CHAPTER III

shyouhadpointedhimouttome.Ican’tmakeoutwhoheis.” “Hedidn’tcomeintotheclub.Hesaidhewasn’tallowedto.” Thereuponthetruthstruckhim,andhecried“Oh,goodgracious!NotaMohammedan?Whyeverdidn’tyoutellmeyou’dbeentalkingtoanative?Iwasgoingallwrong.” “AMohammedan!Howperfectlymagnificent!”exclaimedMissQuested.“Ronny,isn’tthatlikeyourmother?WhilewetalkaboutseeingtherealIndia,shegoesandseesit,andthenforgetsshe’sseenit.” ButRonnywasruffled.Fromhismother’sdescriptionhehadthoughtthedoctormightbeyoungMugginsfromovertheGanges,andhadbroughtoutallthecomradelyemotions.Whatamix-up!Whyhadn’tsheindicatedbythetoneofhervoicethatshewastalkingaboutanIndian?Scratchyanddictatorial,hebegantoquestionher.“Hecalledtoyouinthemosque,didhe?How?Impudently?Whatwashedoingtherehimselfatthattimeofnight?—No,it’snottheirprayertime.”—ThisinanswertoasuggestionofMissQuested’s,whoshowedthekeenestinterest.“Sohecalledtoyouoveryourshoes.Thenitwasimpudence.It’sanoldtrick.Iwishyouhadhadthemon.” “Ithinkitwasimpudence,butIdon’tknowaboutatrick,”saidMrs.Moore.“Hisnerveswereallonedge—Icouldtellfromhisvoice.AssoonasIansweredhealtered.” “Yououghtn’ttohaveanswered.” “Nowlookhere,”saidthelogicalgirl,“wouldn’tyouexpectaMohammedantoanswerifyouaskedhimtotakeoffhishatinchurch?” “It’sdifferent,it’sdifferentyoudon’tunderstand.” “IknowIdon’t,andIwantto.Whatisthedifference,please?” Hewishedshewouldn’tinterfere.Hismotherdidnotsignify—shewasjustaglobe-trotter,atemporaryescort,whocouldretiretoEnglandwithwhatimpressionsshechose.ButAdela,whomeditatedspendingherlifeinthecountry,wasamoreseriousmatteritwouldbetiresomeifshestartedcrookedoverthenativequestion.Pullingupthemare,hesaid,“There’syourGanges.” Theirattentionwasdiverted.Belowthemaradiancehadsuddenlyappeared.Itbelongedneithertowaternormoonlight,butstoodlikealuminoussheafuponthefieldsofdarkness.Hetoldthemthatitwaswherethenewsand-bankwasforming,andthatthedarkravelledbitatthetopwasthesand,andthatthedeadbodiesfloateddownthatwayfromBenares,orwouldifthecrocodilesletthem.“It’snotmuchofadeadbodythatgetsdowntoChandrapore.” “Crocodilesdowninittoo,howterrible!”hismothermurmured.Theyoungpeopleglancedateachotherandsmileditamusedthemwhentheoldladygotthesegentlecreeps,andharmonywasrestoredbetweenthemconsequently.Shecontinued:“Whataterribleriver!whatawonderfulriver!”andsighed.Theradiancewasalreadyaltering,whetherthroughshiftingofthemoonorofthesandsoonthebrightsheafwouldbegone,andacirclet,itselftoalter,beburnisheduponthestreamingvoid.Thewomendiscussedwhethertheywouldwaitforthechangeornot,whilethesilencebrokeintopatchesofunquietnessandthemareshivered.Onheraccounttheydidnotwait,butdroveontotheCityMagistrate’sbungalow,whereMissQuestedwenttobed,andMrs.Moorehadashortinterviewwithherson. HewantedtoenquireabouttheMohammedandoctorinthemosque.Itwashisdutytoreportsuspiciouscharactersandconceivablyitwassomedisreputablehakimwhohadprowledupfromthebazaar.WhenshetoldhimthatitwassomeoneconnectedwiththeMintoHospital,hewasrelieved,andsaidthatthefellow’snamemustbeAziz,andthathewasquiteallright,nothingagainsthimatall. “Aziz!whatacharmingname!” “Soyouandhehadatalk.Didyougatherhewaswelldisposed?” Ignorantoftheforceofthisquestion,shereplied,“Yes,quite,afterthefirstmoment.” “Imeant,generally.Didheseemtotolerateus—thebrutalconqueror,thesundriedbureaucrat,thatsortofthing?” “Oh,yes,Ithinkso,excepttheCallendars—hedoesn’tcarefortheCallendarsata