\ IAN PROBLEMS BY S. M. MITRA WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY SIR GEORGE BIRDWOOD M.D., K.C.I.E., C.S.I., LL.D. Price 7s. 6d. The Times. — " Mr. Mitra deals always with knowledge, sometimes with unusual erudition, and occasionally with a freshness of view that arrests attention. Sir George Birdwood calls Mr. Mitra's pages * earnestly laboured, accurate, illuminat- ing, and weighty,' praise which is not too high even from such an authority." The Athenaeum. — " We can heartily recommend." The Saturday Review. — "Mr. Mitra recognizes and exposes our mistakes with a frankness not often found among English-speaking Indians." LONDON JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W. HINDUPORE S. M. MITRA. HI N DUPORE A PEEP BEHIND THE INDIAN UNREST AN ANGLO-INDIAN ROMANCE BY S. M. MITRA AUTHOR OF "INDIAN PROBLEMS," ETC. " A friend's eye is a good looking-glass LONDON LUZAC AND CO. 46, GREAT RUSSELL STREET, W.C. 1909 [Al/ rights reserved] lOAH STACK 9SS CONTENTS CHAPTER PAOB I. CHATEAUBRIAND'S "ATALA" CAPTIVATES LORD TARA .---.- 1 II. RAJA RAM SINGH JOINS AT SUEZ - - 12 III. AN ENGLISH MISSIONARY - - - 24 IV. MOHAN LAL, THE HINDU PRIME MINISTER - 30 V. MR. HUNT, SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE - 43 Vr. LORD TARA AND MOHAN LAL - - - 53 VII. PRINCESS KAMALA — HER DREAM - - 60 VIII. A HINDU ARMOURY— A HINDU BOUDOIR - 71 IX. DELHI DURBAR PROCESSION DURING LENT - 77 X. PAN-HINDUISM - - - - - 85 XI. RAJA RAM SINGH'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS - 97 XII. THE BANDEMATARAM FLAG— A MODEL OFFICIAL 106 XIII. COLONEL IRONSIDE AND BABU SIRCAR - - 116 XIV. CHATEAUBRIAND'S ORIGINAL — PRINCESS KAMALA 125 XV. THE BHAIRAVA TEMPLE - - - - 134 XVI. LORD TARA AND MR. HARVEY - - - 145 XVII. A RAJPUT TIGER-HUNT - - - - 152 XVIII. TARA IN LOVE WITH KAMALA - - - 164 XIX. A DIPLOMATIC ALLIANCE - - - - 171 XX. A RAILWAY ROW- - - - - 180 XXI. THE HINDU IN ANGLO-INDIAN POLITICS - - 193 XXII. SECRET POLICE REPORTS - - - - 200 XXIII. AT BARRACKPORE - - - - 211 )D; vi CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XXIV. IRISH SIGNS AND HINDU SIGNS - . - 218 XXV. HINDU MUSIC - - - . . 226 XXVI. THE REV. LONG ENGAGED TO MISS SCOTT - 232 XXVII. TARA AND KAMALA IN A BOAT - - 238 XXVIII. THE CROCODILE LORD - . - - 246 XXIX. THE ASTROLOGER AT WORK - - - 254 XXX. MURDER OF SUPERINTENDENT HUNT - - ' 260 XXXL MARRIAGE OF TARA AND KAMALA - - 267 XXXII. IS MARRIAGE A LOTTERY? - - - 279 XXXIII. HINDU-JAPANESE AFFINITY - - - 286 XXXIV. THE HONEYMOON - - - - 296 XXXV. TRANSMIGRATION - - - . 305 PREFACE My articles on the Indian Unrest in the Nine- teenth Century were well received, and I was asked to deal with the subject in a more popular form. That is the genesis of *' Hindupore." But for the encouraging letter to me from that dis- tinguished Indian expert, Sir George Birdwood, M.D., K.C.I.E., C.S.I., LL.D., an extract from which, with his permission, I publish below, I should not have felt justified in placing " Hindu- pore " before the British public. S. M. MITRA. The Royal Asiatic Society, 22, Albemarle Street, London, W. November 30, 1909. Extract from Sir Geoi^ge Birdwood' s Letter » "Hindupore" reveals many of the deepmost things of India hidden from Englishmen, even those who may have passed away half their lives vii viii PREFACE in that country — a country in which historical (pagan Egypt, Chaldea, Assyria, Babylonia, Greece, and Rome) as distinguished from pre- historical antiquity still survives. The chapters on " Pan- Hinduism," *' Irish Signs and Hindu Signs," and " Hindu-Japanese Affinity," are in- structive and most suggestive ; and, apart ivova the attractions " Hindupore " may have for the readers of romances, it has a political value in this momentary crisis in the affairs of India ; for only the imbecilities inherent in our system of Government by party are artificially protracting a situation that to the ignorant alone seems so sinistrous. HINDUPORE CHAPTER I Chateaubriand's "atala" captivates lord tara It was early in April, and the weather was mild and calm, when the favourite P. and O. steamer Nur-Jehan entered the bright blue waters of the " tideless sea " on her voyage to the East. At Marseilles several English passengers came on board, among them being Lord Tara, a young Irish Member of Parliament, full of ardour and enlightened zeal for the true welfare of the vast Indian Empire, which he was about to visit for the first time. After dinner the captain proposed a moonlight concert and promenade on the upper deck. On his way up Lord Tara was met by a tall, hand- some girl, who exclaimed as she held out her hand in greeting : " So you, too, Lord Tara, are on board. I wonder what you are up to? 1 thought you 1 2 HINDUPORE were too devoted to your duties to desert the House during the Session." "To tell you the truth, Mrs. Ochterlony, I find I can't do much good there in the present state of affairs, so I am on my way to pay a long-promised visit to my old friend Herbert Harvey, who knows more than most men ^bout the real state of the country. You know, he is devoted to India, as his father was before him. If all our civil servants were like them, I expect we should not hear so much as we do of unrest in India. But may I ask why you are going out there just in time for the hot season ?" "Can't you guess? We are going out for tiger-shooting. The Laird has been in India before, but I hope to prove myself a better shot even than he is, so I made him promise to give me a chance of my first tiger as soon as we were married. As you may remember, I brought down a splendid stag last September at Kildrum." Tara did indeed remember how Mrs. Ochter- lony, then Mabel Robson, had gloried in her cruel sport, not showing the least sign of com- passion — as he thought a woman should — for the agony in the pathetic dying glance of her noble victim. He had never admired her since. At that moment the Laird of Ochterlony joined his wife, handing her a gold cigarette-case she had sent him to fetch. He shook hands heartily with Tara, saying : " I hope you, too, are coming out for some JAGANNATH 3 tiger-shooting. If so, you had better join us. I've had good sport in India before, but it's very- expensive — one has to pay so many natives for standing about doing nothing — and then, it's so confoundedly hot 1" The Laird, though young, wfts a heavy man. " I dare say you'll be shocked to see me light a cigarette. Lord Tara, but the Laird doesn't like to smoke alone," said Mabel. " I'm only glad Lady Claremont isn't here to see me ; how dreadfully shocked she would be I You are the only man I know who doesn't smoke, and I know how much your mother dislikes it. But here comes your protegee, the fair lady doctor, Cehtia Scott. I think you have met her before ?" " Our old friend and doctor, Dr. Granville Bain, introduced me to her a little while ago, to ask me to use some influence we had in getting her a Zenana appointment in India, and it ended in her being nominated to superintend the hospital at Cuttack, where she will attend the women pilgrims on their way to the Temple of Jagannath," replied Tara. " It seems awful to me. I suppose she is fired by missionary zeal to convert the poor, ignorant creaturejs." " Not at all. She admires their devotion to what they think right, and is ready to be of service to them in case of sickness or accident." " I can't understand how a Christian woman can undertake such work." 1—2 4 HINDUPORE *' I dare say you can't," replied Tara quietly, as he went forward to meet Celitia. " I did not know you were coming out before the end of the month," said Tara. " I beUeve the great Festival does not take place until the end of June or beginning of July." » " I am to take up my appointment, which I owe to your great kindness. Lord Tara, at the beginning of June ; but Mrs. Ochterlony was kind enough to ask me to come out with her some weeks earlier, and spend a month or so in India before I settled down to my work, so of course 1 was only too glad to accept the offer." " It happens that her uncle. Dr. Robert Scott, of Edinburgh, was our favourite doctor when we were children," said Mrs. Ochterlony. " He used to say, however, that we were not worth much to him, we were so seldom ill. My four brothers and I ran quite wild in our early years, always riding or hunting or fishing when we ought to have been at our lessons. Our home was on the Clyde, but my father owned about fifty square miles of forest land in the Western Highlands, too — but you have been to Kildrum, Lord Tara." Mrs. Ochterlony might have added that Mr. Robson also owned one of the largest whisky distilleries in Scotland, but she did not. " I spent a very happy time there last year," said Tara. ''You have not told me yet where LADY DOCTOR 5 you are going to stay in India. Everyone will be at Simla by the time we get out. I rather wished to avoid meeting too many of our own people — one sees so much of them at home. Harvey is detained at Barrackpore just now while his chief is away." "We have promised to stay for a time with the Grevilles at Allahabad. Colonel Greville is stationed there with the Golconda Hussars. But how is it we did not meet on the journey to Marseilles ?" " I did not take the express," replied Tara. " I started in time to spend a day or two in Paris on the way." " I think it is getting too chilly to sit out longer in the moonlight," said Mrs. Ochterlony, as she rose to go away. " It is a lovely night," said Tara to Celitia. " Would you like to walk about a little while the band is still playing ?" Celitia thanked him with the gracious manner that so well became her fine figure and commanding appearance. She was about thirty, with a curious power of attraction in her large grey eyes and expressive mouth, seeming to appeal instinctively to the admiration of every man she approached, as if fully conscious of her own position as a clever and cultured woman of the world. When she was studying medicine all the doctors hovered about her, and, although statis- tics formed no part of the medical curriculum, 6 HINDUPORE Dr. Granville Bain, the learned lecturer on pathology, often dwelt with statistical accuracy — in his private diary — on the number of times he had the good luck of enjoying Celitia's de- lightful society. She had taken her degree of M.D. with credit, and exerted her great per- suasive powers to induce her friend and admirer Dr. Bain to use his influence on her behalf, with signal success. The following morning Celitia was early on deck, taking a sketch of a passing fishing-smack, touched with the glowing hues of the newly- risen sun, that had caught her fancy, when Lord Tara came up to her. " Good-morning, Miss Scott. I did not expect to find you about so early, but I see you have an object in view. How beautifully firm your outline is !" " My drawing is of the practical kind that one studies as a help to the details of anatomy, and of course it's of no value unless quite accurate. I delight in colour effects. I never saw so glorious a sunrise as this — life in the West is so sombre." ''It is strange how one may sometimes be haunted by a picture," said Tara thoughtfully. " My ideal of beauty in a girl came to me from a lovely picture in the Louvre — Chateaubriand's ' Atala ' — which I first saw when I was