understands Miss Sahibs, she will pack and unpack, dress hair--and hold her tongue."

After giving Motee some directions, unpacking her favourite hats and changing her dress, Sophy went forth in order to explore her new home.

The whole establishment had a squalid, neglected appearance and sadly lacked the eye of the mistress. The compound or garden, with its ma.s.ses of gorgeous tropical trees and plants, was overgrown and jungly, poultry wandered about at their own sweet will, and even invaded the veranda--yet apparently there was no lack of staff. On the contrary, from her bedroom window she had observed groups of men talking and smoking, presumably servants, as several wore silver badges on their turbans, and soiled white linen coats, and among these were some jovial Burmans and one or two wide-trousered Chinamen.

No doubt Fernanda, the treasure, had kept the house in working order, and now that she had abdicated, her sceptre lay in the dust--in every sense of the word. Was it her, Sophy's, duty to raise it? She noticed quant.i.ties of litter and cobwebs in the drawing-room, but there were no flowers or knick-knacks; the silver teapot that appeared with tea at five o'clock was nearly black. It was not a luxurious meal, a weak Chinese mixture, and a plate of fossilised biscuits.