CHAPTER III

ll.” “Oh.Sohetoldyouthat,didhe?TheMajorwillbeinterested.Iwonderwhatwastheaimoftheremark.” “Ronny,Ronny!you’renevergoingtopassitontoMajorCallendar?” “Yes,rather.Imust,infact!” “But,mydearboy——” “IftheMajorheardIwasdislikedbyanynativesubordinateofmine,Ishouldexpecthimtopassitontome.” “But,mydearboy—aprivateconversation!” “Nothing’sprivateinIndia.Azizknewthatwhenhespokeout,sodon’tyouworry.Hehadsomemotiveinwhathesaid.Mypersonalbeliefisthattheremarkwasn’ttrue.” “Hownottrue?” “HeabusedtheMajorinordertoimpressyou.” “Idon’tknowwhatyoumean,dear.” “It’stheeducatednative’slatestdodge.Theyusedtocringe,buttheyoungergenerationbelieveinashowofmanlyindependence.TheythinkitwillpaybetterwiththeitinerantM.P.Butwhetherthenativeswaggersorcringes,there’salwayssomethingbehindeveryremarkhemakes,alwayssomething,andifnothingelsehe’stryingtoincreasehisizzat—inplainAnglo-Saxon,toscore.Ofcoursethereareexceptions.” “Youneverusedtojudgepeoplelikethisathome.” “Indiaisn’thome,”heretorted,ratherrudely,butinordertosilenceherhehadbeenusingphrasesandargumentsthathehadpickedupfromolderofficials,andhedidnotfeelquitesureofhimself.Whenhesaid“ofcoursethereareexceptions”hewasquotingMr.Turton,while“increasingtheizzat”wasMajorCallendar’sown.Thephrasesworkedandwereincurrentuseattheclub,butshewasrathercleveratdetectingthefirstfromthesecondhand,andmightpresshimfordefiniteexamples. Sheonlysaid,“Ican’tdenythatwhatyousaysoundsverysensible,butyoureallymustnothandontoMajorCallendaranythingIhavetoldyouaboutDoctorAziz.” Hefeltdisloyaltohiscaste,buthepromised,adding,“Inreturnpleasedon’ttalkaboutAziztoAdela.” “Nottalkabouthim?Why?” “Thereyougoagain,mother—Ireallycan’texplaineverything.Idon’twantAdelatobeworried,that’sthefactshe’llbeginwonderingwhetherwetreatthenativesproperly,andallthatsortofnonsense.” “Butshecameouttobeworried—that’sexactlywhyshe’shere.Shediscusseditallontheboat.WehadalongtalkwhenwewentonshoreatAden.Sheknowsyouinplay,assheputit,butnotinwork,andshefeltshemustcomeandlookround,beforeshedecided—andbeforeyoudecided.Sheisvery,veryfair-minded.” “Iknow,”hesaiddejectedly. Thenoteofanxietyinhisvoicemadeherfeelthathewasstillalittleboy,whomusthavewhatheliked,soshepromisedtodoashewished,andtheykissedgoodnight.HehadnotforbiddenhertothinkaboutAziz,however,andshedidthiswhensheretiredtoherroom.Inthelightofherson’scommentshereconsideredthesceneatthemosque,toseewhoseimpressionwascorrect.Yes,itcouldbeworkedintoquiteanunpleasantscene.Thedoctorhadbegunbybullyingher,hadsaidMrs.Callendarwasnice,andthen—findingthegroundsafe—hadchangedhehadalternatelywhinedoverhisgrievancesandpatronizedher,hadrunadozenwaysinasinglesentence,hadbeenunreliable,inquisitive,vain.Yes,itwasalltrue,buthowfalseasasummaryofthemantheessentiallifeofhimhadbeenslain. Goingtohanguphercloak,shefoundthatthetipofthepegwasoccupiedbyasmallwasp.ShehadknownthiswasporhisrelativesbydaytheywerenotasEnglishwasps,buthadlongyellowlegswhichhungdownbehindwhentheyflew.Perhapshemistookthepegforabranch—noIndiananimalhasanysenseofaninterior.Bats,rats,birds,insectswillassoonnestinsideahouseasoutitistothemanormalgrowthoftheeternaljungle,whichalternatelyproduceshousestrees,housestrees.Thereheclung,asleep,whilejackalsintheplainbayedtheirdesiresandmingledwiththepercussionofdrums. “Prettydear,”saidMrs.Mooretothewasp.Hedidnotwake,buthervoicefloatedout,toswellthenight’suneasiness.