Good and Cheap Eat Well on 4 Day

Brown
Visit to download the full and correct content document:
https://textbookfull.com/product/good-and-cheap-eat-well-on-4-day-brown/
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...

Good and Simple Recipes to Eat Well and Thrive 1st

Edition Jasmine Hemsley

https://textbookfull.com/product/good-and-simple-recipes-to-eat-
well-and-thrive-1st-edition-jasmine-hemsley/

Healthy Halogen Cookbook Over 150 Recipes to Help You

Eat Well Feel Good and Stay That Way Flower

https://textbookfull.com/product/healthy-halogen-cookbook-
over-150-recipes-to-help-you-eat-well-feel-good-and-stay-that-
way-flower/

Real Food Real Good Eat Well With Over 100 of My Simple
Wholesome Recipes 1st Edition Michael Smith

https://textbookfull.com/product/real-food-real-good-eat-well-
with-over-100-of-my-simple-wholesome-recipes-1st-edition-michael-
smith/

Genomes 4 T.A. Brown

https://textbookfull.com/product/genomes-4-t-a-brown/
Eat your heart out the look good feel good silver
lining cookbook 1st Edition Sheremet

https://textbookfull.com/product/eat-your-heart-out-the-look-
good-feel-good-silver-lining-cookbook-1st-edition-sheremet/

The Innovator s Hypothesis How Cheap Experiments Are

Worth More Than Good Ideas Michael Schrage

https://textbookfull.com/product/the-innovator-s-hypothesis-how-
cheap-experiments-are-worth-more-than-good-ideas-michael-schrage/

Learn Python in One Day and Learn It Well 2nd Edition

Jamie Chan

https://textbookfull.com/product/learn-python-in-one-day-and-
learn-it-well-2nd-edition-jamie-chan/

Corporate Behavior and Sustainability Doing Well by

Being Good 1st Edition Güler Aras

https://textbookfull.com/product/corporate-behavior-and-
sustainability-doing-well-by-being-good-1st-edition-guler-aras/

Regulating Code Good Governance And Better Regulation

In The Information Age Ian Brown

https://textbookfull.com/product/regulating-code-good-governance-
and-better-regulation-in-the-information-age-ian-brown/
EAT WELL ON $4/DAY

WO R K M A N P U B L I S H I N G • N E W YO R K
 SPECIAL DISCOUNTS FOR NON-PROFITS
A special edition of Good and Cheap is available for non-profit organizations wishing
to give books away to those with limited incomes. Deep discounts are available on
bulk purchases of 10 or more copies. Please email goodandcheap@workman.com
for more information.

Copyright © 2015 by Leanne Brown

Photographs copyright © by Leanne Brown and Dan Lazin
All rights reserved. A portion of this book was previously published by the author under a
Creative Commons license. Terms of the Creative Commons license relate to portions of
the book from that edition only. No portion of this book may be reproduced—mechanically,
electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying—without written permission
of the publisher. Published simultaneously in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son Limited.
An earlier version of this book was distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-
NonCommercialShareAlike 4.0 license. For more information, visit creativecommons
.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN 978-0-7611-8499-7
Design by Janet Vicario; layout by Gordon Whiteside
Cover photo by Leanne Brown
Additional Photo Credits: page 16 (from top to bottom): pixelrobot/fotolia, lester120/fotolia,
arinahabich/fotolia, komodoempire/fotolia, simmittorok/fotolia, taiftin/fotolia; page 17 (from
top to bottom): Tarzhanova/fotolia, Workman Publishing, Viktor/fotolia, photos777/fotolia,
pioneer/fotolia, Andy Lidstone/fotolia.
Workman books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for premiums
and sales promotions as well as for fund-raising or educational use. Special editions or
book excerpts also can be created to specification. For details, contact the Special Sales
Director at the address below, or send an email to specialmarkets@workman.com.
Workman Publishing Co., Inc.
225 Varick Street
New York, NY 10014-4381
workman.com
WORKMAN is a registered trademark of Workman Publishing Co., Inc.
Printed and bound in China/Partly sponsored by Asia Pacific Inc.
First printing June 2015
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
Introduction vii Snacks, Sides,
and Small Bites 45
Brussels Sprout Hash and Eggs 46
Breakfast 1 Mexican Street Corn 47
Tomato Scrambled Eggs 2 My Dad’s Baked Beans 48
Omelet 3 Smoky and Spicy Roasted Cauliflower 51
Egg Sandwiches with Mushroom Hash 5 Crispy Chickpeas and Pumpkin Seeds 52
Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars 6 Spicy Green Beans 53
Oatmeal 9 Popcorn 54
Breakfast Quinoa 11 Mashed Beets 57
Banana Pancakes 12 Mashed Cauliflower 58
Whole-Wheat Jalapeño Cheddar Scones 15 Winter Squash Puree 59
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins 16 Mashed Celery Root 60
Broiled Grapefruit 18 Bubble and Squeak 63
Jacket Sweet Potatoes 64
Soup and Salad 19 Roasted Potatoes with Chiles 65
Dal 21 Poutine 66
Corn Soup 22 Things on Toast 68
French Onion Soup 25 Cornmeal-Crusted Veggies 72
Lightly Curried Butternut Squash Soup 26 Green Chile and Cheddar Quesadillas 74
Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese 28
Sweet or Savory Pineapple Salad 30
Kale Caesar Salad 31 Dinner 75
Broiled Eggplant Salad 32 Filipino Chicken Adobo 77
Beet and Chickpea Salad 33 Roast Chicken 78
Ever-Popular Potato Salad 34 Peanut Chicken and Broccoli with Coconut Rice 81
Spicy Panzanella 37 Beef Stroganoff 82
Cold (and Spicy?) Asian Noodles 38 Spicy Broiled Tilapia with Lime 85
Taco Salad 39 Creamy Zucchini Fettuccine 86
Charred Summer Salad 40 Pasta with Eggplant and Tomato 89
Wilted Cabbage Salad 43 Tomato and Tuna Spaghetti 90
Broccoli Apple Salad 44 Cauliflower Cheese 93

v
 Savory Summer Cobbler 94 Spice Oil 151
Barley Risotto with Peas 96 Roti 152
Vegetable Jambalaya 99 Flour Tortillas 155
Spicy, Crunchy, Creamy Polenta 100 Pizza Dough 156
Tofu Hot Pot 102 Croutons or Breadcrumbs 158
Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls 104 Fresh Pasta 160
Roasted Vegetables 106 Ricotta 163
Chana Masala 109 Rainbow Rice 164
Black-Eyed Peas and Collards 111 How to Cook Dried Beans 165
Vegetable Quiche, Hold the Crust 112 Pickle Primer 166
Broccoli, Egg, and Cheddar Empanadas 115
Potato and Kale Rolls with Raita 116
Stuff on Hot Dogs 119 Drinks and Desserts 168
Potato Leek Pizzas 120 Agua Fresca 169
Broccoli Rabe and Mozzarella Calzones 123 Smoothies 170
Half-Veggie Burgers 124 Avocado Milkshake 172
Fast Melon Sorbet 173
Rice Pudding 175
Big Batch 126 Coconut and Lime Brown Rice Pudding 176
Best Tomato Sauce 127 Caramelized Bananas 177
Chorizo and White Bean Ragù 128 Coconut Chocolate Cookies 179
Dark and Spicy Chili 131 Peach Coffee Cake 180
Spicy Pulled Pork 132
Hummus 135 CONVERSION TABLES 182
Deviled Eggs 136 INDEX 184
Pierogi 138 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 190
Dumplings 140 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 190

Pantry 142
Peanut Sauce 143
Salsa 145
Tzatziki 146
Raita 147
Flavor 149

vi CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures. In a perfect
world, healthy and delicious food would be all around
us. It would be easy to choose and easy to enjoy.
But of course, it’s not a perfect world. There are
thousands of barriers that can keep us from eating in a
way that nourishes our bodies and satisfies our tastes.
Money just shouldn’t be one of them.
Kitchen skill, not budget, is the key to great
food. This cookbook is a celebration of the many
delicious meals available to those on even the strictest
of budgets.
Eating on a limited budget is not easy, and there
are times when a tough week can turn mealtime into a
chore. As one woman told me, “I’m weary of the ‘what’s
for dinner?’ game.” I hope the recipes and techniques
in this book can help make those times rare and the
tough choices a little more bearable.
At the same time, this book is not a meal plan—
those are much too individual to share on a wide scale.
Every person and every family has specific needs and
unique tastes. We live in different regions, different
neighborhoods, and with varying means. One book
cannot account for all of that, but I hope it can be a
spark, a general strategy, a flexible set of approachable
and cheap recipes. The rest is up to you.
I think you’ll find (or perhaps have already found)
that learning to cook has a powerfully positive effect.
If you can become a more skilled, more conscious
cook, then you’ll be able to conjure deliciousness in
any kitchen, anytime. Good cooking alone can’t solve
hunger in America, but it can make life happier—and
that is worth every effort.
Just as a good meal is best shared with others,
so is a good recipe. I may not be able to share a meal
with you, but I’d love to offer a few ideas. What’s for
dinner? Here’s my answer.
About This Book I created an earlier version of this
book as the capstone project for my master’s degree
in food studies at New York University. After I posted
a free PDF on my website (leannebrown.com), it went
viral on Reddit, Tumblr, and elsewhere, racking up
almost 100,000 downloads in the first few weeks. That
support gave me the courage to launch a Kickstarter
campaign to get printed copies of Good and Cheap
into the hands of people who don’t have computers or
who wouldn’t otherwise see it. Thousands of generous
supporters contributed to the campaign, donating
more than 9,000 free copies of the printed book and
sponsoring twenty new recipes. That first printed
edition of the book was self-published, and sold
out within a few months. The PDF was downloaded
about 500,000 times within six months after it was
first posted. What you hold in your hands is a second
edition, including 30 new recipes. The experience
changed my life. I hope this book changes yours.
INTRODUCTION vii
 My Philosophy The best health advice is simple: Eat
fruits and vegetables. Many American cookbooks rely
on meat as the central feature of a meal. My recipes
celebrate the vegetables rather than the meat. My
intent was to create satisfying food that doesn’t require
you to supplement your meals with cheap carbohydrates
to stave off hunger. I strove to create recipes that use
money carefully, without being purely slavish to
the bottom line. For example, many recipes use butter
rather than oil. Butter is not cheap, but it creates flavor,
crunch, and richness in a way that cheap oils never can.
I’m not a dietitian, and this isn’t a diet book.
I’m just a home cook, like you. If you have dietary
restrictions, some recipes won’t work for you as
written, but that’s fine—you can adapt them to your
needs, or just turn the page and keep looking for
inspiration.
More than a book of recipes, this is a book
of ideas. I want you to tailor things to your taste.
Improvisation is the soul of great cooking! If it doesn’t
work out every time, I hope you’ll forgive me. More
important, forgive yourself, and try again.

