CHAPTER VIII

“ButIhaven’tgotanyquestions.You’veactedwithinyourrights,youwerequiterighttocomeoutandhavealookatmedoingmywork,itwasanexcellentplan,andanyhowit’snousetalkingfurther—weshouldonlygetupsteam.”Hefeltangryandbruisedhewastooproudtotemptherback,buthedidnotconsiderthatshehadbehavedbadly,becausewherehiscompatriotswereconcernedhehadagenerousmind. “Isupposethatthereisnothingelseit’sunpardonableofmetohavegivenyouandyourmotherallthisbother,”saidMissQuestedheavily,andfrownedupatthetreebeneathwhichtheyweresitting.Alittlegreenbirdwasobservingher,sobrilliantandneatthatitmighthavehoppedstraightoutofashop.Oncatchinghereyeitcloseditsown,gaveasmallskipandpreparedtogotobed.SomeIndianwildbird.“Yes,nothingelse,”sherepeated,feelingthataprofoundandpassionatespeechoughttohavebeendeliveredbyoneorbothofthem.“We’vebeenawfullyBritishoverit,butIsupposethat’sallright.” “AsweareBritish,Isupposeitis.” “Anyhowwe’venotquarrelled,Ronny.” “Oh,thatwouldhavebeentooabsurd.Whyshouldwequarrel?” “Ithinkweshallkeepfriends.” “Iknowweshall.” “Quiteso.” Assoonastheyhadexchangedthisadmission,awaveofreliefpassedthroughthemboth,andthentransformeditselfintoawaveoftenderness,andpassedback.Theyweresoftenedbytheirownhonesty,andbegantofeellonelyandunwise.Experiences,notcharacter,dividedthemtheywerenotdissimilar,ashumansgoindeed,whencomparedwiththepeoplewhostoodnearesttotheminpointofspacetheybecamepracticallyidentical.TheBhilwhowasholdinganofficer’spolopony,theEurasianwhodrovetheNawabBahadur’scar,theNawabBahadurhimself,theNawabBahadur’sdebauchedgrandson—nonewouldhaveexaminedadifficultysofranklyandcoolly.Themerefactofexaminationcausedittodiminish.Ofcoursetheywerefriends,andforever.“Doyouknowwhatthenameofthatgreenbirdupaboveusis?”sheasked,puttinghershoulderrathernearertohis. “Bee-eater.” “Ohno,Ronny,ithasredbarsonitswings.” “Parrot,”hehazarded. “Goodgraciousno.” Thebirdinquestiondivedintothedomeofthetree.Itwasofnoimportance,yettheywouldhavelikedtoidentifyit,itwouldsomehowhavesolacedtheirhearts. ButnothinginIndiaisidentifiable,themereaskingofaquestioncausesittodisappearortomergeinsomethingelse. “McBrydehasanillustratedbirdbook,”hesaiddejectedly.“I’mnogoodatallatbirds,infactI’muselessatanyinformationoutsidemyownjob.It’sagreatpity.” “SoamI.I’muselessateverything.” “WhatdoIhear?”shoutedtheNawabBahaduratthetopofhisvoice,causingbothofthemtostart.“WhatmostimprobablestatementhaveIheard?AnEnglishladyuseless?No,no,no,no,no.”Helaughedgenially,sure,withinlimits,ofhiswelcome. “Hallo,NawabBahadur!Beenwatchingthepoloagain?”saidRonnytepidly. “Ihave,sahib,Ihave.” “Howdoyoudo?”saidAdela,likewisepullingherselftogether.Sheheldoutherhand.Theoldgentlemanjudgedfromsowantonagesturethatshewasnewtohiscountry,buthepaidlittleheed.Womenwhoexposedtheirfacebecamebythatoneactsomysterioustohimthathetookthematthevaluationoftheirmenfolkratherthanathisown.Perhapstheywerenotimmoral,andanyhowtheywerenothisaffair.OnseeingtheCityMagistratealonewithamaidenattwilight,hehadbornedownonthemwithhospitableintent.Hehadanewlittlecar,andwishedtoplaceitattheirdisposaltheCityMagistratewoulddecidewhethertheofferwasacceptable. RonnywasbythistimeratherashamedofhiscurtnesstoAzizandGodbole,andherewasanopportunityofshowingthathecouldtreatIndianswithconsiderationwhentheydeservedit.SohesaidtoAdela,withthesamesadfriendlinessthathehademployedwhendiscussingthebird,“Wouldhalfanhour’sspinentertainyouatall?” “Oughtn’twetogetbacktothebungalow.” “Why?”Hegazedather. “IthinkperhapsIoughttoseeyourmotheranddiscussfutureplans.” “That’sasyoulike,butthere’snohurry,isthere?” “Letmetakeyoutothebungalow,andfirstthelittlespin,”criedtheoldman,andhastenedtothecar. “HemayshowyousomeaspectofthecountryIcan’t,andhe’sarealloyalist.Ithoughtyoumightcareforabitofachange.” Determinedtogivehimnomoretrouble,sheagreed,butherdesiretoseeIndiahadsuddenlydecreased.Therehadbeenafactitiouselementinit. Howshouldtheyseatthemselvesinthecar?Theelegantgrandsonhadtobeleftbehind.TheNawabBahadurgotupinfront,forhehadnointentionofneighbouringanEnglishgirl.“Despitemyadvancedyears,Iamlearningtodrive,”hesaid.“Mancanlearneverythingifhewillbuttry.”Andforeseeingafurtherdifficulty,headded,“Idonotdotheactualsteering.Isitandaskmychauffeurquestions,andthuslearnthereasonforeverythingthatisdonebeforeIdoitmyself.BythismethodseriousandImaysayludicrousaccidents,suchasbefelloneofmycompatriotsduringthatdelightfulreceptionattheEnglishClub,areavoided.OurgoodPannaLal!Ihope,sahib,thatgreatdamagewasnotdonetoyourflowers.LetushaveourlittlespindowntheGangavatiroad.Halfoneleagueonwards!”Hefellasleep. RonnyinstructedthechauffeurtotaketheMarabarroadratherthantheGangavati,sincethelatterwasunderrepair,andsettledhimselfdownbesidetheladyhehadlost.Thecarmadeaburringnoiseandrushedalongachausséethatranuponanembankmentabovemelancholyfields.Treesofapoorqualityborderedtheroad,indeedthewholescenewasinferior,andsuggestedthatthecountry-sidewastoovasttoadmitofexcellence.Invaindideachiteminitcallout,“Come,come.” Therewasnotenoughgodtogoround.Thetwoyoungpeopleconversedfeeblyandfeltunimportant.Whenthedarknessbegan,itseemedtowelloutofthemeagrevegetation,entirelycoveringthefieldseachsideofthembeforeitbrimmedovertheroad.Ronny’sfacegrewdim—aneventthatalwaysincreasedheresteemforhischaracter.Herhandtouchedhis,owingtoajolt,andoneofthethrillssofrequentintheanimalkingdompassedbetweenthem,andannouncedthatalltheirdifficultieswereonlyalovers’quarrel.Eachwastooproudtoincreasethepressure,butneitherwithdrewit,andaspuriousunitydescendedonthem,aslocalandtemporaryasthegleamthatinhabitsafirefly.Itwouldvanishinamoment,perhapstoreappear,butthedarknessisalonedurable.Andthenightthatencircledthem,absoluteasitseemed,wasitselfonlyaspuriousunity,beingmodifiedbythegleamsofdaythatleakeduproundtheedgesoftheearth,andbythestars. Theygripped...bump,jump,aswerve,twowheelsliftedintheair,breakson,bumpwithtreeatedgeofembankment,standstill.Anaccident.Aslightone.Nobodyhurt.TheNawabBahadurawoke.HecriedoutinArabic,andviolentlytuggedhisbeard. “W