a boy of about twelve. My sister and I were in Paris at the time learning French, in charge of an ex- LADY DOCTOR 7 tremely comme ilfaut French governess. Made- moiselle could not be persuaded to tell me the story of 'Atala,' as she said I was much too young to hear it, but I read it later. The exquisitely delicate and graceful figure and dark, refined features of the hapless Indian maiden made an impression upon my mind that has never left it. Every time I see the picture the feeling is confirmed." Celitia was rather startled by this unexpected confidence. Perhaps Lord Tara had some romantic hope of finding his ideal in the East. She gave him a curious glance of her large intelligent grey eyes, and replied quietly : *' Sometimes we do have a mysterious kind of sympathy with a great work of art — there is something almost supernatural in the original conception of an imaginary being endowed with soul and spirit like our own." " It was the spiritual beauty of this face that was its attraction. No one could see it and doubt the absolute purity and nobility of nature of the youthful virgin martyr. But to descend from the clouds, to everyday life, I wonder if you would gratify my curiosity to know why you have set your heart upon going to India ?" " It has been the dream of my life," said Celitia. "My father was in a Highland regi- ment, and as a very young man was present at the Siege of I^ucknow. He afterwards exchanged into another regiment in order to remain longer 8 HINDUPORE in India, and just before his retirement he met my mother in a remote part of the hill-country. She was then a beautiful girl of about seventeen, and, although unmistakably English in appear- ance, had been adopted and brought up with the utmost kindness in the family of a Hindu gentle- man. He told my father that she was found — a pretty little girl of about three years old — by a Brahman priest in a deserted house at Cawnpore, just after the fatal massacre there, and conveyed in safety to the care of a friend in a distant province." " No wonder you wish to see India ; but pray finish your story." " She came home with my father to Scotland soon after their marriage, but the climate tried her very much after the luxurious life she had led in India, and she died when I was seven years old. My father died about three years later, leaving me, his only child — almost unpro- vided for — to the care of his brother, a doctor of some standing in Edinburgh. Although he had a large family of his own, my uncle was like a father to me, and, as I had fairly good abilities, I succeeded in taking the degree of M.D. with honours, with the view of trying to obtain a Zenana appointment in India." " But how did you discover that there was an opening for a lady doctor to the pilgrims at Jagannath — Juggernaut, as the missionary maga- zines call it — of all places in the world ?" said LADY DOCTOR 9 Tara, with an amused twinkle in his keen blue eyes. '' My mother had often told me, as a little child, of the sacred pilgrimages to Orissa, the Holy Land of the Hindu people, among whom sh« had lived so happily, and of the blessings that attend all who serve at the great Temple of Jagannath, the Lord of the World ! I used to cry at the sad story she told me of the suffer- ings of the thousands of poor women who make the pilgrimage on foot every year. Quite lately I happened to meet an old Indian friend of my mother's, who told me that he had admired her so much as a girl that he would have married her, notwithstanding the difficulty of overcoming caste prejudices, if she had cared for him. When he found out what my ideas were, he said it would be a noble work for me to do what I could for these poor women, whose religious zeal leads them to overtax their strength by long and weary marches at the hottest season of the Indian year. It seems that more than five- sixths of the pil- grims are actually women ! You see how much more depth of religious emotion we have than men. Even in church how few men are seen !" Celitia paused, and then added : " Where a lady doctor is so much needed, I naturally felt a great desire to be the one chosen." " It is quite a strange coincidence," said Lord Tara, "that I, too, should have heard so much of the undying hold that the faith in the mighty 10 HINDUPORE Jagannath has upon hundreds of millions of the Hindu race. My grandfather was formerly Viceroy of India, and felt the deepest respect for a religion that could thus command the reverence of all the people of that vast Hindu Empire during thousands of years, and whichfin some vital points bears a striking resemblance in its sacred rites and beliefs to our own form of religion. My earliest recollections are of the thrilling stories my grandfather used to tell me, in his old age, of the miracles attributed to the great Vishnu — Jagannath — during the invasions of the Musalmans, who only succeeded in con- quering and despoiling a comparatively small region of India in the end. My father, however, does not share my enthusiasm about India. His tastes are entirely those of a country gentleman, while the charm and glamour of the East have always had the strongest fascination for me." " I suppose mental tastes sometimes recur, like inherited diseases, not in the first, but in the second generation," remarked Celitia. " That is a very professional idea of yours, but I dare say you are right," replied Tara, laughing. " Anyhow, I am lucky in being allowed to please myself. My mother has quite settled down at Tara now, as she has never cared for London life since she lost her only daughter, about two years ago. That is why I have no home in town during the Parliamentary season. You see, I am telling you all about myself, as if we were old TIGER SEASON 11 friends. Don't you think there are some people who seem to attract one's confidence at once ?" " I am sure there are," said CeUtia eagerly. " I wish you would tell me more about your- self. What are you going to do in India ?" " I^had an invitation for big-game shooting in British East Africa from some Irish friends who have settled out there, but I thought I should prefer tiger-shooting in India, a civilized old country much better worth knowing. The tiger season happens to be the hottest time of the year in India, which is unfortunate. I don't get much hunting now, which I enjoy more than anything. I have hunted with my father since I was seven years old. There is the first breakfast - bell, I think ; I'm rather glad to hear it. May I help you to put away your easel, Miss Scott? I'm afraid I have spoilt your clever sketch." CHAPTER II RAJA RAM SINGH JOINS AT SUEZ As the Nur-Jehan approached nearer to the burning, sandy shores of the African coast the atmosphere became charged with the scorching dust- clouds raised by the gusts of wind blowing off the land. At Suez the only passenger to come on board was an Indian gentleman of re- markably distinguished appearance, dressed in a light English travelling suit, and attended by a Hindu servant with the greatest deference. Tara, delighted to have the opportunity of making his acquaintance, soon found an excuse for entering into conversation with him. The new-comer — Mr. Ram Singh — proved a great acquisition to the passengers, especially as he spoke English perfectly and bore the inevit- able desagrhnents of the Suez Canal with true Oriental fortitude. He was much interested in Celitia's mission, and passed hours with her and Lord Tara under the awning of the upper deck, talking over their plans and his own. 12 CHRISTIAN PREACHER 13 " I am now returning from a short visit to Italy ; I wanted to see Rome. I have not been in England since the Diamond Jubilee of the ' Maha Rani.' " Celitia looked up inquiringly, and said aside to Tar»: *' He must be some one of consequence." Ram Singh continued: *'Iwas fortunate enough to have an interview with the Pope. It was obtained through a learned Italian Jesuit whom I met in Calcutta. His Holiness seemed much interested in the Roman tradition — I don't know whether he had heard it before — that St. Thomas the Apostle preached Christianity in Southern India, on the Malabar and Coromandel coasts, founded several churches, and, finally, was martyred at the Little Mount, Madras, in 68 A.D. The Buddhist polity, then supreme in Southern India, was favourable to the recep- tion of a faith whose moral characteristics were humanity and self-sacrifice. Perhaps earlier Jewish settlers had familiarized the Indian mind with the existence of an ancient and imposing religion in Palestine. When that religion was presented in the new and more attractive form of Christianity, no miraculous intervention was required to commend it to the tolerant Buddhist Princes of Southern India." " I never heard this before 1" said Tara. " I am true to my older faith," said Ram Singh, " yet the Christian ideal is one that must appeal to all religious minds. It is a pity that the 14 HINDUPORE reality falls so far short of it as a rule. You look pale and tired, Miss Scott. I hope you know how to take care of yourself as well as your patients." " I am only feeling the heat ; one cannot get away from it on board ship," said Celitia. , " You must not work too hard in our climate. We do not allow our ladies to exert themselves much, though they are more energetic than they used to be in the olden days." Celitia looked gratefully up to Ram Singh. How kind and considerate he was, and how very handsome ! Then she said : " I wonder if you could tell me anything about medical science in India ? " " I have been told that the ancient Hindus ranked their medical knowledge as an Upa Veda, or supplementary revelation, under the title of Ayur Veda, and ascribed it to the gods, as we do all things on earth. A chapter on the human body in the earliest Sanskrit dictionary, about 500 A.D., presupposes a systematic cultivation of the science," said Ram Singh. " We are generally told that medical science came to us from Arabic sources !" remarked Celitia. " The Hindu medical works contain no names that denote a foreign origin, and the chief seat of the science was at Benares. European medicine down to the seventeenth century was practically based upon the Hindu, and the name of the HINDU SURGERY 15 Hindu physician Charaka repeatedly occurs in the Latin translations," said Ram Singh. "This is quite a revelation to me," said Celitia. " But were there good surgeons too in those early days ?" " They seem to have performed the most difficult operations. A very curious branch of surgery mentioned in the old Hindu medical books was that of improving deformed ears and noses and forming new ones," said Ram Singh. * "Why, that is one of the latest scientific additions to surgery in the great London hospitals — one of the newest of innovations," said Celitia. " You see, there is nothing new under the sun, the Indian sun especially," said Tara. " But this is really interesting. I suppose there were some medical schools too ?" "There were public hospitals and medical students about two thousand years ago in all the great centres of Buddhist civilization, like the monastic University of Nalanda, near Gaya," said Ram Singh. " Hippocrates was a priest- physician, and the traditional Charaka was in many ways his Indian counterpart. The Greek physicians established