A NOTE ON $4/DAY
I designed these recipes to fit the
budgets of people living on SNAP, the
US federal program that used to be
called food stamps. If you’re on SNAP,
you already know that the benefit
formulas are complicated, but the rule
of thumb is that you end up with $4
per person, per day, to spend on food.
T his book isn’t challenging you
to live on so little—it’s a resource in
case that’s your reality. In May 2014,
there were 46 million Americans on
food stamps. Untold millions more—in
particular, retirees and students—live
under similar constraints.
If you’re in Canada, or anywhere
else outside the United States, it might
seem like this book won’t apply to you.
While the specifics may differ, learning
to cook and take joy in simple, real
food is great for anyone, anywhere.
The costs for each recipe are
based on two sources. For the list of
grocery ideas on page xiii, I collected
prices from four grocery stores in a
diverse neighborhood in New York. For
specific spices and a wider variety of
fruits and vegetables, I looked at online
grocery stores or nationwide averages
collected by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics. The prices for fruits and
vegetables assume that they’re roughly
in season, when you can get the best
deals. This means, unfortunately, that
you’ll pay a lot more if you want to
make peach coffee cake in February. I
talk more about shopping in season on
the following pages.
The estimates are, by necessity,
a snapshot of place and time.
Costs will vary in other cities, other
neighborhoods, even just other stores.
Please think of the numbers as a
guideline, not a guarantee.
More than in most cookbooks,
my recipes are flexible and encourage
substitution based on availability,
price, and personal tastes. A strict
budget requires flexibility and a
willingness to say, “That’s a good deal
this week, so it’s what I’ll be cooking!”
Don’t worry, you’ll pick up the tricks
quickly.
A few recipes call for fancy
kitchen equipment, but in my work
with low-income families in New
York, I’ve found that items like
blenders, food processors, and
electric mixers are fairly common. I
did not, however, attempt to tackle
the very real situation of people who
have no kitchen, no equipment, and
no space to prepare food. I simply
cannot hope to do those issues
justice within the bounds of one
cookbook. Let’s all agree that we
need to keep striving to address all
the issues that make it difficult for so
many people to eat well.

viii GOOD AND CHEAP

TIPS FOR EATING AND SHOPPING WELL
1 buy foods that can be used
in multiple meals
Versatile ingredients save meals. If
you buy flour, you can make Tortillas
(page 155), Roti (page 152), Scones
(page 15), and Pancakes (page 12). If
you buy canned tomatoes, you can
make soup (page 28), sauce (page
127), even chili (page 131). Need I
even mention the versatility of garlic
or lemons? If you always keep them
around, you can make anything else
taste fantastic.
2 buy in bulk
Buying larger amounts of one item
can usually bring down the price per
unit. When you’re working within a
tight budget, you won’t always be
able to afford to shop for the future,
but you should do it when you can.
And, of course, keep storage in mind:
If the item will go bad before you can
finish it, get the smaller size. Only buy
what you can eat. If you buy versatile
ingredients in slightly larger amounts,
then you’ll be able to use them
quickly but still make diverse meals.
3 start building a pantry
If possible—and admittedly this can
be difficult for people living on their
own—reserve part of your budget
to buy one or two semi-expensive
pantry items each week or month.
Things like olive oil, soy sauce, and
spices (page 149) are pricey at first,
but if you use just a little with each
recipe, they go a long way. With
turmeric, coriander, cumin, and chili
powder, you’ll suddenly have a world
of flavor on your shelf. For specific
advice, see page 149.
4 think weekly
Each week, mix things up by buying
different varieties of staple foods like
grains and beans. This week, you
might have Oatmeal every morning
(page 9) with Dark and Spicy Chili
(page 131) later in the day, but next
week you’ll have yogurt for breakfast
(page xi) and Hummus (page 135) or
Chana Masala (page 109) for lunch
and dinner. If you have time to shop
frequently, pick up smaller amounts
of produce every couple of days to
ensure everything is fresh. It’s a lot
more inspiring to pull crisp greens out
of the fridge than to unstick a wilted
mess from the bottom of the veggie
drawer. If you can’t shop as often,
consider getting canned or frozen
versions of the vegetables you won’t
use immediately.
5 think seasonally
During their local growing season,
fruits and vegetables are generally
cheaper and definitely tastier than
outside of season. You’ll notice
that orange prices shoot up during
the summer, yet what’s available
is drab and flavorless. But oranges
are abundant in December and
January, the peak of their season,
and that’s reflected in the price.
At the end of summer, you can get
bags of zucchini for next to nothing.
Brussels sprouts are also very
seasonal, coming on sale around
Thanksgiving. Enjoy as much of
the summer and fall produce as
possible, because you’ll be more
limited in the winter. Then again,
simmering and roasting winter
vegetables is a fine way to warm up
your house, and tough winter roots
are easy to store. In addition, winter
is a great time to search for deals
on canned and frozen produce.
Seasons for fruits and vegetables
vary depending on where you live,
so consult a local guide to growing
seasons (or the chart on page xv)
and use it to shop for the best deals.
6 more vegetables =
more flavor
Nothing livens up a bowl of rice like
summer squash and corn! Vegetables
make the best sauces: They’re earthy,
bright, tart, sweet, bitter, and savory.
Give them a treasured spot at the top
of your grocery list and you’ll never
be bored.
7 always buy eggs
With these babies in your fridge, you’re
only minutes away from a satisfying
meal. Scramble an egg with leftovers
INTRODUCTION ix
 or drop an egg on top of a salad or
a plate of stir-fried vegetables, and
deliciousness is guaranteed.
8 buy expensive eggs if you can
Free-range or organic eggs are
usually worth the money—they taste
so much better than regular eggs.
Even at $4 a dozen, you’re still only
paying 33 cents per egg. Really
fresh eggs, like those from a farmers’
market, make a big difference in flavor.
9 be careful with
undercooked eggs
Very rarely, raw eggs can be infected
with salmonella. Many classic recipes,
from mayonnaise to eggnog to
Caesar dressing, are prepared with
raw egg yolk, but technically only a
fuly cooked egg is guaranteed to be
free of salmonella. Consequently, raw
or runny eggs are not recommended
for infants, the elderly, pregnant
women, or anyone with a weakened
immune system.
10 buy fresh bread
Try to buy fresh loaves of interesting
bread from an independent bakery
or the bakery in your grocery store.
Although fresh loaves don’t last as
long as sliced bread, they’re much
more enjoyable, and you can use the
old stuff to make Panzanella (page 37),
or Croutons or Breadcrumbs (page
158) to top other dishes. Later in the
day, many independent bakeries offer
deep discounts on bread they would
otherwise have to throw out.
x GOOD AND CHEAP
11 don’t buy drinks
All the body needs drink-wise is
water. Except for milk, most packaged
drinks are overpriced and deliver
a lot of sugar without filling you up
the way a piece of fruit or a bowl of
yogurt would. If you want a special
drink, make Agua Fresca (page 169),
a smoothie (page 170), or tea.
12 get creative with
wilted vegetables
Sometimes you forget a pepper
or bunch of spinach in the back of
the fridge. Although wilted veggies
might not remain fit for a salad, they’ll
still be wonderful in any dish that
calls for sautéed, grated, or baked
vegetables. Just cut off any actual
rot. You can also use them in broth.
13 make your own broth
In almost any savory recipe that calls
for water, homemade broth would
be better. To make broth, start by
saving any vegetable bits that you
chop off and would normally throw
away, like onion tops, the seedy
parts of peppers, and the ends of
carrots. Store them in the freezer
until you have a few cups, then
cover them with water, bring to a
boil, and simmer over low heat for a
few hours. Add salt to taste, and you
have broth! To make a heartier broth,
do the same with leftover bones or
scraps of meat (preferably all the
same kind of meat). Because you’re
using stuff you’d otherwise throw
away, broth is effectively free.
14 treat your freezer
with respect
A freezer can be a great friend for
saving time by letting you prepare
large batches of food at once. For
instance, cooking dried beans takes
a while (page 165), so make more
than you need, then freeze the rest.
Another great trick I learned from a
reader is to dice a whole package
of bacon, fry it, and then freeze it in
small parcels. This makes it easy to
add a small amount of bacon to a dish
without the temptation of using the
whole package or the fear of rancid
meat.
15 turn chicken skin
into schmaltz
Schmaltz is rendered chicken fat that
you can use like butter. Buy chicken
that still has its skin, then trim the
skins and lay them in a pan over low
heat. Add a cup or so of water and
simmer until the fat releases from
the skin and the water cooks off. Let
the fat cool, then throw away the
skins and pour the fat into a glass jar.
Store in the fridge.
16 buy a pepper grinder
Seriously, banish pre-ground pepper
from your life—it loses all flavor when
it sits around. Fresh pepper creates
pops of intensity on the tongue and
lights up bland dishes. One of the
most popular dishes in Rome is just
pasta with butter and pepper: Give it
a try!
17 buy yogurt in bulk
There are so many types of yogurt in
the grocery store: some low in fat and
high in sugar, some with cute animal
pictures. Some are Greek. Some have
chocolate shavings and candy. Some
have names like “Key lime pie.” Now
forget about all of that. The buckets
of plain yogurt are the best value for
your money. If you start with plain
yogurt, you can make your favorite
flavors in your own kitchen, where you
know exactly what’s going into it. The
fat content is your choice.
If you have kids, ask them what
flavors they can imagine and go
make them! It’s a lot more fun than
letting the supermarket choose for
you. Try something new and smash
it in! If you want to make thicker
Greek-style yogurt, all you have
to do is strain the standard variety
through cheesecloth to remove the
extra water.
Yogurt’s versatility makes it a
great staple to keep in the fridge.
And when you consider that there
are savory options—like Tzatziki
(page 146) or Raita (page 147)—the
possibilities expand even more.

