Chokingly the woman drew a long breath, uttered a convulsed sob and rushed from the room.
“She mustn’t get up on western civilization at our expense,” he said grimly.
At dinner that night he decided that it must inevitably be a truncated visit: about his own country Hosain seemed to have observed only that there were many mountains and some goats and herders of goats.
He was a reserved young man—to draw him out would have required the sincere effort that Dick now reserved for his family.
Soon after dinner Hosain left Mary and the Divers to themselves, but the old unity was split—between them lay the restless social fields that Mary was about to conquer.
Dick was relieved when, at nine-thirty, Mary received and read a note and got up.
“You’ll have to excuse me.
My husband is leaving on a short trip— and I must be with him.”
Next morning, hard on the heels of the servant bringing coffee, Mary entered their room.
She was dressed and they were not dressed, and she had the air of having been up for some time.
Her face was toughened with quiet jerky fury.
“What is this story about Lanier having been bathed in a dirty bath?”
Dick began to protest, but she cut through:
“What is this story that you commanded my husband’s sister to clean Lanier’s tub?”
She remained on her feet staring at them, as they sat impotent as idols in their beds, weighted by their trays. Together they exclaimed:
“His SISTER!”
“That you ordered one of his sisters to clean out a tub!”
“We didn’t—” their voices rang together saying the same thing, “— I spoke to the native servant—”
“You spoke to Hosain’s sister.”
Dick could only say:
“I supposed they were two maids.”
“You were told they were Himadoun.”
“What?”
Dick got out of bed and into a robe.
“I explained it to you at the piano night before last.
Don’t tell me you were too merry to understand.”
“Was that what you said?
I didn’t hear the beginning.
I didn’t connect the—we didn’t make any connection, Mary.
Well, all we can do is see her and apologize.”
“See her and apologize!
I explained to you that when the oldest member of the family—when the oldest one marries, well, the two oldest sisters consecrate themselves to being Himadoun, to being his wife’s ladies-in-waiting.”
“Was that why Hosain left the house last night?”
Mary hesitated; then nodded.
“He had to—they all left.
His honor makes it necessary.”
Now both the Divers were up and dressing; Mary went on:
“And what’s all that about the bathwater.
As if a thing like that could happen in this house!
We’ll ask Lanier about it.”
Dick sat on the bedside indicating in a private gesture to Nicole that she should take over.
Meanwhile Mary went to the door and spoke to an attendant in Italian.
“Wait a minute,” Nicole said.
“I won’t have that.”
“You accused us,” answered Mary, in a tone she had never used to Nicole before.
“Now I have a right to see.”
“I won’t have the child brought in.”
Nicole threw on her clothes as though they were chain mail.
“That’s all right,” said Dick.
“Bring Lanier in. We’ll settle this bathtub matter—fact or myth.”