their hospital camps round the mineral springs." "Then, the efficacy of mineral springs was discovered in a very early age !" remarked Celitia. " The idea of becoming healed of disease by bathing in certain springs is frequently alluded 16 HINDUPORE to in the Bible," said Tara. " Naaman the Syrian was cured of his leprosy by bathing seven times in the Jordan at the command of the prophet Elisha, and although a miracle is implied it is probable that the Jordan, which flowed into the Dead Sea, was strongly impregnated with salt and bituminous substances. The Pool of Bethesda was known as a healing spring." " Most great rivers in the East are considered sacred on account of the blessings they bring to the lands through which they flow," said Ram Singh. " The Egyptians worshipped the Nile as we do our magnificent Ganga and Godavery. Even comparatively insignificant streams, like the Thames and Severn in England, were sup- posed to be haunted by their tutelary deities. In the same way the primitive natives of the vast American forests adored the elementary spirits they believed to exist in the mighty trees and rivers of their continent." "We do not perhaps sufficiently see our Creator in His works," remarked Tara thought- fully. He walked away to meet Mrs. Ochterlony, who was fanning herself vigorously with a large ostrich-feather fan. "Have you found out yet who Mr. Ram Singh really is ? If I saw as much of him as you and Miss Scott do, I should know all about him by this time," said Mabel. " He is a delightful man, whoever he may be," RED SEA 17 replied Tara. "I only wish I could speak his language half as well as he does mine." "You are quite infatuated about everything Indian. I'm getting as brown as a berry in this scorching sun, and awfully tired of the horrid blasis of hot, sandy air that stifle one by day and night. I'd give something to be back among the heather at bonnie Kildrum." The waves of heat prevalent in the Red Sea at this season of the year made themselves oppressively felt during the ensuing day, and the travellers were all more or less in a state of collapse. Fortunately, there were but few ladies among the number. Celitia felt the effects of the sudden change of climate rather acutely, and, after two sleepless nights, fainted one afternoon in her chaise-longue on the upper deck. Mr. Ram Singh, who was playing chess with Lord Tara at the time, came hastily forward to prevent her from falling to the ground, and supported her gently in his arms until the doctor could be called to her aid. She soon recovered, and the pleasure of finding her- self so carefully tended helped much to restore her to consciousness. The doctor advised her to rest in a reclining position on deck, where she had the best chance of an occasional sea-breeze^ and Ram Singh had the happy idea of minister- ing to her comfort by setting up a screen of the fragrant cuscus matting — brought by his servant, Sukhdeo. He further sent for a large palm-leaf 2 18 HINDUPORE fan. He soon had the satisfaction of seeing her fall into a sound, refreshing sleep, and then left her to the care of his attendant, with instructions to continue fanning her while she slept. Celitia felt shy and grateful the next ^day when Ram Singh kindly inquired after her health, and, asking her if she would allow him to have the pleasure of telling her, during the sultry hours of the afternoon, the famous Hindu romance of Nala and Damayanti, added that he wished to interest her in everything connected with the manners and customs of India. Celitia, touched by so many proofs of considerate kind- ness, replied : " There is nothing I should enjoy so much. It would be like an Arabian Nights' Entertain- ment, except that the Princes didn't take the trouble to amuse the ladies. It was quite the other way !" " You will find that we Hindus — I am Rajput myself — know how to treat our ladies rather better than the tyrannical Musalmans of the Arabian Nights. I think you will like the story." " I am sure I have heard of it," said Celitia. " I delight in Eastern romance." " May I hear it too ?" said Tara. " I delight in Eastern tales of all kinds." HINDU WIFE 19 The Story of Nala and Damayanti Damayanti, daughter of the King of Vidarbha, was celebrated for her extreme beauty. She had large, soft, gazelle-like eyes, a lovely figure, and glossy black hair, long enough to reach almost to her feet. She was an only child, and many Princes, having heard of her charms, sought her hand. But she had seen in a dream the handsome Nala, the young King of Nishadha (a neighbour- ing State), who, having heard of her from a celestial messenger — a dove — had sent by him a love-letter to the Princess, offering her his hand and heart. So she told her father that King Nala had fallen in love with her, and the King of Vidarbha decided to allow her to choose her own husband. He sent out invitations to several Princes who had made offers of marriage to Damayanti, in- cluding the King of Nishadha. Nala, while on his way to the palace, was met by three of the principal gods, who likewise desired to win the lady for a bride. They com- manded Nala to communicate their wishes to her in a private interview to be obtained by their supernatural intervention. He faithfully performed their bidding, and, in reply, was told by the Princess, to his delight, that he was himself the chosen lord of her life. When all the aspirants were assembled at the 2—2 20 HINDUPORE palace, Damayanti beheld with dismay four Nalas, the three gods having also assumed this form. Damayanti, however, prayed earnestly to be rightly guided in her choice of the true Nala, and at length found that this favour had been granted to her. * Not dazzled by the flattering homage of celestial beings, she remained true to her chosen suitor, who vowed to her the most constant and devoted affection in return. The gods at parting magnanimously conferred upon Nala special powers over the elements of fire and water, while Koli, a malicious and im- pious spirit, threatened him with dire mis- fortune. For many years Nala and his Queen reigned in splendour and happiness in Nishadha. By a careful observance of all religious rites, Nala gave Koli no chance of exercising his evil power over him, until at length on one unlucky evening he omitted a trifling ceremony, and Koli, ever on the watch, immediately took possession of him. Koli first incited him to gamble with a brother who was already in the clutches of the evil genius. Nala soon became so constant and reckless a gambler that in a short time he played away literally everything that he possessed. He had just virtue enough left not to risk the loss of his wife, who had secured the safety of their children by sending them to her parents. Having lost NALA DAMAYANTI 21 his kingdom and his home, still accompanied by his faithful Queen, Nala began his dreary wander- ing into exile. They soon found themselves in a vast forest, where at nightfall they sought shelter in a hut. Damayanti, in her weariness, sank into a deep sleep, and Nala, unable any longer to endure the sight of the distress he had brought upon her, resolved to leave her before greater disaster befell him. The Queen, upon finding herself deserted and alone, was in despair, but in her solitary wander- ings she was consoled by the inspired predictions of a good hermit, and, by his direction, returned to her father's Court, where she found her children again. Meanwhile Nala, in his wanderings, fell in with a boa-constrictor enveloped in a mass of fire, by which it was almost consumed. The cries of the perishing creature — which appears to have spoken Sanskrit — aroused Nala's compassion, and he used his supernatural power to subdue the flames. The serpent then, assuming the form of Karkata, the Snake King, changed the handsome Nala into a hideous man, consoling him with the assurance that the venom of the bite, by which the transformation was effected, should prove a source of constant torment to Koli, and that Nala's beauty should in due time be restored to him. Nala, in this form, entered the service of King 22 HINDUPORE Rituparna, at Ayodhya, as a charioteer, and soon discovered in the groom a former servant of his, to whom he was tempted to reveal his secret. Damayanti and her parents made every possible effort to discover what had become of Nala. At length an enterprising Brahman, by repeating at Ayodhya a tale taught him by Damayanti containing an allusion to her peculiar history, succeeded in discovering Nala, which left no doubt in the mind of the unfortunate Queen. She then adopted the device of persuading her father to send — ostensibly to all the Courts, but in reality only to that of Rituparna — a proclama- tion to the effect that as King Nala had not been heard of for years his Queen would in three days' time make a choice of a second husband. Rituparna resolved to seek her hand, while Nala was anxious to ascertain the truth or false- hood of the alarming message. The charioteer was a good whip. With lightning speed he flew with his master to his destination, and Rituparna, admiring his accomplishments as a charioteer, bestowed upon him in return his own skill at playing dice, which enabled Nala to free himself from the bondage of KoK. On arriving at Vidarbha, Rituparna discovered that he had been deceived ; but as he ought to have known better than to believe in the second LOVERS UNITED 23 marriage of a Hindu woman, he had to conceal his disappointment, and to witness the sudden transformation of Nala and his recognition by Damayanti. The happy lovers — once more united — returned to Nishadha, where Nala now recovered from his wicked brother all that had been unfairly won from him, and lived happily with his Queen for many years, until they were taken to a better world. '' That is a charming picture of what the devotion of a loving wife can do to rescue an erring husband from ruin and disgrace, and bring him back to a better life !" said Tara. " There is generally a good moral at the root of our national literature, although not always apparent on the surface," remarked Ram Singh quietly. CHAPTER III AN ENGLISH MISSIONARY The Hindu romance which CeUtia had heard haunted her dreams that night, and the good King Nala, in all his tribulations, appeared to her under the commanding form of Ram Singh. Still, she had some refreshing sleep, and rose early, before the heat of the sun became fierce and oppressive. She was struck by the devotional attitude of Sukhdeo, the attendant of Ram Singh, who, without showing his usual respectful recogni- tion of her presence, was kneeling on the lower deck, facing the East, folding his hands before him, while he recited audibly a prayer of invoca- tion to the rising sun. In a few hours' time Aden came in sight, and at that port an English missionary, Mr. Long, came on board. There was a charm and cordiality in his manner that attracted the attention of his fellow-passengers, who lost no time in making his acquaintance. Upon hearing his name, Ram Singh courteously asked if he were related to the Mr. Long who had ENGLISH MISSIONARY 25 won for himself the lasting regard of the Hindu people by the sacrifice he had made in defending the cause of those oppressed by indigo-planters in Bengal in the days before strict laws had been