! Bananas

@ Peanut butter
BN
# Frozen or dried fruit

$ Yogurt
@ % Lime

^ Honey

& Coconut
$
# * More yogurt!

( Fresh berries

BL Kiwi fruit

BM Red and green grapes

BN Jam or jelly
(

INTRODUCTION xi
 SUPERMARKET STRATEGIES
With these commonly available items in your pantry, you can have a wide variety of meals on the table within
minutes. Keeping a well-stocked pantry is the key to easy, fast cooking at home. When you’re living on a budget,
building up supplies does take time, but just keep adding each week and you’ll get there.
1 protein
Meat isn’t the only
protein! Items like dried
beans, nuts, and eggs
are cheap, store easily,
and have multiple uses.
Be aware that most fish
at the grocery store has
previously been frozen
and was merely thawed for
display. There’s no harm
in buying it frozen and
thawing it yourself.
2 dairy
Butter is just as good
to cook with as it is on
toast. The cheeses listed
opposite are the ones I
like best, but buy what
your taste, budget, and
local availability allow.
3 vegetables
Vegetables can (and
should!) be the base of
most meals. Other than
greens, which should be
used quickly, they can be
stored for a few days to
a few weeks. Try to snag
each vegetable as it hits
peak season.
xii GOOD AND CHEAP
4 fruits
Citrus fruits are cooking
essentials and they keep
well. The zest and juice
can liven up just about
any dish, and they always
make a great dressing.
Bananas, apples, and
melons are great quick
snacks, but try every fruit
you can afford! Remember,
almost all fruits and
vegetables have a season,
so savor them at their
freshest and cheapest.
5 grains
Flour is so inexpensive,
and once you have a
few basics at hand, most
baked goods are a cinch
to make. There’s great
variety in whole grains.
Substitute them for rice,
toss them in a salad, or
add them to soup.
6 canned vegetables
Plenty of vegetables are
good when canned, so
remember to compare
prices between fresh,
frozen, and canned. The
canned versions are
fantastic in sauces. Just be
aware that canned foods
are often very salty, so
you might want to rinse
them, except for canned
tomatoes.
7 frozen fruits and
vegetables
Fresh berries can be
expensive, but the frozen
ones often go on sale and
are great for smoothies.
Frozen veggies are quick
to add to soups and rice
dishes. Compare prices to
see whether frozen is the
best value.
8 flavor
You can explore an
extraordinary number of
cuisines with these items.
They add depth and
excitement to the simplest
dishes.
9 treats that go
a long way
Although specialty items
can be expensive, a little
goes a long way. When
you can, pick up an item or
two and enjoy the results.
10 spices
Spices are expensive to
buy and can often be a
sticking point: no caloric
value and they often
have a high price tag. But
because you use such
small amounts, they end
up costing pennies per
recipe. If you’re able to
shop around, look for
inexpensive spices in
bulk at ethnic markets.
I’ve suggested (opposite)
the spices you should
start with. I use these a
lot in these recipes and
at home. If you want
to branch out further,
take a look at page 149
to be inspired by flavor
combinations.
GROCERIES YOU WON’T
REGRET BUYING
protein fruits flavor
eggs apples olive oil or vegetable oil
dried beans melons wine vinegar
lentils oranges anchovies
tofu limes sardines
nuts lemons olives
peanut butter bananas fish sauce
coconut milk
dairy grains miso paste
butter bread mustard
milk tortillas soy sauce
yogurt pasta chili sauce
queso fresco all-purpose flour brown sugar
Romano or Parmesan cheese whole-wheat flour fresh herbs
sharp Cheddar cheese oats
mozzarella popcorn treats that go
short-grain rice a long way
vegetables long-grain rice dried fruits
garlic brown rice dried mushrooms
onions cornmeal frozen shrimp
carrots other dried whole grains maple syrup
celery bacon
peppers canned vegetables vanilla extract
broccoli whole tomatoes cocoa powder
tomatoes tomato paste
hot peppers corn spices
hardy greens chile flakes
salad greens frozen fruits cinnamon
potatoes and vegetables cumin or cumin seeds
sweet potatoes berries paprika and smoked paprika
cauliflower peas curry powder
winter squash green beans oregano
corn thyme

INTRODUCTION xiii
 LEFTOVERS
Leftovers may be convenient, but they can seem unappealing, limp, and cold after sitting in the fridge for a couple
of days. That’s why the sandwich, the wrap, and the taco are your friends. Here are just a few ideas for how to give
leftovers a makeover very quickly to invent a whole new meal!
1 chana masala
wrap
Sounds strange, but trust
me: Spread herbed mayo
on the wrap and pile in the
Chana Masala (page 109).
2 black-eyed peas
and collards wrap
Fold the Black-Eyed Peas
and Collards (page 111)
into a wrap with a little hot
sauce or some Tzatziki.
3 tomato scrambled
eggs wrap
Throw the Tomato
Scrambled Eggs (page 2)
into a wrap and add some
roasted potatoes or rice
for bulk.
4 vegetable
jambalaya burrito
Add some salsa or any
leftover beans to the
Vegetable Jambalaya
(page 99) and wrap in a
flour tortilla.
5 cauliflower cheese
sandwich
Start with Cauliflower
Cheese (page 93), and
xiv GOOD AND CHEAP
add crunchy greens, toast,
and mustard. Yum!
6 roasted vegetable
sandwich (page 106)
Add some extra spices
or sauces to liven up the
vegetables and grill the
bread for some crunch.
7 roasted potato and
chile taco
This dish (page 65) is great
in a taco: Just add a little
salsa and grated cheese. I
like green salsa here.
8 tilapia taco
For a makeshift fish taco,
add the Tilapia (page 85),
Wilted Cabbage Salad
(page 43), and cilantro
to a tortilla and enjoy.
9 cauliflower tacos
Combine Smoky and
Spicy Roasted Cauliflower
(page 51) with Salsa (page
145) and grated Cheddar
or cotija cheese in a warm
tortilla.
10 fancied-up poutine
Pretend you’re at a
super-modern poutinery
and make up some crazy
toppings for your baked
French fries. Black-Eyed
Peas and Collards (page
111) would be great, as
would Chili (page 131),
Baked Beans (page 48),
or Filipino Chicken Adobo
(page 77).
11 jacket sweet
potatoes spread
Mash up leftover baked
Jacket Sweet Potatoes
(page 64), then spread
them in a bacon sandwich
for a sweet counterpoint.
12 rethink toast
toppings
Any of the recipes that can
top Toast (page 68) would
also be great over rice or
any other grain, wrapped
in a tortilla, tossed with
pasta, or even on a pizza.
Or, take a pack of ramen
noodles, skip the flavor
packet, and throw in one of
the toast toppings instead.
13 chili three ways
Take some chili (page 131),
stuff into Jacket Sweet
Potatoes (page 64), serve
over roasted vegetables,
or top hot dogs.
14 reinvigorate
veggies
Got some veggies that
look past their prime? Try
them in any of the soups
(pages 21–29) or Dark
and Spicy Chili (page 131),
Bubble and Squeak (page
63), in scrambled eggs
(page 2), or cooked into a
tomato sauce (page 127).
The Broiled Eggplant Salad
(page 32) is lovely tossed
with noodles.
Mashed winter
vegetables make a great
pierogi filling (page
138), can be added to
scrambled eggs (page
2), or used as a sandwich
filling.
SEASONAL CHART
Here’s a chart of some common fruits and vegetables with shading that represents the months when it’s best to buy
them. Generally, in-season produce is likely to be less expensive. Of course, where you live also makes a difference in
cost, so make sure to check the specials when you go to the grocery store.

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
apple
avocado
beet
bell peppers
bok choy
broccoli
brussels sprouts
cabbage
cauliflower
collard greens
corn
cucumber
eggplant
garlic
green beans
jalapeño peppers
kale
leeks
lettuce
mango
mushroom
onion
peaches
peas
potato
spinach
summer squash
sweet potatoes
tomato
turnip
winter squash

INTRODUCTION xv
 KITCHEN EQUIPMENT
! It might seem like a daunting task to stock your kitchen
with equipment, but it doesn’t need to be scary—or
expensive. The tools below will help you make any recipe in
this book.

