A CHANCE FOR MARK TAPLEY 97 



they could. They would probably have found 

 mortar grits in their soup, and fungus in their boots, 

 and everything we possessed would have become 

 mouldy in the humid air ; and devoured by white 

 ants, through not being turned out in the sun when- 

 ever the rain held off. Also, they would have been 

 extremely worried by the builders never being 

 within reach when wanted to give orders to, nor 

 the painter to choose colours for the walls ; these 

 individuals only working between ten and five ; 

 just the time when the masters were away. For- 

 tunately the Burra Sahib's and the Ancient's rooms 

 were untouched during these upheavals, and they 

 were enabled to go and come as usual ; but it 

 required much manoeuvring and Mark Tapleyism 

 to keep things going fairly comfortably for all in 

 such adverse circumstances. Then servants are 

 not much use in unusual times like this ; they have 

 no eyes. Our senses had always to be on the alert, 

 never to leave anything about likely to be stolen. 

 Even as it was, the most undreamt-of things were 

 taken. The brass ends of poles were unscrewed ; 

 wall lamp-brackets, whole lamps even, we found 

 gone when we came to refurnish. Even the hooks 



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