passed for the protection of Hindus in the service of^ English traders. Mr. Long replied that he was proud of being connected with that good Christian, and had spent more than twenty years of his own life in India. He was now on his way to Cuttack to meet the pilgrims there, and con- gratulated Celitia warmly upon her courage and kindness in devoting her services to them, assur- ing her that the natives of India were very grate- ful to those who befriended them. " Your experience in India must have been interesting, Mr. Long," said Tara, who was standing near. " I assure you the more I know of that country the more intensely I feel the difficulty of winning over to Christianity a people so devoted to a religion undoubtedly based upon faith in one supreme God. A vast hierarchical system is firmly rooted throughout the length and breadth of the land, perfect in its organization notwith- standing all the changes that passing ages have brought upon religious and social institutions." " You seem to have penetrated deeply into the heart of the country," said Tara. "I suppose you have at some time been present at the Bathing and Car Festivals at Jagannath ?" " I have seen them once, and may possibly go 26 HINDUPORE there again this year from Cuttack, if only to be able to contradict, from personal observation, the absurd reports concerning the self-immolation of human victims that are still often circulated in England. The enthusiastic longing to bathe in the sacred water that is to wash away sin, and to partake of the holy food of the Sacrament at the shrine of the great Creator and Preserver of mankind, appeals strongly to those who believe in the efficacy of Baptism and Holy Communion. It is even possible that faith in these means of grace may one day be traced to one common source of revelation from God Himself." "You approach* the subject in a spirit of wide Christian charity that is, I think, too rare among our missionary clergy," said Tara. " Surely our Divine Master did not teach us to judge harshly of the fellow-creatures for whom He laid down His blameless life." " I confess I am often not in sympathy with the methods employed in our well-meant efforts," said Mr. Long. " The most successful of all missionary orders, that of the Jesuits, which during the first century of its existence devoted itself with extraordinary tact and zeal to the religious conversion of the world, did succeed in making converts of the highest in India, especially at the Mogul Court. It is a remarkable fact that these learned devotees, remembering that the first gift of the Holy Ghost to the Apostles was that of tongues, by which they could appeal to the ENGLISH MISSIONARY 27 hearts of their hearers in their native languages, suppHed the early Christians in India with transla- tions from the Bible in their own languages, at a time when printed books were rare indeed. It is in striking contrast to this that at the present day tlje valuable Society of Christian Literature for India, which has for nearly fifty years supplied sound literature — not exclusively religious — at a nominal price, in no less than fourteen Indian dialects, should now have several hundred trans- lated manuscripts awaiting publication in India for want qfjunds'' " I remember hearing Lord Northbrook plead very warmly in support of this Society at a meeting," said Tara. " Of course, the voyage of Columbus at the end of the fifteenth century, that actually led to the discovery of a new world, was undertaken in the hope of finding a shorter way to the almost unknown land of ' Cathay,' of which so many wonders had been told," said Mr. Long. "After nearly eight hundred years of more or less complete subjection to her Moslem conquerors, Spain had at length succeeded in freeing herself from their dominion," said Tara ; " and after a crusade of centuries, ending in the conquest of Granada, the last stronghold of the Moors, and their final expulsion from Spain, she devoted herself to her new possessions in the West." "Now entirely lost to her," said Mr. Long. 28 HINDUPORE " She brought to the New World an intolerant bigotry and cruelty that eventually called down retribution upon her head." "There has been a most violent reaction in Spanish America against all religious bigotry and oppression," said Tara. " I was told by a frie;id in the Foreign Office a few months ago that the rising Republic of Mexico has recently made very stringent laws, not only separating the Church entirely from the State and instituting civil marriage, but even forbidding religious processions or the wearing of clerical or monastic dress in public, besides declaring all death-bed bequests to the Church or any religious institu- tions void and illegal." " It is a very significant sign of the times," said Mr. Long. " We are all much too secular in our views to touch the hearts of a people with the sacred fire that alone lights us to immortality. We have been now two centuries in India, but as yet we seem to have touched but the outer fringe of the social and religious life of the people." " It will be a long time, I fear, before we become thoroughly acquainted with each other," said Tara ; " but the leading Hindu Princes and gentlemen, by their generous advances towards us, are offering us an opportunity of more friendly and intimate intercourse, to which we should cordially respond. It is our simple duty to study the characteristics of a land and people bound to us by the strongest ties of interest and affection. RUDYARD KIPLING 29 As it is, Anglo-Indians too often waste their leisure in the idle and frivolous amusements so cruelly shown up by Rudyard Kipling and other observers of life in the East. We do not rightly use our most precious Eastern possession." ^' I am convinced that w^e owe more than we shall ever discover to the sagacious tolerance and support of the Brahman priests, whose influence over the uneducated masses is boundless," said Mr. Long. *' Verily they have their reward in the con- venient English railways that convey their pilgrims to the very gates of their Hindu paradise," said Tara. CHAPTER IV Two days after leaving Aden a heavy gale sprang up in the Indian Ocean, and Ram Singh was suddenly attacked with sea-sickness in an aggra- vated form. The doctor gave him what relief he could, and asked Celitia, with whom he was on very friendly terms, to try her skill upon his patient, who was prostrate and miserable. She had a favourite remedy, which fortunately proved successful in this instance, and Ram Singh assured her that she would not find him un- grateful for what she had done for him. Celitia wondered to herself what form his gratitude would take, or whether it were but an Oriental way of expressing a deeper feeling. Certainly she liked him very much ; he had been so kind and attentive to her when she was ill. Everyone was glad when the Nur-Jehan entered the spacious harbour of Bombay, with the towering, mist-clad Malabar Hills in the background of the bustling port below. The air was laden with the heavy odour of fragrant SO MOHAN LAL 31 flowers and spices that greets the traveller on approaching an Indian shore, and the noise and confusion on board became intolerable while the necessary preparations for landing were going on. In the midst of the busy scene Ram Singh suddenly appeared on the upper deck, wearing a handsome Indian costume of dark blue silk, richly embroidered in gold, some jewelled orders, and a turban of pale red tissue shot with gold. The Raja was tall and well built. He had the broad, intellectual brow and full, firm mouth that denote power and decision of character. His fine dark eyes, fringed with long lashes, alike piercing and honest in expression, gave a singular beauty to the typical Rajput face. CeUtia had never seen him to so much advantage. He looked every inch a Prince. A special messenger in a golden turban respectfully handed to the Raja a small box of carved sandal-wood. Ram Singh eagerly opened the box, and, kissing the sealed letter it contained, said to Lord Tara : '* I am sure you will sympathize with me when I tell you this letter is from my dear wife — the Rani — the mother of my son, who is ten years old to-day. She wished to be the first to greet me on my return, and, as she could not come to Bombay, she wrote to me instead. Ours is a very happy home. I am going to stay a day or two in Bombay, and hope you will honour me by becoming my guest at the Taj -Mahal Hotel 32 HINDUPORE on the sea-front, where I have taken rooms. Miss Scott, I see you look surprised at my trans- formation, but you will find me always the same at heart. As you are, I hear, accompanying Mrs. Ochterlony to Allahabad, I hope we shall soon meet again at Cuttack. My young niece, who is under my guardianship, has made a vow to visit the Temple of Jagannath this year, and I shall accompany her there, and return thanks on my own behalf for many blessings." Then, turning to Mrs. Ochterlony, who stood with her big blue eyes fixed wonderingly upon the liaja, he added courteously : " I am not sure that I shall be able to offer you any tiger-shooting this year, as 1 shall want my elephants for the pilgrimage journey. I hope you will have good sport, and will pay me a visit at Hindupore." Mrs. Ochterlony, thanking him, said to Tara : " I suppose you will end by going on pilgrimage to Cuttack, too. One could travel to the world's end in such good company ! Good-bye, Lord Tara! I wonder when we shall meet again? Come, Miss Scott, I expect the Laird is waiting for us — he had to go with Cook's man to look after those tiresome Custom-house people. We have secured places in the Calcutta express that starts to-night, so we haven't much time to spare." Raja Ram Singh's retinue came to receive him at the Ballard Pier. The first to salute him was a thick-set man with white moustache and white MOHAN LAL 83 eyebrows. He did not look old, but worn. He was evidently a man of resource and energy, not easily moved from his habitual calm and self- control. His stately composure extorted as much admiration as his penetrating and com- preliensive glance. His dignity would have become Louis XIV., though he was careful to show deference to every word from the Raja. Not gifted by nature with a sweet temper, his self-control made him agreeable ; and his shrewd observations upon passing events betokened a wide knowledge of the world. There was hardly an adventurer in India whom he did not know. The British Intelligence Department could not boast of spies like those at the beck and call of this man. Nothing gave him more pleasure than to trace the hidden motives of official trans- actions. He knew that public pretexts — the well-known preambles of official acts — did not disclose real motives. His name was Mohan Lai, Ram Singh's Prime Minister. He had been thirty years in the British service, and, after retiring with a handsome pension from it, took charge of Raja Ram Singh's estate. While a civil servant of the Government he was often in charge of the " S. B." — the Secret Branch of the Intelligence Department — and thus was behind the scenes. The secret of race -feeling in India was his pastime — it enabled him to take a comprehensive view of the political incidents that puzzled the 3 841 HINDUPORE Anglo-Indian official. Knowing both