But of late Monsieur Sinfray had had too much important
business on hand to spare time for such delights. He was believed to be
with Sirajuddaula at Murshidabad, and the house had remained untenanted.
The hackeri pulled up at the gate in the wall. The curtains were drawn
aside; a group of peons surrounded the cart to fend off prying eyes; and
the passengers descended--two ladies clad in long white saris {garment in
one piece, covering the body from head to foot} and closely veiled. A
sleek Bengali had already got out from a palanquin which had accompanied
the hackeri; in a second palanquin sat Monsieur de Bonnefon, who did not
take the trouble to alight.
With many salaams the Bengali led the ladies through the gate and across
the compound towards the house. They both walked proudly erect, with a
gait very different from that of the native ladies who time and again had
followed the same path. They entered the house; the heavy door was shut;
and from behind the screens of the room to which they were led they heard
the hackeri rumbling away.
Monsieur de Bonnefon, as his palanquin was borne off, soliloquized,
ticking off imaginary accounts on the fingers of his left hand; the right
hand was partly hidden by a black velvet mitten. His reckoning ran
somewhat as follows:
"In account with Edward Merriman:
"Credit--to the hounding out of the Company by his friend Clive: nominal:
I made more outside; to scurrilous abuse in public and private: mere
words; say fifty rupees; to threat to hang me: mere words again: say
fifty rupees.
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