Now that the Guru was
practically interned in The Hurst, they had actually never set eyes on
him, for they had not chosen to come to the Hightum garden-party,
preferring to have a second round of golf, and meeting Lucia next day
had been distinctly irreverent on the subject of Eastern philosophy.
Since then she had not been aware of their existence.
Lucia now received special instruction from the Guru in a class all by
herself so prodigious was her advance in Yoga, for she could hold her
breath much longer than anybody else, and had mastered six postures,
while the next class which she attended also consisted of the other
original members, namely Daisy Quantock, Georgie and Peppino. They had
got on very well, too, but Lucia had quite shot away from them, and now
if the Guru had other urgent spiritual claims on him, she gave
instruction to a less advanced class herself. For this purpose she
habited herself in a peculiarly becoming dress of white linen, which
reached to her feet and had full flowing sleeves like a surplice.
It was girdled with a silver cord with long tassels, and had
mother-of-pearl buttons and a hood at the back lined with white satin
which came over her head. Below its hem as she sat and taught in a
really rather advanced posture showed the toes of her white morocco
slippers, and she called it her "Teacher's Robe." The class which she
taught consisted of Colonel Boucher, Piggy Antrobus and Mrs Weston:
sometimes the Colonel brought his bull-dogs with him, who lay and
snorted precisely as if they were doing breathing exercises, too.
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