English and Hindustani well, he was able to deal direct with British and native authorities, as occasion arose, without intermediaries and interpreters — the curse of good government in India. His subtle Hindu intellect, the result of centuries of strict caste rules, enabled him to examine every item of the news in its relative position to known facts, and therein lay his marvellous success as Premier to a Rajput Chief. Evening had set in, and Tara gladly accepted the Raja's friendly invitation to drive with him to the hotel. The excitement of the voyage had told upon Lord Tara, and he was restless and sleepless during his first night in India. At a very early hour he rang his electric bell, which was promptly answered by a smart, handsome Hindu attendant of the hotel, lightly clad in a white cotton garment, and wearing a pink muslin turban. The attendant made a respectful salaam. '' Can you speak English ?" was Tara's first question. " Oh yes, my lord — I learnt at the English college." Tara stared at the waiter — a college man ! " I wish you could send me to sleep. I haven't closed my eyes all night." " Let me try Indian massage, my lord," said the ready Bhima — for that was his name. He fetched some soothing perfumed oil, which he rubbed gently and skilfully on Tara's temples BOMBAY 85 and the back of his head, with a monotonous stroke of the hand that had a somnolent effect upon the patient, and in about a quarter of an hour Tara sank into sound, refreshing slumber. Bhima looked with satisfaction upon the success of l\is efforts, and said to himself, as he quietly left the room : '' He has a noble face — looks good ! He won't want me again just yet !" A note from the Raja was brought about eight o'clock, inviting Tara to a morning drive after his early breakfast. A landau, with a pair of superb black horses, was awaiting the Raja and his guest. The drive through the crowded thoroughfares of one of the most cosmopolitan places in the world, where East and West seem to meet, and where the red-canopied ox-waggons and other primitive vehicles run by the side of the modern tramways, smart English carriages and motor- cars, was most interesting. Tara beheld with interest this first glimpse of the varied inhabitants of the Empire making their home in Bombay. At last he said ; ''1 have often heard of the graceful walk and movements of the Hindu women, but I never saw so many beautiful girls as we have passed during the last half-hour. Those long, soft saris, draped with such exquisite taste round their delicately-formed limbs, are so becoming as they glide along the street. They look gentle and modest, too." The Raja looked keenly at Tara as he remarked, 3—2 36 HINDUPORE " Englishwomen, too, are often very beautiful. Have you never been in love, Lord Tara ?" " 1 suppose I am hard to please. I have not yet met anyone I could really love. The girls one meets in society are good-looking enough, but they have lost much of the feminine gj-ace and softness they had before they took to such violent exercise, physical and mental. I feel quite ashamed of my countrywomen sometimes when I see the sprawling, inelegant attitudes of the lady golf and hockey players, and the free stride and swinging arms of our athletic girls. They certainly don't get as much admiration and respect from us as in the old days, before men were allowed to smoke in almost every lady's drawing-room without even asking permission." " We are kept in much better order in India, Lord Tara, although I dare say you are under the mistaken impression that our ladies do not rule even over their own homes. I assure you the Rani is quite a despot in her way. For one thing, she chooses to have no English gimcrack furniture or gaudy carpets and curtains in her palace. Everything about her is Indian, as it should be, and she loves to encourage the ex- quisite native taste for harmony in colour and beauty of design. Her dresses, made to her own order, are marvellously rich and refined. She likes me, too, best in Hindu costume, which, she says, is most becoming, as it certainly is the best suited to our climate." CAR FESTIVAL 37 " The Rani is quite right," said Tara. " The Queen-Empress, whose taste is proverbial, has had a great many of her Court dresses em- broidered specially for her in India, and constantly wears them on State occasions ; so does the Princess of Wales. I'm wondering who the groups of Hindu men and women are I see walking in a kind of procession in different parts of the town." " They are pilgrims who have been recruited by our indefatigable pilgrim guides, and are about to start for the great Car Festival at Puri. Poor things ! we all help them a little on their way, so that they can get an occasional lift on the railway," replied the Raja. " I have some idea of going to the Festival, too," said Tara thoughtfully. " I don't feel in the mood for tiger-shooting, and I don't care to stay too long in Calcutta. I see quite enough of my own people at home." "Perhaps you would like to spend a week with me at Hindupore instead of going on to Calcutta at once," said the Raja graciously. " Your Highness is kind indeed to honour me so highly. I intend to engage a Hindu servant to travel with me while I am in India. One of the hotel waiters, Bhima, would, I think, suit me very well," said Tara. '* I know him ; he's a capital fellow. I don't think you could do better. He was a student at an EngUsh school here, and was plucked at the 38 HINDUPORE / matriculation examination ; so he came here to the hotel, where he thought his English would be useful. He has seen a good deal of life. He is devoted to his religion, and is constantly visiting the shrines." " He will be very useful to me, as I don't know a word of Hindustani. I tried to find someone to teach it when I was at Oxford, but there was no Hindu professor there. Now that the War Office has at last recognized the neces- sity of foreign languages for the army, and the Admiralty the necessity of geography for the naval cadets, perhaps in time the India Board may require a competent working knowledge of one or two native dialects in those who are to spend the best years of their life in India. I only wish I were rich enough to establish a- Chair at all our public schools and Universities for a native professor of Oriental languages." '' We may live to see it," said the Raja. "You certainly can't know people till you can talk to them in their own language." " How beautifully your Highness speaks Enghsh !" said Tara. " I had a very good English tutor for five years when I was a boy. He had been in the Indian Army before the Mutiny, and my father was kind to him when his regiment was broken up afterwards. He had been very fond of his Sepoys, and they took care he should escape. I am glad we are back at the hotel ; it is getting CAR FESTIVAL 39 too hot to be out in the sun. Will you accept one of our muslin scarves to wind round your panama ? It is lighter than the usual pagri. I will send it to you when we go in. I hope to see you at dinner this evening in my rooms, and have asl^ed Mohan Lai to come, too." In about half an hour's time Bhima brought a long roll of finest Indian muslin to Lord Tara. It was fastened with a diamond brooch in the form of a Viscount's coronet, the Raja's gift. " How very kind !" said Tara. " His Highness likes you, my lord," said Bhima gravely. " It is not everyone the Raja likes." " He has spoken of you very favourably to me. I want an attendant for the next three or four months, while I am in India, and I think you would suit me. Would you like the post ?" Bhima hesitated a minute, then he said : " I should be proud to accept your offer, my lord, but I have sworn on the holy water of the Ganga to join the pilgrimage this year, and I dare not break my word. The busy season at the hotel is over now. I was out of work three months last year, and ' Jaisa dam, waisa kam ' — ' No song, no supper.' I must give a thank- offering now." '' I have friends going to the Festival this year, so I shall decide to go there, too. You can come with me if you like," said Tara. " Thank you, my lord. I will be a good and 40 HINDUPORE faithful servant. I have had hard times till now, but, as our proverb says, ' When God is kind, all are favourable.' " "You will have to teach me some more Hindustani." " You will soon learn, my lord. You are ^ot like the people who live twenty or thirty years in India, and never take the trouble to speak to us properly in our own language. They say very queer things sometimes. Long ago I was a chaprasi (a messenger who wears a chapras, or brass badge) in the family of Sir Marmaduke Richards at Poona. There were several ladies in the family, and I had enough to do to carry about their chits (notes), and bring them answers. If they wanted to borrow a book or newspaper, or to buy a bootlace or a pair of gloves, a chit was written. Even from one part of the house to another chits went flying about, and I was generally on the trot from morning to night. It was amusing sometimes. One of the best stories was that of the rats." " What was it ?" asked Lord Tara. " Lady Richards had been complaining to a friend that her carriage horses, although they were allowed plenty of grass and grain, grew thinner and thinner every day. He advised her to try them with oats. She accordingly wrote a chit to the lady next door to ask her the Hindu- stani word for oats. " I brought back the answer, and the coach- RATS 41 man was sent for. He came in full state and made his salaam. " My lady said : ' Why are the horses so thin V " ' How can I tell, mem-sahib ? It is the will of ,Allah ; what can we do V " ' But what do you give them ? What do they eat?' " ' Every day each one gets four seers [8lbs.] and sixteen bundles — four seers of grain, sixteen bundles of grass." " ' But don't you give them any rats V " 'How can I do so?' " ' No wonder they are thin. In England we give our horses lots of rats, and they are so nice and plump.' " ' Oh, Father !' " ' Every day give them one seer of rats, mixed up with their grain. They will soon grow fat.' " ' How shall I get them ?' said the poor coach- man, puzzled. " ' In the bazaar, to be sure. There must be rats in the grainseller's shop.' " ' Too many there.' " ' We'll get a maund [80 lbs.]