! good knives
# • A good chef’s knife is the most important tool in your
kitchen. Make sure it’s big and sharp.
• You’ll need a paring knife for smaller tasks, like peeling
and coring an apple.
@ • Get a serrated knife to cut bread and tomatoes easily.
@ box grater
Use it to:
• Grate cheese
$ • Shred potatoes
• Make quick work of tough vegetables
# measuring cups and spoons
$ essential pots and pans
• Large cast-iron or nonstick pan
• Medium-size saucepan
• Large soup pot
% % stirring utensils
• You can stir anything with a long-handled wooden spoon.
• A ladle is essential for soups, stews, and sauces.
• While you can often use a fork instead, get a whisk if
^ you’re serious about sauces or desserts.

^ roasting
• Use oven-safe dishes and baking pans—glass, ceramic,
etc.—for broiling, baking, and roasting.
• Casserole dishes are handy for storing leftovers.

xvi GOOD AND CHEAP

& sieve
Use it to:
• Drain pasta or boiled veggies
• Sift flour
• Strain extra whey from yogurt *
* microplane
&
Use it to:
• Zest lemons and limes
• Grate hard cheeses and garlic
• Shred soft vegetables into a sauce
( specialty baking
• Muffin tins can be used for baking in small portions (not
just muffins!).
• It’s hard to make a cake without a cake pan.
• Rimmed baking sheets can also be used to roast
veggies or broil fish. (
BL immersion blender
• Use it to puree soups and smoothies.
• It’s more versatile and quicker to clean than traditional
blenders. BL
• If you need power, consider investing in a food
processor or full-size blender.
BM
BM flipping and shuffling utensils
• Flat spatulas are for flipping pancakes.
• Rounded spatulas are good to scrape bowls.
• Use tongs for salads, or moving hot foods without
hurting yourself.

BN cutting board
• Wood is longest lasting and, contrary to what you might
think, the most sanitary surface for preparing raw meat.
There’s a reason it’s called butcher block! BN
• Cheap plastic boards are fine and easy to wash.
• Don’t get glass. Just don’t.
INTRODUCTION xvii
 HOW TO USE
THIS BOOK
Good and Cheap is a strategy guide, not a typical
cookbook. Sure, we have breakfast, dinner, and
snacks and sides. But there is also big batch for
feeding a crowd or planning ahead. There is the
pantry section filled with the staples we eat every
day and the sauces that make those basics sing.
The drinks and desserts are delicious and worth the
effort, while making use of everyday ingredients
you’ll buy for other meals. The ideas pages show just
how much variety there is in simple things like
oatmeal or popcorn. And the methods are meant
to teach you a process that you can use over and
over again.
Once you embrace cooking, you learn that there
are no rules for the best oatmeal, there’s just your
best oatmeal. More practically, you realize that many
ingredients are used in similar ways and can be easily
substituted. If there is a sale on red lentils or a neighbor
gives you a bag of zucchini, I want you to be armed
with the skills to take advantage of that, not shackled
to an inflexible recipe. The recipes in this book are a
starting point. My hope is that with Good and Cheap
as a foundation, you’ll learn to cook without recipes
and be empowered to cook for your own pleasure.

xviii GOOD AND CHEAP

BREAKFAST
$1.80 / SERVING
$3.60 TOTAL

Tomato Scrambled Eggs

This pile of fluffy, creamy eggs holds together a mass of tangy, juicy, sweet tomatoes. This dish is best enjoyed
when tomatoes are in season. Serve the eggs on, in, or alongside some toast or a tortilla, if you have any on
hand. SERVES 2

½ tablespoon butter
4 small or 2 large, chopped fresh
tomatoes, or 2 cups chopped
canned tomatoes
4 eggs
salt and pepper, to taste
additions
sprinkling of chopped fresh basil or
other herbs
1 Melt the butter in a small or
medium nonstick pan over medium
heat, swirling it around to coat
the pan. Add the tomatoes and
cook until they release their juice
and most of it evaporates, 5 to 7
minutes.
2 Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a
bowl and add a generous sprinkling
of salt and pepper. Beat the eggs
lightly with a fork.
3 Turn the heat down to low and
add the eggs to the pan. Using a
spatula, gently mix the eggs with
the tomatoes and stir carefully and
continuously, to keep the eggs from
forming chunks. Turn the heat
down as low as possible; the
slower your eggs cook, the
creamier they’ll be.
4 Once the eggs are cooked to your
desired consistency, turn off the
heat and add any chopped herbs.
Basil is the best with tomatoes. I
like my scrambled eggs loose and
juicy with the eggs forming very
soft curds. You can let them cook a
little longer if you prefer your eggs
drier.

2 BREAKFAST
Omelet
I make this omelet at least once a week. It’s insanely delicious, whether
$0.80 / SERVING
laden with veggies or kept simple. I love it with dill, but it’s good with $1.60 TOTAL

almost any herb, or with scallions. I tend to use Cheddar and Romano,
since they go well with most vegetables. But other great combos are goat
cheese with zucchini, and cauliflower with sausage and chile flakes.
If I’m serving two people, I usually cut one large omelet in half rather
than making two. However, if you feel like being fancy, make a pair of two-
egg omelets simply by using half the ingredients for each. For a French
style omelet, roll it up in Step 4 instead of folding it. The result will be quite
thin and tender. SERVES 2

4 eggs 3 Add the egg to the hot pan and

2 tablespoons finely chopped
fresh dill
salt and pepper, to taste
butter, for the pan
1 shallot or ½ small red onion,
finely diced
¼ cup grated cheese
1 Place the eggs, dill, salt, and
pepper in a bowl, and beat with
a fork.
2 Melt a small pat of butter in a big
frying pan over medium-high heat.
Once it’s sizzling, add the shallot
and sauté for about 2 minutes, until
it’s translucent and smells great.
swirl it to coat the surface evenly. If
the center of the omelet cooks more
quickly than the edge, use a spatula
to pull any raw egg into the middle.
Then stop touching it.
4 After about 30 seconds, toss the
cheese on top of the egg, along with
any other raw or cooked vegetable
you feel like adding. Once none
of the egg remains translucent,
30 seconds to 2 minutes, fold the
omelet in half with your spatula
and lift it out of the pan. You don’t
want any brown on your eggs.

BREAKFAST 3
$1.80 / SANDWICH
$3.60 TOTAL

4 BREAKFAST
Egg Sandwiches with Mushroom Hash
Egg sandwiches are a mainstay of every corner deli in New York City, and for good reason: They’re cheap and easy,
fast, and delicious. I knew I had to include one when Charlene, one of my early supporters, asked for a recipe with
eggs and mushrooms. (I’m thankful she did! I don’t really like mushrooms, so they’re scarce in this book, even
though plenty of people love them.) Like most sandwiches, this recipe is really flexible. In particular, you can
change the hash to use whatever you have around. Sad leftovers take on new life when turned into a hash and
matched with the rich fattiness of a runny egg. SERVES 2

2 teaspoons butter
1 small potato, diced
salt and pepper, to taste
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 rolls or English muffins, split,
or 4 slices of bread
2 eggs
additions
sliced tomato
pitted, peeled, and sliced avocado
cheese
variations
potato and onion
potato and pea
collards and bacon
zucchini
chorizo and green chile
1 Melt 1 teaspoon of the butter in
a pan over medium heat. Throw in
the potato pieces and cook, stirring
minimally, until they just start to
brown and soften, about 5 minutes.
Season them with salt and pepper.
2 Add the mushrooms and garlic
and cook, stirring, until the
mushrooms are brown and have
shrunk down, another 5 minutes. If
the potato pieces are getting stuck
to the pan, add a splash of water.
Pierce one piece of potato with a
fork to test it. If it goes through
easily, you’re done. If not, cook for a
few more minutes. (The smaller the
potatoes are chopped, the quicker
they’ll cook.) Taste and adjust the
seasoning to your preferences.
3 Place the rolls or bread in the
toaster. Meanwhile, melt the other
teaspoon of butter in a medium,
nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Crack the eggs in and dust with salt
and pepper.
4 If you like your eggs sunny-side up,
place a lid over the pan to ensure
that the whites will cook through
without making the yolks hard.
Once the whites are no longer
translucent, turn off the heat and
remove the eggs from the pan.
If you like eggs over easy (my
favorite), wait until the yolks are
cooked but still look runny, then
flip each egg with a spatula and
let the other side cook for about
15 seconds. That’ll get your whites
fully cooked, but keep the yolks
runny—the best. If you prefer hard
yolks (please, no!), then cook for
another 30 seconds.
5 Moving quickly so everything
stays nice and hot, assemble the
ingredients into a sandwich, layering
the veggies first, topping with
the egg, and using any condiments
you like. Way better than what
you’ll find at the corner deli!

