CHAPTER VII

ThisMr.FieldinghadbeencaughtbyIndialate.Hewasoverfortywhenheenteredthatoddestportal,theVictoriaTerminusatBombay,and—havingbribedaEuropeanticketinspector—tookhisluggageintothecompartmentofhisfirsttropicaltrain.Thejourneyremainedinhismindassignificant.Ofhistwocarriagecompanionsonewasayouth,freshtotheEastlikehimself,theotheraseasonedAnglo-Indianofhisownage.Agulfdividedhimfromeitherhehadseentoomanycitiesandmentobethefirstortobecomethesecond.Newimpressionscrowdedonhim,buttheywerenottheorthodoxnewimpressionsthepastconditionedthem,andsoitwaswithhismistakes.ToregardanIndianasifhewereanItalianisnot,forinstance,acommonerror,norperhapsafatalone,andFieldingoftenattemptedanalogiesbetweenthispeninsulaandthatother,smallerandmoreexquisitelyshaped,thatstretchesintotheclassicwatersoftheMediterranean. Hiscareer,thoughscholastic,wasvaried,andhadincludedgoingtothebadandrepentingthereafter.Bynowhewasahard-bitten,good-tempered,intelligentfellowonthevergeofmiddleage,withabeliefineducation.Hedidnotmindwhomhetaughtpublicschoolboys,mentaldefectivesandpolicemen,hadallcomehisway,andhehadnoobjectiontoaddingIndians.Throughtheinfluenceoffriends,hewasnominatedPrincipalofthelittlecollegeatChandrapore,likedit,andassumedhewasasuccess.Hedidsucceedwithhispupils,butthegulfbetweenhimselfandhiscountrymen,whichhehadnoticedinthetrain,wideneddistressingly.Hecouldnotatfirstseewhatwaswrong.Hewasnotunpatriotic,healwaysgotonwithEnglishmeninEngland,allhisbestfriendswereEnglish,sowhywasitnotthesameouthere?Outwardlyofthelargeshaggytype,withsprawlinglimbsandblueeyes,heappearedtoinspireconfidenceuntilhespoke.Thensomethinginhismannerpuzzledpeopleandfailedtoallaythedistrustwhichhisprofessionnaturallyinspired.ThereneedsmustbethisevilofbrainsinIndia,butwoetohimthroughwhomtheyareincreased!ThefeelinggrewthatMr.Fieldingwasadisruptiveforce,andrightly,forideasarefataltocaste,andheusedideasbythatmostpotentmethod—interchange.Neitheramissionarynorastudent,hewashappiestinthegive-and-takeofaprivateconversation.Theworld,hebelieved,isaglobeofmenwhoaretryingtoreachoneanotherandcanbestdosobythehelpofgoodwillpluscultureandintelligence—acreedillsuitedtoChandrapore,buthehadcomeouttoolatetoloseit.Hehadnoracialfeeling—notbecausehewassuperiortohisbrothercivilians,butbecausehehadmaturedinadifferentatmosphere,wheretheherd-instinctdoesnotflourish.Theremarkthatdidhimmostharmattheclubwasasillyasidetotheeffectthattheso-calledwhiteracesarereallypinko-grey.Heonlysaidthistobecheery,hedidnotrealizethat“white”hasnomoretodowithacolourthan“GodsavetheKing”withagod,andthatitistheheightofimproprietytoconsiderwhatitdoesconnote.Thepinko-greymalewhomheaddressedwassubtlyscandalizedhissenseofinsecuritywasawoken,andhecommunicatedittotherestoftheherd. Still,thementoleratedhimforthesakeofhisgoodheartandstrongbodyitwastheirwiveswhodecidedthathewasnotasahibreally.Theydislikedhim.Hetooknonoticeofthem,andthis,whichwouldhavepassedwithoutcommentinfeministEngland,didhimharminacommunitywherethemaleisexpectedtobelivelyandhelpful.Mr.Fieldingneveradvisedoneaboutdogsorhorses,ordined,orpaidhismiddaycalls,ordecoratedtreesforone’schildrenatChristmas,andthoughhecametotheclub,itwasonlytogethistennisorbilliards,andtogo.Thiswastrue.HehaddiscoveredthatitispossibletokeepinwithIndiansandEnglishmen,butthathewhowouldalsokeepinwithEnglishwomenmustdroptheIndians.Thetwowouldn’tcombine.Uselesstoblameeitherparty,uselesstoblamethemforblamingoneanother.Itjustwasso,andonehadtochoose.MostEnglishmenpreferredtheirownkinswomen,who,comingoutinincreasingnumbers,madelifeonthehomepatternyearlymorepossible.HehadfounditconvenientandpleasanttoassociatewithIndiansandhemustpaytheprice.AsarulenoEnglishwomanenteredtheCollegeexceptforofficialfunctions,andifheinvitedMrs.MooreandMissQuestedtotea,itwasbecausetheywerenew-comerswhowouldvieweverythingwithanequalifsuperficialeye,andwouldnotturnonaspecialvoicewhenspeakingtohisotherguests. TheCollegeitselfhadbeenslappeddownbythePublicWorksDepartment,butitsgroundsincludedanancientgardenandagarden-house,andherehelivedformuchoftheyear.HewasdressingafterabathwhenDr.Azizwasannounced.Liftinguphisvoice,heshoutedfromthebedroom,“Pleasemakeyourselfathome.”Theremarkwasunpremeditated,likemostofhisactionsitwaswhathefeltinclinedtosay. ToAzizithadaverydefinitemeaning.“MayIreally,Mr.Fielding?It’sverygoodofyou,”hecalledback“Ilikeunconventionalbehavioursoextremely.”Hisspiritsflaredup,heglancedroundtheliving-room.Someluxuryinit,butnoorder—nothingtointimidatepoorIndians.Itwasalsoaverybeautifulroom,openingintothegardenthroughthreehigharchesofwood.“ThefactisIhavelongwantedtomeetyou,”hecontinued.“IhaveheardsomuchaboutyourwarmheartfromtheNawabBahadur.ButwhereisonetomeetinawretchedholelikeChandrapore?”Hecamecloseuptothedoor.“WhenIwasgreenerhere,I’lltellyouwhat.Iusedtowishyoutofallillsothatwecouldmeetthatway.”Theylaughed,andencouragedbyhissuccesshebegantoimprovise.“Isaidtomyself,HowdoesMr.Fieldinglookthismorning?Perhapspale.AndtheCivilSurgeonispaletoo,hewillnotbeabletoattenduponhimwhentheshiveringcommences.Ishouldhavebeensentforinstead.Thenwewouldhavehadjollytalks,foryouareacelebratedstudentofPersianpoetry.” “Youknowmebysight,then.” “Ofcourse,ofcourse.Youknowme?” “Iknowyouverywellbyname.” “Ihavebeenheresuchashorttime,andalwaysinthebazaar.Nowonderyouhaveneverseenme,andIwonderyouknowmyname.Isay,Mr.Fielding?” “Yes?” “GuesswhatIlooklikebeforeyoucomeout.Thatwillbeakindofgame.” “You’refivefeetnineincheshigh,”saidFielding,surmisingthismuchthroughthegroundglassofthebedroomdoor. “Jollygood.Whatnext?HaveInotavenerablewhitebeard?” “Blast!” “Anythingwrong?” “I’vestampedonmylastcollarstud.” “Takemine,takemine.” “Haveyouaspareone?” “Yes,yes,oneminute.” “Notifyou’rewearingityourself.” “No,no,oneinmypocket.”Stepp