He fancied he must have fallen over the cliff while stalking a fern
on a rotten tree-trunk, and that his coolies must have stolen his baggage and
fled. He thought he would go back to Simla when he was a little stronger. He
desired no more mountaineering.
He made small haste to go away, and recovered his strength slowly.
Lispeth objected to being advised either by the Chaplain or his wife; so the
latter spoke to the Englishman, and told him how matters stood in Lispeth's
heart. He laughed a good deal, and said it was very pretty and romantic, a
perfect idyl of the Himalayas; but, as he was engaged to a girl at Home, he
fancied that nothing would happen. Certainly he would behave with discretion.
He did that. Still he found it very pleasant to talk to Lispeth, and walk with
Lispeth, and say nice things to her, and call her pet names while he was
getting strong enough to go away. It meant nothing at all to him, and
everything in the world to Lispeth. She was very happy while the fortnight
lasted, because she had found a man to love.
Being a savage by birth, she took no trouble to hide her feelings, and the
Englishman was amused. When he went away, Lispeth walked with him, up the Hill
as far as Narkunda, very troubled and very miserable.
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