CHAPTER II

s?Letusshutthemoutandbejolly.QueenVictoriaandMrs.Bannisterweretheonlyexceptions,andthey’redead.” “No,no,Idonotadmitthat,Ihavemetothers.” “SohaveI,”saidMahmoudAli,unexpectedlyveering.“Allladiesarefarfromalike.”Theirmoodwaschanged,andtheyrecalledlittlekindnessesandcourtesies.“Shesaid‘Thankyousomuch’inthemostnaturalway.”“Sheofferedmealozengewhenthedustirritatedmythroat.”Hamidullahcouldremembermoreimportantexamplesofangelicministration,buttheother,whoonlyknewAnglo-India,hadtoransackhismemoryforscraps,anditwasnotsurprisingthatheshouldreturnto“Butofcourseallthisisexceptional.Theexceptiondoesnotprovetherule.TheaveragewomanislikeMrs.Turton,and,Aziz,youknowwhatsheis.”Azizdidnotknow,butsaidhedid.Hetoogeneralizedfromhisdisappointments—itisdifficultformembersofasubjectracetodootherwise.Grantedtheexceptions,heagreedthatallEnglishwomenarehaughtyandvenal.Thegleampassedfromtheconversation,whosewintrysurfaceunrolledandexpandedinterminably. Aservantannounceddinner.Theyignoredhim.Theeldermenhadreachedtheireternalpolitics,Azizdriftedintothegarden.Thetreessmeltsweet—green-blossomedchampak—andscrapsofPersianpoetrycameintohishead.Dinner,dinner,dinner...butwhenhereturnedtothehouseforit,MahmoudAlihaddriftedawayinhisturn,tospeaktohissais.“Comeandseemywifealittlethen,”saidHamidullah,andtheyspenttwentyminutesbehindthepurdah.HamidullahBegumwasadistantauntofAziz,andtheonlyfemalerelativehehadinChandrapore,andshehadmuchtosaytohimonthisoccasionaboutafamilycircumcisionthathadbeencelebratedwithimperfectpomp.Itwasdifficulttogetaway,becauseuntiltheyhadhadtheirdinnershewouldnotbeginhers,andconsequentlyprolongedherremarksincasetheyshouldsupposeshewasimpatient.Havingcensuredthecircumcision,shebethoughtherofkindredtopics,andaskedAzizwhenhewasgoingtobemarried. Respectfulbutirritated,heanswered,“Onceisenough.” “Yes,hehasdonehisduty,”saidHamidullah.“Donotteasehimso.Hecarriesonhisfamily,twoboysandtheirsister.” “Aunt,theylivemostcomfortablywithmywife’smother,whereshewaslivingwhenshedied.IcanseethemwheneverIlike.Theyaresuchvery,verysmallchildren.” “Andhesendsthemthewholeofhissalaryandliveslikealow-gradeclerk,andtellsnoonethereason.Whatmoredoyourequirehimtodo?” ButthiswasnotHamidullahBegum’spoint,andhavingcourteouslychangedtheconversationforafewmomentsshereturnedandmadeit.Shesaid,“Whatistobecomeofallourdaughtersifmenrefusetomarry?Theywillmarrybeneaththem,or——”Andshebegantheoft-toldtaleofaladyofImperialdescentwhocouldfindnohusbandinthenarrowcirclewhereherpridepermittedhertomate,andhadlivedonunwed,heragenowthirty,andwoulddieunwed,fornoonewouldhavehernow.Whilethetalewasinprogress,itconvincedthetwomen,thetragedyseemedasluronthewholecommunitybetterpolygamyalmost,thanthatawomanshoulddiewithoutthejoysGodhasintendedhertoreceive.Wedlock,motherhood,powerinthehouse—forwhatelseissheborn,andhowcanthemanwhohasdeniedthemtoherstanduptofacehercreatorandhisownatthelastday?Aziztookhisleavesaying“Perhaps...butlater...”—hisinvariablereplytosuchanappeal. “Youmustn’tputoffwhatyouthinkright,”saidHamidullah.“ThatiswhyIndiaisinsuchaplight,becauseweputoffthings.”Butseeingthathisyoungrelativelookedworried,headdedafewsoothingwords,andthuswipedoutanyimpressionthathiswifemighthavemade. Duringtheirabsence,MahmoudAlihadgoneoffinhiscarriageleavingamessagethatheshouldbebackinfiveminutes,buttheywereonnoaccounttowait.Theysatdowntomeatwithadistantcousinofthehouse,MohammedLatif,wholivedonHamidullah’sbountyandwhooccupiedthepositionneitherofaservantnorofanequal.Hedidnotspeakunlessspokento,andsincenoonespokekeptunoffendedsilence.Nowandthenhebelched,incomplimenttotherichnessofthefood.Agentle,happyanddishonestoldmanallhislifehehadneverdoneastrokeofwork.Solongassomeoneofhisrelativeshadahousehewassureofahome,anditwasunlikelythatsolargeafamilywouldallgobankrupt.Hiswifeledasimilarexistencesomehundredsofmilesaway—hedidnotvisither,owingtotheexpenseoftherailwayticket.PresentlyAzizchaffedhim,alsotheservants,andthenbeganquotingpoetry,Persian,Urdu,alittleArabic.Hismemorywasgood,andforsoyoungamanhehadreadlargelythethemeshepreferredwerethedecayofIslamandthebrevityoflove.Theylisteneddelighted,fortheytookthepublicviewofpoetry,nottheprivatewhichobtainsinEngland.Itneverboredthemtohearwords,wordst