BOOK II.
"A DEVIL FOR LUCK."
CHAPTER VI.
THE MYSTERIOUS BUNGALOW.
If the fates favored Major Alan Hawke upon this eventful day, for
as he was contentedly awaiting the news of Ram Lal's departure for
Allahabad, the card of Captain Harry Hardwicke, A. D. C., and of
the Engineers, was sent up to him. With a neat bit of Indian art,
old Ram Lal had sent the carriage around to report, as a mute signal
of his own departure. It was a flood tide of good fortune!
In ten minutes, the Major and his welcome guest were spinning along
in the cool of the evening, toward the deserted ruins of the old
city of Delhi! As they passed through the Lahore gate, Hardwicke's
pith helmet was doffed with a jerk, as a superb carriage passed
them, proceeding in a stately swing. Major Alan Hawke bowed low as
he caught the cold eye of the would-be Sir Hugh Johnstone.
"Who are the ladies, Hardwicke?" laughed the Major, as he saw the
young officer's face suddenly crimson. "For a man who won the V.
C. in your dashing style, you seem to be a bit beauty-shy!" They
were hardly settled yet for their cozy chat. Hardwicke lit a cheroot
to cover his evident confusion.
"I know" he slowly answered, "that one of them is Miss or Madame
Delande, old Fraser's house duenna--I will still call him Fraser,
you see--the other is the mystery of Delhi. Popularly supposed
to be the old boy's daughter, and his sole heiress, Miss Nadine,"
concluded the young aid-de-camp.
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