. Have you got money V " ' Yes, but they are not to be sold.' " ' Why not ?' " ' How shall they be caught V " My lady at last began to smell a rat, and dismissed the coachman to talk over the mystery 42 HINDUPORE with the syces (grooms), while she consulted the judge. " Knowing the peculiarities of his lady's hand- writing, he at once decided that the mistake came from the likeness between her ' o's ' and * r's ' in the note she sent. . " I don't know whether the poor horses ever got their oats." CHAPTER V MR. HUNT, SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE The arrival of the Raja at Bombay had been closely watched by Mr. Charles Hunt, qow on special duty — keeping an eye upon the move- ments of the Raja Ram Singh. He determined to find out who the aristocratic-looking young Englishman was who drove with the Raja to the Taj -Mahal Hotel. The father of Charles Hunt had been an English soldier serving in India, and his mother an ayah, or Hindu maid, to Mrs. Gilchrist, wife of Colonel Gilchrist, of the Hallamshire Regi- ment. In those days there was no law recogniz- ing the marriage of a European with a Hindu woman. Dukhia, Mrs. Gilchrist's ayah, was not exactly in love with Hunt, but, being employed in the same house, they met often. Hunt hated mili- tary duties. He much preferred to spend his seven years in India as orderly to the Colonel of the depot. He wanted Mrs. Gilchrist to put in a good word for him, and therefore was anxious 43 44 HINDUPORE to get round her maid. Dukhia had picked up a httle English, and was not averse to mild flirtation. Hunt and Dukhia often spent their evenings together when Colonel and Mrs. Gil- christ went for a drive about 5 p.m. As the Colonel was fond of billiards, and Mrs. Gilchrist liked a little quiet chat with the youngest subalterns, they invariably spent about two hours at the club. This gave Dukhia and Hunt about three hours every day in each other's company. Soon there was talk in the servants' quarters, and Mrs. Gilchrist came to know that in the course of flirtation they often put out the veranda light. This was too much for Mrs. Gilchrist, and she told her husband to warn Hunt. The Colonel, though now fifty- three, remembered his younger days. He had himself sown wild oats, and why should he stand in the way of poor Hunt getting a kiss from Dukhia? Besides, Dukhia had no husband. Anyhow, he decided to warn Hunt not to let Mrs. Gilchrist hear of their flirtation. He sent for Hunt and asked for an explana- tion. Hunt was an honest fellow ; he admitted having kissed Dukhia ; he assured the Colonel it was an innocent kiss. The Colonel smacked his lips, remembering how a Lepcha girl had given him a kiss at Darjeeling twenty -five years ago I Mrs. Gilchrist was not satisfied with her husband's assurance that everything was all HINDU KISS 45 right. She sent for Dukhia. The Hindu maid came trembhng. " I hope there has been nothing more than an innocent kiss between Hunt and yourself," said Mrs. Gilchrist rather nervously. ," Mem - sahib," cried Dukhia in anguish, " how can I kiss Hunt Sahib ?" An innocent kiss is unknown to the Hindu mind. In a country where no girl above the age of ten is ever kissed even by a father or a brother, a kiss has quite a different significance from what it has in the West. Dukhia was not going to plead guilty to such a charge. Besides, she knew that other servants were listening to what was going on. Confession of a kiss is bad enough in all cases in India, but a confession to kissing a European would spell ruin. She believed in " Tell a lie and stick to it." That is how Dukhia reasoned with herself. All the same, while in the presence of Mrs. Gilchrist, whenever the name of Hunt was mentioned Dukhia blushed ; but a brown face hides a blush — at least, to the European eye. Mrs. Gilchrist knew nothing of Dukhia's feel- ings. She, however, told Dukhia that if the veranda light ever went out she would have to leave at once. Dukhia made a deep bow, and left the presence of her mistress. At five the Colonel and his wife went out as usual. Dukhia found an opportunity to tell 46 HINDUPORE Hunt what had happened. Hunt thought the game was up. Dukhia was not so hopeless. The dinner-hour arrived. In a big Indian bungalow the kitchen is generally about a hundred yards from the dining-room, and for this reason the servants in India get more freedom than in England. The ladies of the bungalow, too, can have a pleasant time with the young subalterns without being overlooked by the servants. All the men-servants have to help in bringing dishes from the kitchen. After Mrs. Gilchrist was dressed for dinner Dukhia had nothing to do until her mistress wanted to retire for the night, so she had quite three hours to herself By a peculiar coincidence, the Colonel also did not want Hunt during those three hours. That did not strike Mrs. Gilchrist. Both Hunt and Dukhia repaired to the veranda — the Indian counterpart of a servants' haU. "Love laughs at iron bars" is an old saying. Love-making grows as a habit, and can no more be given up in a hurry than an opium-eater can give up opium. Even in British gaols in India opium is allowed to prisoners under trial, in certain cases, for the same reason. Hunt was in despair. His favourite Dukhia refused point-blank to kiss him in the presence of anybody. Even a servants' veranda kiss in India is a much more serious affair than a Hyde Park kiss. The only occupants of the veranda HINDU MAID 47 at the time were Hunt, Dukhia, and an old man named Lachman, who was employed in working the punkha that hung over the dining-table. A cane passing through the wall connected the punkha- puller in the veranda with the mighty fan in the dining-room. Lachman received five shillings and sixpence a month for working the punkha eight hours every day. For a whole fortnight he had been asking the butler to inter- cede on his behalf with the mem-sahib for two hours' leave of an evening to enable him to go to the laundress for a change of linen. But, as his very limited income would not admit of a '* tip " to the butler, his employers never knew that the poor punkha-puller wanted leave. Dukhia knew this. She went to Lachman and condoled with him in his trouble. This made Lachman communicative, and he begged her to work the oracle for him, and get him off for a couple of hours. Dukhia, with her usual tact, suggested that he might go to the laundress that evening, and she would work the punkha till his return. This unexpected kindness over- powered him. But suppose it were found out ? Dukhia replied she would say that poor Lachman was stung by a scorpion — so plentiful under the crotons in the veranda — and she had allowed him to go and apply juice of the tamarind, an old recipe given her by her grandmother. This settled poor Lachman's qualms of conscience, and he left, feeling very grateful to Dukhia. 48 HINDUPORE Hardly was Lachman out of sight when she pre- tended to be th'ed, and gave the rope of the pimkha to Hunt. He went on pulhng the punkha, with Dukhia on his knee, teUing him how she had fooled that cat — the mem -sahib. They both enjoyed the joke immensely. The table-servants noticed that Mrs. Gilchrist did not that evening find any fault with the moorghee (fowl), which they knew was not what it ought to have been. The fact was that Mrs. Gilchrist was too busy watching the veranda light. She knew that Dukhia would never kiss Hunt in the presence of the old punkha-puller. In the East old age is respected ; precedence is generally by age, and not by sex, as in this country. Dukhia, however frisky, must behave with decorum before another servant old enough to be her father. Time went on. Hunt's regiment returned to Aldershot in the following April. In the month of May the advent of a white baby with black hair in the servants' quarters of Colonel Gil- christ's bungalow reached the ears of Mrs. Gil- christ. She rushed to her husband : " Didn't I tell you ?" Dukhia's relations refused to have anything to do with her or her baby. Colonel Gilchrist was a kind-hearted man. He allowed her to live in a corner of the stables. They called the boy Charlie. Even his mother had not a kind look or word for the unfortunate half-caste boy, who was not to blame for the fault to which he owed HALF-CASTE 49 his existence. Little Charlie was a healthy child, and, being of a defiant nature, was able to hold his own against all odds as he grew older. Colonel Gilchrist's butler, Husain Khan, as a proud Mahomedan, could not and would not tolerate the ^mischievous freaks of a half-caste lad, and Charlie not seldom got a flogging from him for his rudeness. But this only developed his cun- ning. Before Husain Charlie was as quiet as a lamb, but when he carried a letter for the Colonel to the club he turned up his nose at " native " messenger-boys. He was hardly seven when his unfeeling mother Dukhia sought the protection of a Mahomedan horse-dealer, leaving Charlie behind her as an encumbrance to which her new lover, Ahmad Ali, objected. In the regimental school Charlie picked up some English, and, as he grew up, discarded the turban for the sola-topee, the Anglo-Indian sun- hat, which, like charity, covers a multitude of sins. A man with a sola-topee may, with a third-class ticket, travel in a first-class carriage or abuse the native policeman with impunity, or he may get a good billet through nomination which he has not the remotest chance of getting through the open door of a competitive examina- tion. If the man has a fair complexion and is brazen enough to ape the ruling class, there is no limit to his possible success in life. He may be the son of a Dukhia, but, if in the Government service, he may bully the greatest Indian Prince. 4- 50 HINDUPORE It was, therefore, a red-letter day in the life of Charles Hunt when he adopted English dress. His next move was to practise the art of dis- simulation. He could not forget his bitter inheritance of obloquy. His future depended upon the success of his struggles against prejudice and hatred, for he knew to his cost that the Eurasian was hated by both the nations represent- ing his parents. The only way he could hope to get a living was to abuse his mother's people. His self-confidence was great. He had a fair skin — he looked a sahib, though he was not one. His thoughts turned to the police. In India a white policeman is somebody. His only patron, Colonel Gilchrist, had left India for good. Hunt was getting a miserable pittance of fifteen rupees (one pound) a month as a billiard-marker at a Calcutta club. A happy idea struck him. The next morning he went to the fashionable market of Calcutta — the Municipal Market. There ladies — real ladies — go to buy fruit and vegetables. Having been brought up in a Colonel's kitchen. Hunt knew the ways of the mem-sahib. He also thoroughly understood servants' tips — known in India as dusturi — without which it is hard to get on with Indian domestics. Presently two young ladies in a landau drove into the market. They wxre the daughters of Sir James Greene, Governor of Barrackpore. Hunt was on the alert. At last luck was in his way I He volun- teered his services, cleared the way through the BRACELET TIP 51 crowd, and bought the young ladies Nagpore oranges for half the market-price — a dozen real Malda mangoes for fourpence — a mere song ! — and a large hilsa fish for sixpence. The ladies were delighted. They did not know that Hunt had told the Hindu shop-keepers that the ladies wanted the things as a sample for a large order next week, for the wedding luncheon of the Governor's daughters wdth two young noblemen coming from England by the next P. and O. steamer ! Hunt made a profound bow as the ladies drove away from the market. That very evening Mr. Hunt was seen in the servants' quarters at Bellevue, the Governor's palace. He had with him a basket of fruit for Kariman, the wife of the coachman, who was Lady Greene's ayah. Kariman, though a married woman of twenty-two years' standing, was carefully guarded by her jealous husband. In obedience to Mahomedan custom, Kariman was behind the purdah — the thick screen in Mahomedan houses that separates man from woman. She viewed the fruit from behind the purdah, and gave her salaams — the Mahomedan equivalent of thanks — to Mr. Hunt. A con- versation followed