BREAKFAST 5
 Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars
Tired of endless PB+J sandwiches? Give these bars a try instead! I designed them for my friend Alex, the best
long-distance runner I know. They are a little more crumbly than a store-bought granola bar, so be careful when
eating these on the go—you’ll probably leave a trail of crumbs on the sidewalk and down your shirt. As a bonus,
you can find the ingredients in any corner store or food pantry. Any kind of jam or jelly will do—I used blueberry,
but grape, strawberry, or any flavor would be tasty. You can use quick-cooking oats if they’re all you have, but I
prefer the bite and chew of rolled oats. For a little more crunch along with your chew, you can also substitute a
cup of Rice Krispies for a cup of the oats. MAKES 12 BARS

butter or vegetable oil, for the pan

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3 cups rolled oats, or 2 cups rolled
oats and 1 cup Rice Krispies 2 Grease an 8- by 11-inch baking
½ cup peanut butter pan. If you have a different size pan,
½ cup jelly or jam that’s fine—it’ll just change how
¼ cup hot water thick the bars are, so you’ll want
¼ teaspoon salt to adjust the cooking time a little.
A larger pan may take less time
additions to cook through and get crunchy,
½ cup chopped nuts while a smaller pan will take a few
½ cup shredded coconut more minutes—just keep an eye on
½ cup chopped dried fruit it in the oven.
½ cup honey (instead of the jelly)
3 Pour the oats into a large bowl.
4 Place a small saucepan over low
heat and add the peanut butter,
half of the jelly, the water, the salt,
and any other additions. Stir until
smooth, about 2 minutes.
5 Pour the peanut butter and jelly
concoction into the oats and mix
until all the oats are coated and
you have a sticky mass. Dump the
mixture into the buttered baking
pan and press it into an even layer.
Spread the remaining jelly over
the top.
6 Pop the baking dish into the oven
for 25 minutes. The bars are done
when the edges are toasty and
brown. Mmm. Crunchy.
7 Leave the bars in the pan until
they cool completely, about an
hour, then slice them into 12 bars.

6 BREAKFAST
$0.30 / BAR
$3.60 TOTAL
$0.15 / SERVING
$0.30 TOTAL

8 BREAKFAST
ideas
OATMEAL
Oatmeal is a hot and comforting breakfast that will
give you energy for a great morning. It’s also extremely
inexpensive, so it will allow you to spend a bit more on
lunch and dinner. Basic oatmeal has a reputation for ! Pumpkin @ Savory
being dull, but this recipe can be dressed up in so many $0.75 SERVING / $1.50 TOTAL $0.75 SERVING / $1.50 TOTAL
ways, you’ll never get bored.
Think of basic oatmeal as a foundation. Make it your
½ cup canned pumpkin 2 or 3 scallions,
¾ cup milk (or almond white and green parts,
own with the ideas on the next pages. Whether it’s milky
milk or soy milk) finely chopped
and sweet or savory and salty, I’m sure you can find a
favorite way to enjoy a hot bowl of oats in the morning! 2 tablespoons brown ¼ cup grated sharp
sugar, plus more to taste Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon ground 1 teaspoon butter
cinnamon 2 eggs
Basic Oatmeal
SERVES 2 additions
Cook the oatmeal as
¼ teaspoon ground ginger directed in basic oatmeal
1 cup rolled oats ¼ teaspoon ground cloves (left), adding the scallions
2 cups water drizzling of maple syrup in Step 1. Just before it’s
done, stir in the cheese.
¼ teaspoon salt
Whisk the pumpkin, milk, While the oatmeal cooks,
and 1¼ cups water (not melt the butter in a pan
1 Add the oats, water, and salt to a small pot and bring
the full 2 cups in the basic over medium heat. Crack
to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn the heat to
recipe) in a pot. Add the in the eggs, then cover
low and place a lid on the pot.
oats, salt, brown sugar, and the pan and fry until the
spices. Cook over medium- yolks are runny but the
2 Cook for 5 minutes, until the oats are soft and tender low heat until the mixture whites are cooked, 2 to 3
and most of the water has evaporated. You can add more just comes to a boil, 2 to 5 minutes. Top each bowl of
water if you like your oatmeal smooth and thin, or use minutes. Turn to low for 5 oats with one fried egg!
slightly less to make it thick and creamy. more minutes. Add maple
syrup or more sugar to
taste.

BREAKFAST 9
 # Coconut and Lime
$0.75 SERVING / $1.50 TOTAL
¼ cup unsweetened
coconut flakes
2 tablespoons sugar
juice of ½ lime
Add the coconut and
sugar to the oatmeal, and
cook as directed in Basic
Oatmeal (page 9). Turn off
the heat and squeeze the
lime juice over the top.
10 BREAKFAST
$ Fruity
$0.55 SERVING / $1.10 TOTAL
½ cup berries, or chopped
fruit, fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon sugar
Cook the oatmeal as
directed in Basic Oatmeal
(page 9), but 2 minutes
before it’s ready, add the
berries and sugar and stir
to combine. It’s surprising
how many variations
you can come up with
just by trying a new fruit
or combining several
varieties.
& Chocolate
$0.50 SERVING / $1 TOTAL
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon sugar
% Apple Cinnamon
$1 SERVING / $2 TOTAL
2 cups apple juice or cider
1 teaspoon ground
cinnamon
1 apple, cored and
chopped
Cook the oats as directed
in Basic Oatmeal (page 9),
using the apple juice
instead of the water and
adding the cinnamon.
Top with the apple. If you
want the apple to be soft
and warm, cook it along
with the oats.
A brilliant suggestion from
a wonderful reader, Karen
Lofstrom. Who needs
Cocoa Puffs when you can
have cocoa oatmeal?
^ Baklava
$0.75 SERVING / $1.50 TOTAL
1 teaspoon ground
cinnamon
1 tablespoon finely grated
orange zest
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped
almonds or pistachios
Add the cinnamon, orange
zest, and 2 tablespoons of
the honey before cooking
the oatmeal as directed in
Basic Oatmeal (page 9).
Once it’s done, top each
bowl with another
tablespoon of honey and
a tablespoon of nuts.
Replace one of the two
cups of water with 1 cup
of milk. Stir the cocoa and
sugar into the milk and
water before you add it
to the pan—this will keep
the lumps away! Then
proceed as usual with the
oatmeal (see page 9).
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
zeal of the true Indian-born domestic, who hails a change, a
“tamasha,” anything in the shape of a “feast,” with a joy and energy
totally unknown to the retainers of the folk in these colder latitudes.
Hospitable Mrs. Brande was to have a house and a house-party.
“P.” was absent on official business; but, under any circumstances,
he would not have been a likely recruit for what he called a “new
outbreak of jungle fever.” The Dashwoods, the Booles, the
Daubenys, the Clovers, were to have a married people’s mess.
There were also one or two chummeries, which made people look at
one another and smile! The bachelors, of course, had their own
mess; moreover, there were tents.
Mrs. Langrishe joined neither mess nor chummery, this clever
woman was merely coming as the Clovers’ guest for two days, and
Lalla was Mrs. Dashwood’s sole charge. Mrs. Sladen, of course,
stayed with Mrs. Brande, who had been relegated to the old
commandant’s house, an important-looking roomy bungalow,
standing in a great wilderness of a garden and peach orchard. Once
or twice during the last twenty years it, and one or two other
bungalows, had been let (to the Persian’s great annoyance) for a few
months in the season to needy families from the plains, who only
wanted air, good hill air, and could afford but little else!
Mrs. Brande and her party arrived a whole day before the general
public, travelling comfortably by easy stages through great forests of
pine, oak, or rhododendron, along the face of bold, bare cliffs, across
shallow river-beds, and through more than one exquisite park-like
glade, dotted with trees and cattle—naturally, Mrs. Brande kept a
suspicious eye on these latter. When the travellers reached their
destination, they found that roads had been repaired, lamp-posts
and oil lamps erected, the old band-stand was renovated—servants
were hurrying to and fro, carrying furniture, shaking carpets, airing
bedding and picketing ponies. There were coolies, syces, soldiers,
and active sahibs galloping about giving directions. In fact, Hawal
Bagh had put back the clock of time, and to a cursory eye was once
more the bustling, populous cantonment of forty years ago!
 And how did the scanty society who dwelt in those parts relish the
resurrection of Hawal Bagh? To the neighbouring poor hill villagers
this event was truly a god-send; they reaped a splendid and totally
unexpected harvest, and were delighted to welcome the invaders,
who purchased their fowl, eggs, grain, milk, and honey.
Mark Jervis beheld the transformation with mingled feelings. He
had broken with his old life; most people, if they thought of him at all,
believed him to be in England—two months is a long time to live in
the memory of a hill station. Honor—she would be at Hawal Bagh—
she had not forgotten him yet. He would hang about the hills, that he
might catch a distant glimpse of her, or even of her dress. Surely he
might afford himself that small consolation.
As for the Persian, she surveyed the troops of gay strangers from
her aerie with a mixture of transports and anguish.
It was a fine moonlight night early in September, the hills loomed
dark, and cast deep shadows into the bright white valley. The air was
languorously soft, the milky way shone conspicuous, and fully
justified its Eastern name, “The Gate of Heaven.”
There was to be a ball in the old mess-house, and Mark took his
stand on the hill and watched the big cooking fires, the lit-up
bungalows, the hurrying figures; listened to the hum of voices, the
neighing of ponies, the tuning of musical instruments. Could this be
really the condemned, deserted cantonment of Hawal Bagh, that
many a night he had seen wrapped in deathlike silence? The dance
commenced briskly, open doorways showed gay decorations, the
band played a lively set of lancers, and a hundred merry figures
seemed to flit round and pass and repass; whilst the jackals and
hyenas, who had been wont to hold their assemblies in the same
quarter, slunk away up the hills in horrified disgust. Presently people
came out into the bright moonlight, and began to stroll up and down.
Mark recognized many well-known figures. There was Honor, in
white, walking with a little man who was conversing and gesticulating
with considerable vivacity. She seemed preoccupied, and held her
head high—gazing straight before her. Lookers on see most of the
game. The man must be a dense idiot not to notice that she was not
listening to one word he said.
There was Miss Paske, escorted by a ponderous companion with
a rolling gait—Sir Gloster, of course—and Miss Lalla was
undoubtedly entertaining him. It almost seemed as if he could hear
his emphatic “excellent” where he stood. Mrs. Merryfeather and
Captain Dorrington, Captain Merryfeather and Miss Fleet, and so on
—and so on—as pair after pair came forth.
Suddenly he became aware of the fact that he was not the only
spectator. Just below him stood a figure, so motionless, that he had
taken it for part of a tree. The figure moved, and he saw the Persian
lady standing gazing with fixed ravenous eyes on the scene below
them. He made a slight movement, and she turned hastily and came
up towards him. They were acquaintances of some standing now,
and met once or twice a week either among the lepers or about the
cantonment. Mark had never ventured to call at the mysterious little
bungalow, but he sent her offerings of flowers, fruit, and hill
partridges, and she in return admitted him to her friendship—to an
entirely unprecedented extent. Whether this was due to the young
man’s handsome face, and chivalrous respect for her privacy and
her sex, or whether it was accorded for the sake of another, who
shall say?
“You are looking on, like myself,” he remarked, as she accosted
him. “Are you interested?”
“Nay, ‘the world is drowned to him who is drowned,’ says the
proverb. I came to Hawal Bagh to retire from the crowd, and lo! a
crowd is at my gates!”
“This, surely, must be quite a novel sight to you?”
She gazed at him questioningly, and made no answer.
“Of course you have never seen this sort of thing before, English
people in evening dress, dancing to a band?”
“I have known phantoms—yea, I have seen such as these,”
pointing, “in a—dream—thousands of years ago.”
 Her companion made no reply, the Persian often uttered dark
sayings that were totally beyond his comprehension. Possibly she
believed in the transmigration of souls, and was alluding to a former
existence.
“Mine are but spirits, whereas to you these people are real flesh
and blood,” she resumed. “You were one of them but three months
ago. Think well ere you break with your past, and kill and bury youth.
Lo, you grow old already! Let me plead for youth, and love. Heaven
has opened to me to-day. She,” lowering her voice to a whisper, “is
among those—I have seen her—she is there below.”
“I know,” he answered, also in a low voice.
“Then why do you not seek her—so young, so fair, so good? Oh!
have you forgotten her sweet smile, her charming eyes? Love, real
love, comes but once! Go now and find her.”
Mark shook his head with emphatic negation.
“What heart of stone!” she cried passionately. “Truly I will go
myself and fetch her here. I——But no—I dare not,” and she covered
her face with her hands.
“Do not add your voice to my own mad inclinations. It is all over
between us. To meet her and to part again would give her needless
pain.”
“Ah! again the music,” murmured the Persian, as the band
suddenly struck up a weird haunting waltz, which her companion well
remembered—they had played it at the bachelors’ ball. “Music,” she
continued, clenching her two hands, “of any kind has a sore effect on
me. It tears my heart from my very body, and yet I love it, yea,
though it transport me to——” She paused, unable to finish the
sentence. Her lips trembled, her great dark eyes dilated, and she
suddenly burst into a storm of tears. The sound of her wild, loud,
despairing sobs, actually floated down and penetrated to the ears of
a merry couple who were strolling at large, and now stood
immediately below, little guessing that another pair on the hillside
were sadly contemplating a scene of once familiar but now lost
delights, like two poor wandering spirits.
 “Surely,” said Mrs. Merryfeather, “I heard a human voice, right up
there above us. It sounded just like a woman weeping—crying as if
her heart was broken.”
“Oh, impossible!” scoffed the man. “Hearts in these days are
warranted unbreakable, like toughened glass.”
“Listen! There it is again!” interrupted the lady excitedly.
“Not a bit of it, my dear Mrs. Merry; and your sex would not feel
flattered if they heard that you had mistaken the cry of a wild beast,
for a woman’s voice! I assure you, on my word of honour, that it is
nothing but a hyena.”
 CHAPTER XLII.
BY THE OLD RIFLE-RANGE.

