The Karma of Love (Bantam Series No. 14) by Barbara Cartland Page A

much.”
    “I understand that,” the Purser said. “I will see if there is anyone suitable but if they are not travelling First Class, I shall have to ask the Captain’s permission for them to be allowed on this deck.”
    “The lessons would have to be after I have put my charge to bed,” Orissa said, “and that would mean that they would really have to be after dinner. I usually retire once the coffee has been served.”
    “I have noticed that,” the Purser said. “You are not a card-player, Mrs. Lane?”
    “I cannot afford to gamble,” Orissa said with a smile.
    “Well, I will certainly see what I can do to help you,” the Purser promised, “and I am sure that as several people are getting off at Malta it will be easy to find you a cabin that you can use.”
    “Thank you very much indeed,” Orissa said.
    She felt excited at the idea of “rubbing up” the language which she knew must have grown rusty over the years. Yet it seemed that every word she had ever spoken was still vividly in her mind.
    Sometimes when she was walking to school, or sitting alone in the dismal house at Eaton Place, she would deliberately name English objects aloud in Urdu, liking the sound of them on her tongue.
    By the time they reached Gibraltar the Dining - Saloon was full again and Neil went down to luncheon with his grand-parents.
    Despite Orissa’s resolution to avoid Major Meredith as much as possible, she could not help being aware that when he was present at meal times the whole conversation seemed charged with interest.
    At Malta it was Major Meredith who brought the news that there had been a victory for the Nile Expedition at Abu Klea Wells.
    “A victory?” the General asked sharply.
    Everyone at the table paused to listen, their eyes riveted on Major Meredith’s face.
    “General Stewart has reported that he has fought a successful battle twenty-five miles from the river.”
    “Was it a big one?” the General enquired. “Apparently he had ten thousand natives against him,” Major Meredith answered, “but reports of what happened are not very detailed at the moment.”
    Orissa thought of a battle involving ten thousand of the enemy and found herself shivering. Very soon Charles would be fighting and she could not bear the thought of it.
    “What news of General Gordon?” the General enquired.
    “Apparently a message from the General dated December twenty-ninth stated: ‘Khartoum all right — could hold out for years!’ ”
    “How did they get that?” General Onslow enquired.
    “From what I gather it was written on a diminutive piece of paper that a native could secret about his person,” Major Meredith answered. “The report says the man was actually stripped by some hostile Arabs, searched and beaten, but he managed to get his tiny message to Korte.”
    “Is there no news since December twenty-ninth?” Colonel McDougal enquired.
    “If there is, they do not know of it in Malta,” Major Meredith replied.
    The other news they learnt from the foreign newspapers that came aboard was that there had been a dynamite attack in the House of Commons and the Tower of London.
    “Good gracious!” Lady Critchley exclaimed, “I cannot imagine what the world is coming to! Who could have done such a thing?”
    “They call themselves the Irish Invincibles’ but they come from America,” Major Meredith informed her. “The Chamber in the House of Commons was practically wrecked and special damage was done to the Government Front Bench.”
    “I can hardly credit such things happening in England!” Mrs. Onslow exclaimed. “One can hardly bear to think of the world and the mess it is in at the moment!”
    “That is true,” Lady Critchley agreed.
    “Although I must say,” Mrs. Onslow went on, “we ourselves should be thankful that we escaped fro m being ship-wrecked in that terrible storm.”
    “I do not think we were ever in danger of foundering,” Colonel McDougel reassured her. “I saw in the