between the two in whispers. There was nobody near, but it is not the thing for a Mahomedan woman to speak aloud — it is not considered respectable. "A pair of gold bangles the day you get me a post in the police," 4—2 52 HINDUPORE said Hunt to the Governor's ayah as he made his parting salaam. r He had not to wait long, for the young ladies put in a good word for him. Sheer bravado soon enabled him to sneak into the Intelligence Department, and then he considered himself a made man. Every bazaar rumour was put down in his secret diary as a fact for which he had " the highest authority," a phrase often carrying con- viction to unthinking people. Mr. Hunt was quite destitute of gallantry, and always ready to lend a helping hand towards persecuting a friend- less woman. He hated Mohan Lai, his former chief in the Intelligence Department, who had often had occasion to question the authenticity of his reports. It was, therefore, a great satisfac- tion to Hunt to hear that the Raja Ram Singh had fallen under official displeasure, and might be harassed by petty supervision. Still, it was rather a dangerous game to play with a Raja who had so many devoted adherents. If any of them took it into their heads to throw Hunt down a well, or otherwise get rid of him, he could make no report of that occurrence. ^ CHAPTER VI LORD TARA AND MOHAN LAL The Kaja was very gracious to his English guest at the dinner on the last evening of his stay at Bombay. He invited Lord Tara to visit him at Hindupore for a week or two on the way to Barrackpore. Mohan Lai would, he said, do the honours of the house for him, as Indian etiquette had to be observed at home. So Tara accompanied Ram Singh and his suite in the special saloon engaged for the journey to Allahabad, where carriages awaited the Raja. On this occasion the Rani, with her little son, had driven in a closed carriage to meet her husband upon his return from abroad. Tara and Mohan Lai occupied the second carriage. The drive was almost like a triumphal proces- sion ; thousands of Hindus and Mahomedans crowded the road along the whole route to welcome home their beloved Raja. From time to time a solemn ringing chant, full of pathetic tenderness, struck upon the ear like a call to prayer. Tara felt touched to the heart by the strange 53 54 HINDUPORE mystic charm of the unknown appeal, and his deep blue eyes were for a moment dimmed with tears. Mohan Lai was astonished to see this sym- pathetic emotion in an uninitiated stranger. He had, in his long experience, witnessed so mKch callous indifference on the part of the ruling powers to the most cherished feelings of his people. He said gently : " You have a sensitive heart, my lord ; you feel something of the charm that appeals to the innermost chord of a Hindu heart. The chant we hear is the family mantra of our Raja, the peculiar melody of which is known and loved by all who owe him any allegiance. In a country of earthquakes and floods, plague and venomous snake-bites, ours is a life of constant and sudden change. To remind us of this our wise ancestors composed for us the soothing mantras, which we learn from our earliest childhood." " I have never heard of this before," said Tara thoughtfully. " It is difficult for an Englishman to under- stand the hold that religion — call it superstition, if you like — has upon the masses of the people of India," replied Mohan. " India has been under foreign rule now for about a thousand years. Her foreign rulers have included some iconoclasts of Central Asia. They did everything to break the faith of the Hindu in his creed, but failed — miserably failed." MILD MUSALMAN 55 " A very good missionary I met on board the Nur-Jehan told me that the earnestness and sincerity of the Hindus in their religious duties were seldom equalled by Christians," said Tara. " In theory, Hinduism makes no converts," said Mohan, " yet it converts more than most missionary agencies. For instance, the Mahome- dan of India, tempered by Hindu associations, is quite a different being from his co-religionists in Central Asia. His fiery iconoclastic practice is so much softened that not seldom he himself reverences the Hindu gods. Hindu associations have taught him the superiority of spiritual to natural man." " The Raja seems very popular with his people," said Tara. " So he ought to be ; he is their friend, and they know it. Loyalty in India, if founded on sentiment, is a very real fact, but the Hindus are the most conservative people in the world. They cling to their beliefs with incredible stead- fastness, and, next to God, they have faith in their native Rajas. That is why the manner of espionage in British India is so much to be regretted. It estranges the masses of the people when one of their Princes of ancient and honoured descent, whose loyalty to the Sovereign Power has been proved in the willing submission of his followers for more than a century, is subjected to slight and indignity. For instance, just before the Raja Ram Singh went to Europe his name 56 HINDUPORE was actually entered in what is called the ' Black Book ' of the Secret Branch of the Intelligence Department as a person not above suspicion, because he had not chosen to receive a verbal request for an elephant, sent through a chaprasi — whose pay is two shiUings a week — from Mrs. Ironside, wife of Colonel Ironside, the Resident at Hindupore. The Raja sent a polite message, in return, that if Mrs. Ironside would write a request he would accede to it with pleasure." "He was perfectly right," said Tara indignantly. " It's a serious thing for official people not to know manners in a country of caste like India." " All the same, he has been followed about ever since he landed in Bombay by one of the lowest scoundrels ever employed in the Secret Branch. I saw this fellow, Charles Hunt by name, at the station to-day. Of course, he's a coward, and a little afraid of me, too ; still, it is humiliating for the Raja to be watched as if he were an anarchist and carried bombs in his pockets." "It is perfectly incredible to me," said Tara, who became lost in admiration as the " Rani- Vilas " Palace came into sight. The gradual approach to the lofty terraces and spacious marble staircases surrounding the abode was by a hilly winding road, well shaded by the luxuriant foliage of the mango and the litchi trees that formed a towering arch above groves of orange- trees in bloom. These gave fragrance and fresh- "RANI- VILAS" 57 ness to the air, and the fragrant jasmine added its delicious scent as sunset drew near. '' Rani- Vilas," or the " Queen's Delight," was about eleven miles from Allahabad Fort, on the Ganges. Its situation was striking, for it stood on* a hill, and for miles around could be seen its towers and cloistered columns. Almost every form of architecture was represented in some part or other of the palace. Here was a Gothic arch, there a Moorish colonnade, while the halls and doorways were Italian in style, modified by Oriental taste. The gardens and grounds ex- tended for miles, and in the month of May the mango avenue leading to the river-side presented a magnificent sight, the boughs of the trees being laden with lovely refreshing fruit, and the whole affording a welcome protection from the scorch- ing rays of the sun. The bank of the sacred river was high, with young, closely-planted bamboos, which gave it a picturesque appearance. On one side there was a hut inhabited by a Hindu hermit — a bairagi. For the use of his frequent guests the hospitable Raja had an attractive bungalow, which stood in a lovely garden, separating it from the Rani's palace. The bungalow — a long, low building, with balconies and verandas of trellis-work, covered in profusion with roses and jasmine — was fitted up somewhat in EngUsh fashion, though the carpets and furniture were all Swadeshi — made in India and Oriental in style. 58 HINDUPORE The Raja himself met Tara at the entrance to the abode of his guests, and, offering his right hand — the courteous Rajput greeting — welcomed him to the house, and promised a visit the next morning, leaving him to the hospitable care of Mohan Lai for that evening. Soon after dinner a walk in the garden was suggested, Tara being tempted by the brilliant moonlight — the moon is nowhere more lovely than in India — and they soon found a natural arbour formed by a spreading banyan-tree. " This is the most beautiful place I ever saw in my life," said Tara, " like the Vale of Cash- mere. If there's an Elysium on earth, it is this." " Ours is a beautiful land. Lord Tara ; you may well admire it." " This wonderful country seems to me to have retained all the old feudal spirit that has com- pletely died out, even in Scotland and Ireland, now. I feel as if I were in an enchanted forest, and all the trees and flowers had something to say." At that moment Bhima appeared, bearing a gold tray, on which was a beautifully-shaped goblet of rock crystal. He presented the cup to Tara with great respect : *' From His Highness the Raja, my lord." It contained a mysterious pink liquid, which looked like a mixture of French wine with German waters. It really was a sherbet anar (pomegranate juice) — not extracted by a lemon- SHERBET ANAR 59 squeezer, but by the mystic pressure of the tiny fingers of a Rajput Princess. She did not forget to flavour it with shces of fresh almond and a couple of grains of musk — that queen of Oriental fragrance. The Hindu waj of cooling a drink is to ice the fruit itself, and not to spoil the liquid juice by putting a lump of ice into it. Tara drank it all in one delicious and refresh- ing draught. As the clear moonlight was reflected at the bottom of the translucent cup he suddenly started, for he saw in it the sweet, gentle face, full of spiritual beauty, of the " Atala " picture in the Louvre ! He took up the crystal cup again, but the vision was no longer there. Was it a magic delusion ? He felt bewildered and excited — the strange melodious rhythm of the Raja's mantra haunted his senses. Suddenly he remembered it was getting late, and rose hastily, saying to the Dewan Mohan Lai, who looked tired and worn : " How selfish you must think me to keep you out so late, after all the fatigue you have had to-day ! Pray forgive me !" CHAPTER VII PRINCESS KAMALA HER DREAM The pretty residence called " Hawa-Mahal," the " Breezy Mansion " of the young Rani Kamala, stood near the *' Rani- Vilas " Palace, in the lovely garden that separated it from the guest bungalow of the Raja. Rani Kamala was the only child of Raja Ram Singh's brother. She was an orphan, under the care of her uncle, who was like a father to her. Like most Hindu Princesses, Kamala was a devout Hindu. The sweet, watchful care and mystical affection of a Hindu home had influenced her early years. Her perfect breeding was a natural heritage to her from her pure Rajput descent. To an utter absence of selfishness was due her regard for the feelings of others, however poor. Her life was pure and simple. She rose before five to be able to bathe before sunrise. After her bath, she worshipped the sun — emblem of God in its warmth and brightness — while she stood facing 60 RIVER-GODDESS 61 the east, with her tiny aristocratic hands folded, the two thumbs touching where her eyebrows met. Then she turned seven