But
with Foljambe keeping guard over the Queen Anne porringer, there was
nothing more to fear, and he followed Lucia, her silver cord with
tassels gently swinging as she moved, to the smoking-parlour, where
Peppino was already sitting on the floor, and breathing in a rather
more agitated manner than was usual with the advanced class. There were
fresh flowers on the table, and the scented morning breeze blew in from
the garden. According to custom they all sat down and waited, getting
calmer and more peaceful every moment. Soon there would be the tapping
of slippered heels on the walk of broken paving-stones outside, and for
the time they would forget all these disturbances. But they were all
rather glad that Lucia was to ask the Guru to give them a shorter
lesson than usual.
They waited. Presently the hands of the Cromwellian timepiece which was
the nearest approach to an Elizabethan clock that Lucia had been able
at present to obtain, pointed to a quarter past ten.
"My Guru is a little late," said she.
Two minutes afterwards, Peppino sneezed. Two minutes after that Daisy
spoke, using irony.
"Would it not be well to see what has happened to your Guru, dear?" she
asked. "Have you seen your Guru this morning?"
"No, dear," said Lucia, not opening her eyes, for she was
"concentrating," "he always meditates before a class."
"So do I," said Daisy, "but I have meditated long enough.
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