She was hysterical after supper,
and was taken away by her Mamma.
At the dance, with the abominable Bisara in his pocket, Churton twisted his
foot on one of the steps leading down to the old Rink, and had to be sent home
in a rickshaw, grumbling. He did not believe in the Bisara of Pooree any the
more for this manifestation, but he sought out Pack and called him some ugly
names; and "thief" was the mildest of them. Pack took the names with the
nervous smile of a little man who wants both soul and body to resent an insult,
and went his way. There was no public scandal.
A week later, Pack got his definite dismissal from Miss Hollis.
There had been a mistake in the placing of her affections, she said.
So he went away to Madras, where he can do no great harm even if he lives to be
a Colonel.
Churton insisted upon The Man who Knew taking the Bisara of Pooree as a gift.
The Man took it, went down to the Cart Road at once, found an ekka pony with a
blue head-necklace, fastened the Bisara of Pooree inside the necklace with a
piece of shoe-string and thanked Heaven that he was rid of a danger. Remember,
in case you ever find it, that you must not destroy the Bisara of Pooree. I
have not time to explain why just now, but the power lies in the little wooden
fish.
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