A powerful and determined temptation, that was deaf to reason or

argument, struggled hourly to drag Mark Jervis to Hawal Bagh. It
changed its fierce wrestlings, and passionate and even frantic
pleadings to soft alluring whispers. It whispered that life was but an
hour in the æons of time—a drop in the ocean of eternity. Why not
taste the drop—enjoy the hour? Snatch the sunshine and live one’s
little day, ere passing for ever into eternal darkness and oblivion! It
even quoted the Scriptures, and vehemently urged him to take no
thought for the morrow—that sufficient unto the day was the evil
thereof. It seized the brush from the hand of memory, and painted
Honor Gordon as an angel. It babbled of a visit to Mrs. Brande—she
had always been his friend. Surely there was no harm in going to
see her! But the young man sternly silenced alike whisperings or
pleadings. He beat the mad tempter to its knees, choked it, and, as
he believed, put it to death. Why undergo the anguish of parting
twice—why walk across red-hot plough-shares a second time?
For four whole days he held aloof, and never visited the
cantonment—save in his thoughts and dreams. On the fifth he
conscientiously set forth in the opposite direction, and after a long
and aimless ride was astonished to find himself—no, not exactly on
the enchanted ground, but close to the old rifle-range, which lay at
the back of its encompassing hills. To the left dipped a long valley, on
the right of the path towered a forest of rhododendrons and ever-
green oaks, carpeted with ferns, and a blaze of delicate autumn
flowers; here and there the Virginia creeper flared, and here and
there a pale passion-flower had flung abroad its eager tendrils and
attached two noble trees. All at once, a fat white puppy came
bustling through the undergrowth; he was chasing a family of
respectable elderly monkeys, with the audacity common to his age
and race. Truly the pup is the father of the dog; and Jervis, who was
walking slowly with his pony following him, recognized this particular
pup at once as an old friend. He had bought him and presented him
to Mrs. Brande, when her grief was as yet too fresh—and this same
rollicking, well-to-do animal had once been indignantly spurned! To
whom did he now belong? Who was his master or his mistress?
There was a sound of light young footsteps, a crashing of small
twigs, a glimpse of a white dress, and an anxious girlish voice
calling, “Tommy, Tommy, Tommy!”
In another second Honor Gordon ran down into the path, about
thirty yards ahead of Tommy’s donor. She was almost breathless,
her hat was in her hand—possibly it had been snatched off by an
inquisitive branch as she struggled after the runaway. The soft little
locks on her forehead were ruffled, and she had an unusually brilliant
colour.
As Mark’s starving eyes devoured her face he thought he had
never seen her look so lovely. He summoned up all his self-
command—there must be no going back to “old days,” no moaning
over “what might have been.” No; he was the stronger, and must set
a stern example.
For quite twenty seconds there was a dead silence, a silence only
broken by the trickling of a snow-born mountain stream, passing
lingeringly through the ferns and orchids—who seemed to stoop and
bend over—listening intently to its timid silvery song.
“How changed he was!” thought Honor, with a queer tight feeling in
her throat, “only three short months, and the bright look of buoyant
youth had faded from his face.”
“Ah!” she exclaimed, with a supreme effort. “I had a presentiment
that I should see you soon—I dreamt it!”
“Dreams sometimes go by contraries,” he answered, with a rather
fixed smile.
“And how clever of Tommy to find you! The dear dog remembered
you.”
 “Well, up to the present he has not shown any symptoms of
recognizing me; on the contrary, he has cut me dead. He is in hot
pursuit of some venerable lumgoors. How long is it since he has
seen me?” asked Mark.
“The day of the bachelors’ ball. I recollect you gave him a
méringue, and very nearly killed him! It was on the eighth of June.
This is the tenth of September; just three months and two days.”
“So it is,” he acquiesced, with forced nonchalance.
“Do you live near here?” she continued.
“About four miles, by a goat path across that hill.”
“Pray are you aware that we are picnicing below, with half
Shirani?”
“Yes, I know; but not another starvation picnic I hope?”
“And yet,” ignoring his ill-timed jest, “you have never come to see
us, and we leave to-morrow!”
He looked down to avoid her questioning eyes, and made no
answer, beyond a faint, half-strangled sigh.
“At least we are still friends,” she urged, swallowing something in
her throat.
“Yes—always; but I thought I had better remain away. The Shirani
folk would take me for a ghost, and I might upset their nerves. What
is the latest station news?”
“Our latest news is, that Mrs. Sladen is to go home at Christmas.
Miss Clover is engaged to Captain Burne, and Miss Paske to Sir
Gloster Sandilands,” she answered stiffly.
“Poor Toby! I suppose my former acquaintances believe me to be
in England—if they ever think of me at all?”
She hesitated, twisted her ring round and round, and then said—
“Your friends,” with emphasis, “know that you are out in this
country, looking after your father. How is he?”
 “Wonderfully better, thank you.”
“And you—you have been ill?” she remarked rather tremulously.
“No, indeed; I never was better in my life. Of course you saw
Waring before he went down?”
“No,” with undeniable embarrassment. “In fact, he copied your
example, and dispensed with all farewells. He—he—left rather
suddenly,” and she coloured.
“Why do you hesitate?” looking at her keenly. “What did he do? He
has been doing something, I can see.”
“It was rather what he did not do,” with a constrained laugh. “Of
course it is no business of mine. He did not pay any of his bills. I am
not sure whether I ought to tell you.”
“And I am quite sure you ought,” he answered with decision.
“But he left such quantities of debts behind him, and no—address
——”
“Debts?” he repeated incredulously.
“Yes, he paid for nothing. Club accounts, card accounts, mess
bills, servants’ wages—not even his bearer’s bill for thread and
buttons and blacking. People,” with a nervous little laugh, “seem to
think that was the greatest enormity of all!”
“No!” cried Mark, his pale face turning to a vivid red, “I will tell you
of a greater. I knew he had spent and muddled away most of our
joint-funds, and the day I was last in Shirani I collected the bills and
gave him all the money I had in the world—a cheque for five hundred
pounds—to settle our affairs. He swore, on his honour, he would pay
them at once and send me the receipts. Now, of course, every one in
Shirani believes me to be as great a swindler and thief as he is! They
must naturally suppose that I—I—bolted from my creditors! I,” with
increasing warmth, “now understand why you stammered and
hesitated when I asked if I was not forgotten. Forgotten! I shall live in
people’s memories for years—on the principle that ‘the evil which
men do lives after them.’”
 “I am sorry I told you——” she began eagerly.
“And I have chiefly myself to blame. I was an idiot to trust Waring. I
had had one lesson; but—I was half mad with my own troubles, and
determined to tear myself away from Shirani at once. I felt that if I
stayed on I might yield to temptation—good resolutions and fresh
impressions might fade—and I might never return here——”
The pup, flouted and evaded by the scornful lumgoors, and
exhausted by his tremendous efforts, now squatted on the path,
apparently listening open-mouthed to every word.
The grey pony had also drawn near, and occasionally rubbed his
handsome head against his master’s shoulder, as much as to say
—“Enough of such fooling; let us move on!”
“This is horrible!” continued Mark. “I hate to owe a penny, and I
have no means of paying our joint-debts, for Waring has wolfed the
cheque.”
“And your uncle?”
