THE WRECK
103
Kamala burst into a peal of laughter; when the fit was over she remarked, "Funny that you can't wait a little longer! You didn't seem to be hungry or thirsty when you were gazing at the sunset. Your appetite came on all of a sudden when I called you in, I suppose. All right, wait a minute and I'll bring your supper."
"Well, you had better be quick; you'll only have yourself to blame if I eat up all the bedclothes while you're fetching it."
The jest seemed to have lost nothing in the repetition and Kamala was again convulsed. Her silvery laughter rang through the cabin as she went to fetch the food. Ramesh's feigned cheerfulness changed to gloom when her back was turned.
Kamala was back soon carrying a pan covered with sal leaves. She put this down on the bedding and wiped the floor clean with the fringe of her dress.
"What's that you're doing?" exclaimed Ramesh.
"It's all right ; I'm just going to change my clothes in any case," and taking off the leaves she daintily served up a dish of luchis (fried cakes) and vege- tables.
"Bless my soul!" cried Ramesh, "where did you get the luchis?"
Kamala had no intention of letting him into the secret all at once. "Just try to guess," she responded with a mysterious air.
Ramesh fell to, making various wild conjectures about the origin of the luchis, much to Kamala' s wrath. When he finally suggested that "Aladdin of the Won- derful Lamp — the fellow in the Arabian Nights — had sent a genie with them piping hot from Baluchistan," she lost patience and turned away in chagrin, declaring that she would not tell him at all if he were going to be so silly.
"I give it up," pleaded Ramesh, "do tell me. I
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