The Elephant God eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 338 pages of information about The Elephant God.

The Elephant God eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 338 pages of information about The Elephant God.
ballroom with the fat man, who was now adorned with jewels and wearing a magnificent diamond aigrette in his puggri, and gloating with a lustful gaze over the bared necks and bosoms of the English ladies.  The native of India, where the females of all races veil their faces, looks on white women, who lavishly display their charms to the eyes of all beholders, as immodest and immoral.  And he judges harshly the freedom—­the sometimes extreme freedom—­of intercourse between English wives and men who are not their husbands.

Later in the evening, when Noreen was sitting in the central lounge with Captain Bain during an interval, Chunerbutty approached her with the fat man.  Coming up to her alone the engineer said: 

“Miss Daleham, may I present His Highness the Rajah of Lalpuri to you?”

Noreen felt Captain Bain stiffen, but she replied courteously: 

“Certainly, Mr. Chunerbutty.”

The Rajah stepped forward, and on being introduced held out a fat and flabby hand to her, speaking in stiff and stilted English, for he did not use it with ease.  He spoke only a few conventional sentences, but all the while Noreen felt an inward shiver of disgust.  For his bloodshot eyes seemed to burn her bared flesh, as he devoured her naked shoulders and breast with a hot and lascivious stare.  After replying politely but briefly to him she turned to the engineer and enquired after his father’s health.  The music beginning in the ball-room for the next dance gave her a welcome excuse for cutting the interview short, as Bain sprang up quickly and offered her his arm.  Bowing she moved away with relief.

“I suppose that fellow in evening dress was the man from your garden, Miss Daleham?” asked Bain, as they entered the ballroom.

“Yes; that was Mr. Chunerbutty, who escorted me to Darjeeling,” she answered.

“Well, if he’s a friend of your brother, he ought to know better than to introduce that fat brute of a rajah to you.”

“Oh, he is staying at the Rajah’s house here, as his father, who is ill, is in His Highness’s service.”

“I don’t care.  That beast Lalpuri is a disreputable scoundrel.  There are awful tales of his behaviour up here.  It’s a wonder that the L.G. doesn’t order him out of the place.”

“Really?”

“Yes; he’s a disgraceful blackguard.  None of the other Rajahs of the Presidency will have anything to do with him, I believe; and the two or three of them up here now who are really splendid fellows, refuse to acknowledge him.  Everybody wonders why the Government of India allows him to remain on the gadi.”

The Rajah had watched Noreen with a hungry stare as she walked towards the ballroom.  When she was lost to sight in the crowd of dancers he turned to Chunerbutty and seized his arm with a grip that made the engineer wince.

“She is more beautiful than I thought,” he muttered.  “O you fools!  You fools, who have failed me!  But I shall get her yet.”

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Project Gutenberg
The Elephant God from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.