She had her curiosity and it was beginning to consume her.

What had Thresk known of Stella and she of him before she had come out to India and become Stella Ballantyne?
Had they been in love?
If not why had Thresk gone to Chitipur?
Why had he missed his boat and left all his clients over there in England in the lurch?
If so, why hadn't they married--the idiots?
Oh, how she wanted to know all the answers to all these questions! And what he proposed to do now! And she would know nothing unless she was frank herself.

She had read his ultimatum in his face.
"We'll have coffee in my sitting-room.

You can smoke there," she said and led the way to it.

"A cheroot ?" Thresk smiled with amusement.