The Foot of Time: A Novel of Australia and the South Seas: (1933)

CHAPTER I.
THE TEA GARDEN.
CLARE ARBUTHNOT had been sitting on the
verandah with a book, but the sheer fascination
of watching the coolie girls plucking the tea-leaves
had outspanned her reading.
"Two leaves and a bud," "two leaves and a bud."
Long, dextrous, brown fingers, "pink-tipped,"
gradually filled their baskets, suspended, part rest-
ing upon the swaying, sensuous hips of their
owners.
Abdul—the Mahomedan "Boy"----had pulled up
one of the green blinds the better to enable his
Mem-Sahib to watch the girls. By three o'clock
the pluckers had reached the bushes directly in
front of Clare. Lady Arbuthnot noticed one girl
in particular; she was somewhat more mature than
the rest, though still young. Young even from
Eastern standards. It came to the English girl with
surprised wonder how extraordinarily graceful was
this young daughter of the East, moving rythmically
to her work.
Then Clare's train of thoughts were interrupted
by the silent, almost noiseless approach of their
"Bearer." The Arbuthnots shared the barefooted