In consequence when the Guru salaamed very humbly, and said that with
gracious permission of beloved lady and kind master he would go and
meditate in his room, and had shambled away in his red slippers, the
discussion which Robert had felt himself obliged to open with his wife,
on the subject of having an unknown Indian staying with them for an
indefinite period, was opened in a much more amicable key than it would
have been on a slice of codfish.
"Well, now, about this Golliwog--haha--I should say Guru, my dear," he
began, "what's going to happen?"
Daisy Quantock drew in her breath sharply and winced at this
irreverence, but quickly remembered that she must always be sending out
messages of love, north, east, south, and west. So she sent a rather
spiky one in the direction of her husband who was sitting due east, so
that it probably got to him at once, and smiled the particular hard
firm smile which was an heirloom inherited from her last rule of life.
"No one knows," she said brightly. "Even the Guides can't tell where
and when a Guru may he called."
"Then do you propose he should stop here till he's called somewhere
else?"
She continued smiling.
"I don't propose anything," she said. "It's not in my hands."
Under the calming influence of the fish curry, Robert remained still
placid.
"He's a first-rate cook anyhow," he said. "Can't you engage him as
that? Call to the kitchen, you know.
Pages:
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72