Page:An American Girl in India.djvu/205

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WE CALL ON PETER
195

But as we drove away I wondered if it really was at first sight that Peter had taken a fancy to me. Could it be possible that he really did recognise me?

Besides Mrs. Binks and Mrs. Ipplethwaite every one else was darwaza bandh, except Mrs. Proudfoot, who was ghussal karte. After we got home again I went to my room to rest for an hour before tea. Berengaria said that everyone in India always disappeared for an hour in the afternoon. You need not sleep unless you liked. There was no compulsion about that. But you must disappear. So with a book I disappeared into my room.

In front of the dressing-table I stood still in amazement. There, very badly rolled up, not wholly innocent of dirt, as if it had been dragged along the ground, lay my lost black silk stocking. Nobody could have rolled it up like that and brought it there save Peter. Dear Peter, he must have taken my laughing words to heart. Wasn't it kind and sweet of him to have brought it back? No human thief would ever have done that. I fell in love with Peter straight away.