CHAPTER IX

tthatyouhaveharmedhersheisnotlikeafriendorGod,whoareinjuredbythemereexistenceofunfaithfulness.Quiteclearaboutthis,hemeditatedwhattypeoflieheshouldtelltogetawaytoCalcutta,andhadthoughtofamantherewhocouldbetrustedtosendhimawireandaletterthathecouldshowtoMajorCallendar,whenthenoiseofwheelswasheardinhiscompound.Someonehadcalledtoenquire.Thethoughtofsympathyincreasedhisfever,andwithasinceregroanhewrappedhimselfinhisquilt. “Aziz,mydearfellow,wearegreatlyconcerned,”saidHamidullah’svoice.One,two,three,fourbumps,aspeoplesatdownuponhisbed. “Whenadoctorfallsillitisaseriousmatter,”saidthevoiceofMr.SyedMohammed,theassistantengineer. “Whenanengineerfallsill,itisequallyimportant,”saidthevoiceofMr.Haq,apoliceinspector. “Ohyes,wearealljollyimportant,oursalariesproveit.” “Dr.AziztookteawithourPrincipallastThursdayafternoon,”pipedRafi,theengineer’snephew.“ProfessorGodbole,whoalsoattended,hassickenedtoo,whichseemsratheracuriousthing,sir,doesitnot?” Flamesofsuspicionleaptupinthebreastofeachman. “Humbug!”exclaimedHamidullah,inauthoritativetones,quenchingthem. “Humbug,mostcertainly,”echoedtheothers,ashamedofthemselves.Thewickedschoolboy,havingfailedtostartascandal,lostconfidenceandstoodupwithhisbacktothewall. “IsProfessorGodboleill?”enquiredAziz,penetratedbythenews.“Iamsincerelysorry.”Intelligentandcompassionate,hisfacepeepedoutofthebrightcrimsonfoldsofthequilt.“Howdoyoudo,Mr.SyedMohammed,Mr.Haq?Howverykindofyoutoenquireaftermyhealth!Howdoyoudo,Hamidullah?Butyoubringmebadnews.Whatiswrongwithhim,theexcellentfellow?” “Whydon’tyouanswer,Rafi?You’rethegreatauthority,”saidhisuncle. “Yes,Rafi’sthegreatman,”saidHamidullah,rubbingitin.“RafiistheSherlockHolmesofChandrapore.Speakup,Rafi.” Lessthanthedust,theschoolboymurmuredtheword“Diarrh?a,”buttookcourageassoonasithadbeenuttered,foritimprovedhisposition.Flamesofsuspicionshotupagaininthebreastsofhiselders,thoughinadifferentdirection.Couldwhatwascalleddiarrh?areallybeanearlycaseofcholera? “Ifthisisso,thisisaveryseriousthing:thisisscarcelytheendofMarch.WhyhaveInotbeeninformed?”criedAziz. “Dr.PannaLalattendshim,sir.” “Ohyes,bothHindustherewehaveittheyhangtogetherlikefliesandkeepeverythingdark.Rafi,comehere.Sitdown.Tellmeallthedetails.Istherevomitingalso?” “Ohyesindeed,sir,andtheseriouspains.” “Thatsettlesit.Intwenty-fourhourshewillbedead.” Everybodylookedandfeltshocked,butProfessorGodbolehaddiminishedhisappealbylinkinghimselfwithaco-religionist.Hemovedthemlessthanwhenhehadappearedasasufferingindividual.Beforelongtheybegantocondemnhimasasourceofinfection.“AllillnessproceedsfromHindus,”Mr.Haqsaid.Mr.SyedMohammedhadvisitedreligiousfairs,atAllahabadandatUjjain,anddescribedthemwithbitingscorn.AtAllahabadtherewasflowingwater,whichcarriedimpuritiesaway,butatUjjainthelittleriverSiprawasbankedup,andthousandsofbathersdepositedtheirgermsinthepool.Hespokewithdisgustofthehotsun,thecow-dungandmarigoldflowers,andtheencampmentofsaddhus,someofwhomstrodestarknakedthroughthestreets.AskedwhatwasthenameofthechiefidolatUjjain,herepliedthathedidnotknow,hehaddisdainedtoenquire,hereallycouldnotwastehistimeoversuchtrivialities.Hisoutbursttooksometime,andinhisexcitementhefellintoPunjabi(hecamefromthatside)andwasunintelligible. Azizlikedtohearhisreligionpraised.Itsoothedthesurfaceofhismind,andallowedbeautifulimagestoformbeneath.Whentheengineer’snoisytiradewasfinished,hesaid,“Thatisexactlymyownview.”Hehelduphishand,palmoutward,hiseyesbegantoglow,hishearttofillwithtenderness.Issuingstillfartherfromhisquilt,herecitedapoembyGhalib.Ithadnoconnectionwithanythingthathadgonebefore,butitcamefromhisheartandspoketotheirs.Theywereoverwhelmedbyitspathospathos,theyagreed,isthehighestqualityinartapoemshouldtouchthehearerwithasenseofhisownweakness,andshouldinstitutesomecomparisonbetweenmankindandflowers.Thesqualidbedroomgrewquietthesillyintrigues,thegossip,theshallowdiscontentwerestilled,whilewordsacceptedasimmortalfilledtheindifferentair.Notasacalltobattle,butasa