HE HAD not asked Leila’s consent to bring Mary onto the verandah, to be seen by the students; nor had he asked the child’s. He could not have said then why he did it, and afterwards he regretted it. Perhaps he had been provoked by the students’ gleeful faces and Leila’s so pleased and triumphant, while the child crouched on a chair at the back of the living-room, terrified.
She had not been willing to come with him. She was in tears as he held her up.
The students were puzzled, particularly as they saw that Leila was annoyed.
‘What on earth do you think you’re doing?’ she whispered.
He couldn’t have told her. He wasn’t trying to shame her into keeping her promise to the child, nor was he intending to show that his concern was more genuine, and more Christian, than hers.
‘This little girl is called Mary,’ he cried.
They waited for further explanation but he stopped there.
None of them had seen this child before. To quite a few of them occurred the same suspicion that Mr Srinavasan had suggested to Miss Leithbridge, that the girl was Mr Sandilands’ daughter and her mother some Savuan woman. That would explain why he seemed so defiantly fond of the child and why his wife was refusing to smile at either of them.
Soon the students went off, discussing the little incident, but not letting it spoil their mood of celebration.
In the house Leila confronted Sandilands. Mary had run off to hide in a small retreat she had discovered. There she stood with her hands over her ears.
Even if she had been outside the living-room door she would not have understood. They spoke in English, Leila angrily but quietly. Sandilands hardly spoke at all.
‘Were you trying to shame me out there, Andrew?’
He thought that she had for the time being at least lost her beauty and distinction; but he still loved her.
‘I would never do that, Leila.’
‘But that is what you did. The poor child was terrified.’
‘I’m sorry about that.’
‘I was humiliated. Are you sorry about that too?’
‘Yes. I didn’t mean to humiliate you.’
‘Surely you realised you were putting me in an impossible situation. For the sake of a child like that!’
‘Like what, Leila?’
‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. If you were the kind of person, Andrew, who liked people I could understand and sympathise, but you have the reputation of being aloof and self-centred, and you deserve it.’
‘Why did you marry me then?’
‘I was warned you might ruin my career. My father warned me. I should have listened to him.’
‘Perhaps you should.’
‘Last night I could see you grudged me and my friends our success. Now you are trying to spoil it for me.’
Had that been his motive? He did not think so. He was glad she had succeeded.
‘I love you, Leila.’
‘If you do you will help me, not make things difficult for me. Will you agree to Mariam’s arrangement? It is really no business of yours, Andrew, but you are my husband and I would like your agreement.’
‘Why send the child to Malaya, so far away?’
‘If your mother was to be hanged for a brutal murder would you not want to be as far away as possible?’
‘She’s only ten.’
‘When she’s twenty she will be grateful to us.’
‘I would like to talk to her father and to her mother’s relatives.’
‘I have talked to them. They do not want her. They have disowned her.’
‘But she’s not to blame. Didn’t you tell them that?’
‘I did but it was no use. In their eyes she is as much to blame as her mother.’
‘That’s bloody nonsense.’
‘So it is, but that is how they see it.’
‘I should still like to talk to them.’
‘Please yourself. I don’t think they’ll want to talk to you.’
‘Whereabouts in Malaya? Shouldn’t we go and see the people she was being sent to? I would like to write to her and perhaps visit her. I could ask David Anderson to keep an eye on her.’
‘That is what you think now, Andrew. In time you will think differently. You will have our own family to think of. You say you love me.’
‘I do love you.’
‘Then help me. I admit I did give the poor child some kind of promise. I shouldn’t have. I was distressed at the time. But surely I am entitled to avoid that promise, and as my husband, who loves me, you will help me to avoid it. Will you help me, Andrew?’
He nodded.
‘Explain to her. She likes you. She trusts you.’
‘If I was her I would trust nobody.’
‘She’s a child. She needs to trust someone. She will believe what you say to her.’
‘I will have to be very truthful then.’