A SUDDEN RAIN 107 



many inquiries were made in the newspapers, no 

 native has ever come forward to explain it, though 

 they must know. That was the merry month of 

 June, as this is. Since that year of earthquake 

 and riots we have had famine after famine ; and its 

 sequelae, plague ; also floods ; and this year we have 

 been threatened with locusts. Thousands of these 

 insects are settling in parts of Poona, and up- 

 country districts; and even here some have been 

 already picked up by natives, who take them home 

 and cook and eat them, either boiled or in curry. 



I was having tea outside the Ipomoea-covered 

 arbour, when in the space of a second a rain-cloud 

 burst. To move chair and table in underneath 

 was the work of another second, and there it was 

 possible to remain dry, for a time at least, until 

 the leaves became saturated through. Such beauti- 

 ful warm rain as it was! No wonder the Livi- 

 stonia's face shone as it turned it up towards the 

 shimmering drops. I should like to have done the 

 same thing myself, were it not for the trouble of 

 changing garments after. As it was, I was perfectly 

 content to sit under my white cotton sunshade 

 (the master having taken my second umbrella), and 