“He has never written once. From his point of view I have treated
him atrociously, and I am awfully sorry he should think so, for I am
very fond of him. Of course he has done with me.” And, with a grim
smile, “I am now in sober truth—a real poor relation. I am a pretty
sort of fellow,” he went on, “I have talked of nothing but myself—and
money—money—money, for the last five minutes. Tell me of
yourself. Are you having a good time?”
“A good time!” she echoed, with a flash of her dark grey eyes.
“I beg your pardon, Honor,” he said, humbly. “But it has been one
of my few consolations when I roam about these hills, to think that
you were happier than I am.”
“And had forgotten you?” she added expressively.
“And,” with a slight tremor in his voice—“had forgotten me.”
“Never!” she returned, with passionate energy.
“Yes—you will, in time; perhaps not for two or three years—for you
are not like other girls. I am your first lover—nothing can deprive me
of that memory.”
“No, nothing,” she admitted, almost in a whisper.
“But, you know, they say a woman generally marries her second
love,” with a laborious effort to speak steadily.
“How calmly you can discuss my lovers, and my future!” cried
Honor, indignantly. “Oh, how hard you have become—how cold—
how cruel!”
“Cruel—if I am cruel—only to be kind,” he replied steadily. “For,
years to come, you will thank me—and think——”
“I think,” she interrupted, with a pitiful little gesture, “that when we
meet so—seldom—scarcely ever—that you might be——” here her
voice totally failed her.
She had grown much paler, and her breath came quickly, as she
tried to keep down a sob.
Mark resisted a wild impulse to take her in his arms—and
stooping, picked up the pup instead.
“Your uncle got my letter?” he asked, in a cool formal tone.
“Yes, and was dreadfully concerned; but he said you were a man
of honour, and your views and his were identical—but—I don’t agree
with them.”
“You don’t agree with them! What do you mean?”
“He told auntie, of course—and of course I insisted on her telling
me. After all, it was my affair. I know the obstacle—I am ready to be
your wife, just the same. As for poverty——”
“Poverty,” he interrupted quickly, “is not the question! I have a little
money of my own, and I could put my shoulder to the wheel and
work for you, Honor. It is not that—it is that my future is
overshadowed, my reason stalked, by an hereditary and implacable
enemy. I have no right to drag another into the pit—and, please God,
I never will! When I lived a smooth luxurious sort of life, in those days
that seem years ago, I thirsted for some difficult task, something to
do that would single me out and set me apart from other men. My
task has been allotted to me; it is not what I desired——”
“No!” interposed Honor, whose heart was fighting against her fate
with a frenzy of despair. “Your task is to renounce everything—the
world, and friends, and wealth, and me—and to bury yourself in
these remote hills, with a crazy old gentleman who cannot realize the
sacrifice. Don’t!” with an impatient gesture of her hand, “I know that I
am speaking as if I were mad, and in my old foolish way. I know in
my heart that you are doing what is right—that you could not do
otherwise, and I—I am proud of you.”
Then, as she looked into his haggard, altered face and miserable
eyes, and caught a glimpse of the real Mark beneath his armour of
stoicism—“But, oh, it is hard—it is hard——” she added, as she
covered her face with her hands and wept.
“Honor! for God’s sake don’t—don’t—I implore you! I cannot bear
this. I would go through all I have struggled with over again to save
you one tear. Circumstances—destiny—or whatever they call it—is
too strong for us. You must not let me spoil your life. You know I shall
love you—you only as long as I draw breath.”
“I know that!” raising her wet eyes to his. “And you dare to talk to
me of a good time, of marrying my second love! Oh, Mark, Mark!
how could you?”
“I was a brute to say it. I thought it would make it easier for you—
when——” and his voice broke—“sometimes—when—you think of
me——”
“Which will be every day—and often. And now I must be going. I
was already late enough when Tommy ran away. I was afraid of his
meeting poor Ben’s fate. Will you come with me as far as the brow of
the hill, where our paths part?”
“Yes—part for ever!” he added to himself.
As they turned, she asked him many questions concerning his life,
his associates, and his occupations. He on his side made the best of
everything, painting the Yellow Bungalow, the gardens, the planters
and missionaries with gorgeous colours.
 “And are there no white women near you?” she inquired. “Have
you never met one lady to speak to since you left Shirani?”
“Yes, I have one acquaintance, and one who is a friend of yours.
She is a Persian, I believe. Your little cornelian ring has been a
strong link between us. She is a most mysterious person. No one
can tell who she is, or where she came from. All we know is, that she
spends her present time in doing good, nursing the sick and dying.
She told me that you knew the history of her life—you alone——”
“It is true,” bending her head as she spoke, and fixing her eyes on
the ground.
“She shrinks from all observation, but she does not hide from me
—for your sake; we talk about you constantly, I may say always.”
“Then give her a message from me, please. Tell her that I often
think of her, and ask her if I may write to her, or if she will write to
me?”
“You forget that she is a Persian. How can she possibly write to
you?”
Honor coloured painfully, and twisted her ring round and round
before she spoke, and then she said—
“Please give her the message all the same. I—I—can manage to
get her letter read. I will understand it.”
They were now at the point where their roads diverged—his went
along the hill, hers led down into the valley. She stopped for a
moment, and caressed the grey pony’s sleek hard neck; then she
turned and gave the pony’s master both her hands. They gazed at
one another, with sad white faces, reading their life’s tragedy in each
other’s eyes. Then she suddenly tore her fingers from his clasp, and
ran down the hill with Tommy in pursuit. Jervis stood where she had
left him, until the very last echo of her footsteps had died away.
“And that is a sound I shall never hear again,” he groaned aloud,
and flinging himself down on the root of a tree, he covered his face
with his hands. How long he remained in this attitude the grey pony
alone knew! By-and-by he became tired of waiting—for he was either
too well fed or too sympathetic to graze—he came and rubbed his
soft black muzzle against the man’s short brown locks (his cap lay
on the ground). It was his poor little attempt at consolation, and
effectually roused his owner, though it did not comfort him, for what
could a dumb animal know of the great distresses of the human
heart?

Honor was late for tiffin, in fact it was getting on for afternoon
teatime when she arrived. She discovered the bungalow in a state of
unusual commotion. There was visible excitement on the servants’
faces, an air of extra importance (were that possible) in the bearer’s
barefooted strut—he now appeared to walk almost entirely on his
heels.
Mrs. Brande was seated at a writing-table, beginning and tearing
up dozens of notes; her cap was askew, her fair hair was ruffled, and
her face deeply flushed. What could have happened?
“Oh, Honor, my child, I thought you were never coming back, I
have been longing for you,” rushing at her. “But how white you look,
dearie; you have walked too far. Are you ill?”
“No, no, auntie. What is it? There is something in the air. What has
happened?”
For sole answer, Mrs. Brande cast her unexpected weight upon
her niece’s frail shoulder, and burst into loud hysterical tears.
“Only think, dear girl!”—convulsive sobs—“a coolie has just come
—and brought a letter from P.—They have made him a K.C.B.”—
boisterous sobs—“and your poor old auntie—is—a lady at last!”
 CHAPTER XLIII.
“RAFFLE IT!”

