But no Memsahib came, and, next day, he went on to Simla cross-
questioning the bearer every hour.
Ram Dass could only say that he had met Mrs. Dumoise and that she had lifted up
her veil and given him the message which he had faithfully repeated to Dumoise.
To this statement Ram Dass adhered.
He did not know where Nuddea was, had no friends at Nuddea, and would most
certainly never go to Nuddea; even though his pay were doubled.
Nuddea is in Bengal, and has nothing whatever to do with a doctor serving in
the Punjab. It must be more than twelve hundred miles from Meridki.
Dumoise went through Simla without halting, and returned to Meridki there to
take over charge from the man who had been officiating for him during his tour.
There were some Dispensary accounts to be explained, and some recent orders of
the Surgeon-General to be noted, and, altogether, the taking-over was a full
day's work. In the evening, Dumoise told his locum tenens, who was an old
friend of his bachelor days, what had happened at Bagi; and the man said that
Ram Dass might as well have chosen Tuticorin while he was about it.
At that moment a telegraph-peon came in with a telegram from Simla, ordering
Dumoise not to take over charge at Meridki, but to go at once to Nuddea on
special duty.
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