English papers and papers from Singapore, magazines and books, leaving for the ensuing -weeks a more exact perusal. They snatched the illustrated papers from one another. If Doris had not been so absorbed she might have noticed that there was a change in Guy. She would have found it hard to describe and harder still to explain. There was in his eyes a sort of -watchfulness and in his mouth a slight droop of anxiety.
Then, perhaps a -week later, one morning when she was sitting in the shaded room studying a Malay grammar (for she was industriously learning the language) she heard a commotion in the compound. She heard the house boy’s voice, he was speaking angrily, the voice of another man perhaps it was the water-carrier’s, and then a woman’s, shrill and vituperative. There -was a scuffle. She went to the window and opened the shutters. The water-carrier had hold of a -woman’s arm and was dragging her along, -while the house boy was pushing her from behind -with both hands. Doris recognized her at once as the woman she had seen one morning loitering in the compound and later in the day outside the tennis-court. She was holding a baby against her breast All three were shouting angrily.
’Stop,’ cried Doris. ’What are you doing?’
At the sound of her voice the water-carrier let go suddenly -and the woman, still pushed from behind, fell to the ground.
There was a sudden silence and the house boy looked sullenly into space. The water-carrier hesitated a moment and than slunk away. The woman raised herself slowly to her feet, arranged the baby on her arm, and stood impassive, staring at Doris. The boy, said something to her which Doris could not have heard even if she had understood; the woman by -no change of face showed that his words meant anything to her; but she slowly strolled away. The boy followed her to the gate of the compound. Doris called to him as he walked back, but he pretended not to hear. She was growing angry now and she called more sharply.
’Come here at once,’ she cried.
Suddenly, avoiding her wrathful glance, he came towards the bungalow. He came in. and stood at the door. He looked at her sulkily.
’What were you doing with that woman?’ she asked abruptly. ’Tuan say she no come here.’