“Major and Mrs. Granby Langrishe request the honour of Mr. and
Mrs. Blanks’s company at St. John’s church at two o’clock on the
afternoon of the 20th inst., to be present at the marriage of their
niece and Sir Gloster Sandilands.”
These invitation cards, richly embossed in silver, were to be seen
in almost every abode in Shirani. The wedding dress was on its way
from Madame Phelps, in Calcutta. The cake and champagne were
actually in the house. There were to be no bridesmaids, only two
little pages—“they were cheaper,” Mrs. Langrishe said to herself; “a
set of girls would be expecting jewellery and bouquets.” Happy Mrs.
Langrishe, who had been overwhelmed with letters and telegrams of
congratulations. She had indeed proved herself to be the clever
woman of the family. It was her triumph—more than Lalla’s—and she
was radiant with pride and satisfaction. Yea, her self-congratulations
were fervent. She was counting the days until her atrocious little
incubus went down the ghaut as Lady Sandilands. A little incubus,
securely fastened on another person’s shoulders—for life!
Lalla was entirely occupied with letters, trousseau, and
preparations. She was to have taken the principal part in a grand
burlesque, written specially for her, by Toby Joy. The burlesque had
been on hand for two months, and was to bring the Shirani season to
a fitting and appropriate close. The piece was called “Sinbad the
Sailor.” Lalla had been rehearsing her songs and dances most
industriously, until she had been called upon to play another part—
the part of Sir Gloster’s fiancée.
Sir Gloster did not care for burlesques; he had never seen Miss
Paske in her true element—never seen her dance. It was not
befitting her future position that she should appear on the boards.
No, no; he assured her that he was somewhat old-fashioned, his
mother would not like it. She must promise him to relinquish the idea,
and never to perform in public again. But Lalla was stubborn; she
would not yield altogether. Urged by Toby Joy, by the theatrical
troupe—who felt that they could not pull through without their own
bright particular star—she held out in a most unreasonable and
astonishing manner. At length she submitted so far as to declare that
“she would wear Turkish trousers, if he liked!” This she reluctantly
announced, as if making an enormous concession.
“He certainly did not wish her to wear Turkish trousers!” he
returned, greatly scandalized. “How could she make such a terrible
suggestion?” He was heavy and inert, but he could oppose a dead,
leaden weight of resistance to any scheme which he disliked. This
he called “manly determination;” but Lalla had another name for it
—“pig-headed obstinacy!” However, she coaxed, promised, flattered,
wept, and worked upon her infatuated lover so successfully, that he
reluctantly permitted her to take a very small part, so as not to have
her name removed from the bills; but this was to be positively “Her
last appearance,” and she might announce it on the placards, if she
so pleased. He himself was summoned to Allahabad on urgent
business—in fact, to arrange about settlements—and he would not
be present, he feared; but he would do his best to return by the end
of the week.
Miss Paske’s part, the dancing, singing peri, was given to a very
inferior performer—who was the stage manager’s despair, and a
most hopeless stick. Toby Joy, who was in woefully low spirits
respecting the certain failure of the burlesque, and—other matters—
came to Lalla on the night but one before the play.
“She has got influenza—so it’s all up,” making a feint of tearing his
hair, “and every place in the house sold for two nights, and—an
awful bill for dresses and properties. What is to become of me? Can’t
you take it? It was your own part—you do it splendidly—no
professional could beat you. Come, Lalla!”
“I promised I would not dance,” she answered with a solemn face.
 “Time enough to tie yourself up with promises after you are
married! Take your fling now—you have only ten days—you’ll never
dance again.”
“No, never,” she groaned.
“He is away, too,” urged this wicked youth; “he is not coming up till
Saturday; he won’t know, till all is over, and then he will be as proud
as a peacock. You have your dresses, you had everything ready until
he came and spoilt the whole ‘box of tricks.’” And Toby looked
unutterable things. “Did he say anything to your aunt?” he asked.
“No—not a word. You don’t suppose that I allow her to mix herself
up in my affairs? It was merely between him and me——”
“Well, you can easily smooth him down—and if you don’t take your
own original part, I must send round a peon this afternoon, to say
that the burlesque has been put off, owing to the illness of the prima-
donna—the ‘incapability’ is the proper word. But you are a brick, and
you won’t let it come to that; you will never leave us in a hole.”
A little dancing devil in each eye eagerly assured him that she
would not fail them! Yes, the combined entreaties of her own set—
their compliments and flattery—her own hungry craving for what
Toby called “one last fling,” carried the point. He would not be back
until Saturday. The piece was for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday,
and she could (as she believed) easily talk him over. Yes, she made
up her mind that she would play the peri; and she informed her aunt,
with her most off-hand air, “that she had been prevailed on to take
the principal part; that Miss Lane was ill (and any way would have
been a dead failure); that she could not be so shamefully selfish as
to disappoint every one; that the proceeds were for a charity (after
the bills were paid there would not be much margin)”, and Mrs.
Langrishe, in sublime ignorance of Lalla’s promise, acquiesced as
usual. She now subscribed to all her niece’s suggestions with
surprising amiability, assuring herself that the days of her
deliverance from “a girl in a thousand” were close at hand!
The burlesque of Sinbad was beautifully staged, capitally acted,
and a complete success. Miss Paske’s dancing and singing were
pronounced to be worthy of a London theatre—if not of a music-hall.
People discussed her wherever they met, and all the men hastened,
as it were in a body, to book places for the next performance.
The ladies were not altogether so enthusiastic; indeed, some of
them were heard to wonder how Sir Gloster would have liked it?
Sir Gloster, on the wings of love, was already half way through his
return journey. He had transacted his business with unexpected
promptitude, and was breakfasting at a certain dâk bungalow,
encompassed with many parcels and boxes. Here he was joined by
two subalterns, who were hurrying in the opposite direction—that is,
from Shirani to the plains. They were full of the last evening’s
entertainment, and could talk of nothing but the burlesque.
“It was quite A1,” they assured their fellow-traveller. “It could not
be beaten in London—no, not even at the Empire. Miss Paske was
simply ripping!”
“Yes,” returned Sir Gloster, complacently, “I believe there is a good
deal of nice feeling in her acting, but she had only a minor part.”
“Bless your simple, innocent heart!” exclaimed the other, “she was
the principal figure; she was the whole show; she filled the bill.”
“May I ask what you mean?” demanded the baronet, with solemn
white dignity.
“She was the peri—didn’t you know? She dances every bit as well
as Lottie Collins or Sylvia Grey, doesn’t she, Capel?” appealing
eagerly to his comrade.
“Yes; and I’d have gone to see her again to-night, only for this
beastly court-martial. I gave my ticket over to Manders, for he
couldn’t get a place. She draws like a chimney on fire; there is no
squeezing in at the door—even window-sills were at a premium. You
ought to go on, Sir Gloster; of course you will get a seat,” with a
significant laugh. “This is the last performance, and, upon my word,
you should not miss it.”
Sir Gloster remained mute. Was it possible that his little Lalla, who
wrote him such sweet, endearing notes, had deliberately broken her
word, and defied him?
At the very thought of such a crime his white flabby face grew
rigid. Seeing was believing. He would take this crack-brained young
man’s advice, and hurry on. He might manage to be in Shirani by
eight o’clock that evening—just in time to dress and get to the play.
His wrath was hot within him—and the anger of a quiet and
lethargic person, when once roused, is a very deadly thing. His
sturdy hill ponies bore the first brunt of his indignation; and Sir
Gloster, who was naturally a timid horseman, for once threw fear to
the winds, and galloped as recklessly as Toby Joy himself. He
arrived at the club just in time to swallow a few mouthfuls, change
his clothes, and set off to the theatre. He could not get a seat, but
“he might, if he liked, stand near the door, with his back to the wall,”
and for this handsome privilege he paid four rupees—the best-laid-
out money he ever invested, as he subsequently declared. The
curtain had already risen; the scene looked marvellously like
fairyland. Toby Joy had just concluded a capital topical song, when a
large egg was carefully rolled upon the stage. The egg-shell opened
without the application of a spoon, and hatched out a most exquisite
creature, the peri, whose appearance was the signal for a thunder of
hand-clapping. The peri—yes—was Lalla, in very short, fleecy
petticoats, with a twinkling star in her hair—his own present, as Sir
Gloster noted with an additional spasm of indignation.
Presently she began to dance.
Now, be it known, that her performance was perfectly decorous
and delightfully graceful. Lalla’s glancing feet scarcely touched the
ground, and she danced as if from pure happiness and lightness of
heart. (Toby Joy danced as if he had le diable au corps.) After
entrancing the spectators for ten thrilling minutes with several
entirely fresh variations, Lalla finished up with the tee-to-tum spin,
which is to the dancer what the high note, at the end of a song, is to
the singer!
The result of this effort was a hurricane of frantic applause, in
which Sir Gloster took no part; he was not a theatre-goer—he was
provincial. His mother and his surroundings were strictly evangelical;
and whilst his fiancée enchanted the whole station, he stood against
the wall glowering and pale. The only character present to his mind
was the daughter of Herodias! Frankly speaking, the performance
had filled him with horror. That the future Lady Sandilands should
offer herself thus to public contemplation; that any one who chose to
pay four rupees might see this indecorous exhibition—including
soldiers in uniform, at the low price of four annas!
He was actually beside himself with fury, and forced his way out,
with his head down, like a charging animal. Few noticed him or his
hasty exit; every one had eyes for Lalla, and Lalla only. She received
an ovation and a shower of bouquets as she was conducted before
the curtain by Toby Joy, modestly curtseying and kissing her hand.
Miss Paske subsequently remained to enjoy a merry and recherché
supper, chaperoned by the invaluable Mrs. Dashwood; and Mrs.
Langrishe, as was not an unusual occurrence, went home alone.
To that lady’s great amazement, she discovered Sir Gloster
awaiting her in the drawing-room, and she gathered from his strange
and agitated appearance that something terrible had occurred.
“I was thinking of writing to you, Mrs. Langrishe,” he began in a
curiously formal voice, “but I changed my mind, and came to see you
instead. All is over between your niece and myself.”
Mrs. Langrishe turned perfectly livid, and dropped into the nearest
chair.
“Pray, explain!” she faltered at last.
“Miss Paske will doubtless explain to you why she gave me a
solemn promise to renounce dancing on a public stage. I reluctantly
allowed her to appear for the last time in a very small part—that of
an old nurse. I return unexpectedly, and discover her in the character
of a ballet-girl, exhibiting herself—well, I must say it—half naked to
the whole of Shirani. Such a person is not fit to be my wife. She has
broken her word. She has a depraved taste; she has no modesty.”
That Ida Langrishe should live to hear such epithets applied to her
own flesh and blood!