times the sacred tulsi (basil) plant, which was carefully kept in a silver pot with costly jade handles. As she turned the plant round she poured water of the sacred Ganga upon it from a golden jug- At the full moon Hindu maidens go to the banks of the Ganges and pay their devotions to the River Goddess, who is represented as a beautiful woman sitting on a makara (sea-shark), with a water-lily in her right hand and a lute in her left. The worship of the holy river consists in a bath — dipping the head is essential even for ladies, for the head is the seat of the god — and offerings of flowers, fruits, and uncooked rice. The virgins pray for good husbands, and promise to be kind to them. After her homage to the tulsi, Kamala turned her attention to the pet cow. She gave her tiny bunches of durba grass with her own hands, and wiped the cow's forehead with a piece of fine muslin. Life in every form is dear to the heart of the Hindu. Kamala had many creatures to tend. Her beautiful Burma pony Moti followed her about like a dog, and always had carrots specially kept for him. Among her pets were a white peacock, a pair of doves, and a silver pheasant. She also fed the tiny red ants that had an ant- hill on her side of the holy bel-tree. She gave 62 HINDUPORE them sugar, and with her own hands made a little shed with fresh leaves to protect them from the scorching rays of the sun. A holy Brahman and a few travellers must also be fed before the Hindu Princess could take her meals. In consequence of such provision for the poor, India has needed no workhouses for centuries. Kamala's retainer had everything ready for the Brahman and travellers. They were provided with food under her own super- vision. She then, about midday, took her own principal meal. Novel-reading and idle gossip formed no part of Kamala's daily routine. After her midday meal she studied for four hours. She knew her own language (Hindustani) well, and had read some English books. She was fond of history and poetry, but she loved best the classical literature of her native land. In the evening she took a walk in her private park, and received her lady visitors. Sometimes they read incidents from the " Ramayana " or the " Mahabharata," especially those which referred to the share of Hindu women in the civilization of their people. Kamala at seventeen was still unmarried. The priests blamed the Raja much for not finding her a suitable husband, as he should have done, but Kamala had a will of her own. Rajput youths had vied with each other for KAMALA'S DREAM 63 Kamala's notice at Jhulan, the seesaw festival of the Hindus, which appeals to Indian youths as the dancing round a maypole once did to Enghsh boys and girls, with perhaps the difference that the May Queen may occasionally kiss a favoured swain, whereas the Hindu lassie gives no kisses — at least, not in public. You may live in India twenty years — you would never see even a husband kiss his wife. This is why the people crowd round a railway platform to watch an Englishman indulge in kisses at leave-taking. It gives the Indian, Hindu, or Mahomedan some- thing to gossip about for the next fortnight. Kamala had lately been to the great Kumbh Fair, which takes place once in twelve years at the confluence of the sacred rivers, Ganges and Jumna, at Allahabad. There, while neck deep in the holy water, she had prayed for a good husband. She was almost in a trance when she saw her mother — long since dead — appear before her in the mist and say: "Kamala, go to the shrine of Jagannath. You were born on the day after the Car Festival — the great Festival of Baba Jagannath— remember that. Take seventeen lotus-flowers — one for every year of your life — and a garland made of seventeen other lotus- flowers. Put the garland round your neck, and throw the stray lotus-flowers into the sacred water at Jagannath. Watch them as they are carried away by the breeze. You will see a fair, handsome young man almost risking his life to 64 HINDUPORE pick up every one of them. He will bring them to you. Then take the garland of lotus from your own neck and give it to him. You will find an excellent husband, and poor Bharat (India) an influential friend. Breathe not a word of this to a single soul." Kamala opened her eyes. Was it a day-dream — the deep blue sky above her ? The bright rays of an Indian sun were refreshing, as it was in- tensely cold, almost as cold as England in January. Kamala kept her secret. She only told her uncle that she had been told in a dream to visit Jagannath-Ji before her next birthday, and that she would feel very miserable if she did not. Kamala was very dear to the Raja and his Queen. Kamala's father died when she was a baby, and she was seven when her mother died. Her last words to Raja Ram Singh were : " Educate Kamala ; let her follow the ancient Hindu rite of swayamvara — let her choose her own husband." Ram Singh was in much grief. Both he and the Rani promised to respect her wishes. When Kamala was nine years old a Hindu lady graduate from Calcutta was appointed to educate the young Princess. Kamala spent her forenoon in " play," as she called it — really in following the religious rites of the Hindu, by which alone she could be in touch with her uncle's subjects. She was descended from the proud Rajput family, which claimed descent from the moon — the Chandravansi, as WIFE'S INFLUENCE 65 they were called. Her ancestors fought against Alexander the Great. On the morning after Tara's arrival at Hindu - pore the Raja paid him an early visit. " I hope Mohan Lai looked after you well. I try to make my English guests as comfortable as I can. At all events, they may be sure that they will never see a London fog in India. Sunshine is our birthright, and we revel in it. How did you like the pomegranate cup I sent you last night, Lord Tara ?" "It was the most delicious draught I ever tasted — nectar indeed !" said Tara. ''It is good, I know ; we call it sherbet anar. No one mixes it so well as my little Rani Kamala ; you must send the cup to be filled again. As soon as my mother heard how clever Miss Scott was as a lady doctor, she took it into her head that she would like to consult her about the neuralgia she often suffers from in the rainy season, especially as she intends making the pilgrimage to Jagannath this year. Her will is law to me, and she wishes to invite Miss Scott to stay with us here,- and accompany us as far as Cuttack when she goes to the hospital there. Do you think you could persuade her to come ?" " I expect she would feel much honoured by the Rani's kind notice, and I fancy she may feel rather de trop with the Ochterlonys, who have many visits to pay to their friends." "Then would you be kind enough to drive 5 66 HINDUPORE over to Allahabad this morning with Mohan Lai and pay a visit to her and the Oehterlonys about it? Perhaps you could persuade Miss Scott to return with you if the Rani sends her a pressing invitation. I know Colonel Greville, too, and you will like him, I think." Tara gladly promised to do his best, and the result was that Celitia arrived at Hindupore the same evening in time for dinner. "I confess I am very tired," said Celitia as she said good-night to Tara and Mohan Lai. " I want a good night's rest. I am looking forward to my first visit to an Indian Zenana to-morrow." The next day, about twelve o'clock, the Raja paid a visit to his guests, accompanied by his little son. He thanked Miss Scott warmly for complying with the request of the Rani, and invited her to spend the day at the " Rani- Vilas " Palace. " I assure you the Ranis are all very anxious to know you. Miss Scott. Kamala speaks English a little, and understands it very well. My boy has picked up a good deal of English from me. He has a capital memory, and is fond of poetry, too, for his age. He is our only child, so I dare say we spoil him." " Do you think he would mind reciting a little Hindu poem to me ?" said Tara. " I should like to see if I could follow it all. I have only learnt a few words from Bhima as yet." TENNYSON 67 '* He knows Dr. Gust's Hindustani translation of Tennyson's ' What does Little Birdie Say ?' I dare say you could follow that. Now, my boy, give us ' What does Little Birdie Say V " Kishen Singh was a handsome little fellow, with large, soft black eyes and beautifully- formed features. His clear, pale brown com- plexion showed the flush of health in his rounded cheeks and coral lips. He looked well in his Indian tunic of blue silk bordered with gold, a sash of golden-coloured gauze, and tiny jewelled dagger. His turban was of white muslin fastened with a knot of sapphires. He went up to Lord Tara at once, and, standing gracefully before him, gave his recital of both English and Hindustani in a sweet boyish monotone. The refrain was very musical, and Tara thanked the little Raja heartily for his performance. WHAT DOES LITTLE BIRDIE SAY ? What does little birdie say, In her nest at peep of day ? " Let me fly," says little birdie ; " Mother, let me fly away.*" " Birdie, rest a little longer, Till the little wings are stronger." So she rests a little longer. Then she flies away. Chota chiriya kya chalata, Uske ghar par jab din ata ? 5—2 68 HINDUPORE Chiriya apne ma ko bakta, Bhagne chahta, uthne sakta. Baitho, chiriya, aram kar, Ta zor pakre chota par, Jab paran zor pakarenge, Ham uth-bhagne tujhko denge. . What does Httle baby say, In her bed at peep of day ? Baby says, like Httle birdie, '' Let me rise and fly away." " Baby, sleep a little longer. Till the little limbs are stronger." If she sleeps a little longer. Baby, too, shall fly away. Chota baba kya chalata Jab nind karke jag uthata ? Jaisa chiriya baba bakta. Kis taur ma se uth-bhag sakta. Nindi karo, baba mera, Ta zor pakre badan tera. Jab zor badan pakarege Tab uth-bhagne tum sakege. " Kamala knows that — she knows everything, said the little Raja. *' The Rani Kamala is a very popular Princess," said Celitia. '' I am glad I shall have the pleasure of knowing her." " Now I must tell you," said the Raja, " that I am going to celebrate the thirty-third anniversary GOURI PROCESSION 69 of my birthday on Thursday week, so I hope you will stay on for that. We shall have a Rajput fete. First a water-party on the river, for the ladies in attendance upon Gouri, who reigns supreme over the summer harvest. Lord Tara will have an opportunity of seeing — but only at a distance — some of our Hindu beauties, whom I know he admires. The procession down the mango-avenue to the Ganga will be very pic- turesqvie. This is a woman's carnival, and men take no part in it. After that our turn will come in a rifle-shooting match. The prize will be a gold bracelet and amulet — rakhi — given by the Rani Kamala. Then we shall have some very pretty fireworks, pyrotechnic balloons, and Chinese lanterns — quite equal to the Crystal Palace." " I have always heard that they are far better," said Tara. " But now I want you to see my armoury, Lord Tara. Will you come this afternoon at four o'clock to coffee with me, and then we can go through it together ? I have some very beautiful old swords and shields, some of them of historical interest." "My father has rather a good collection of armour and weapons, too, at Tara. Perhaps your Highness may honour him with a visit there some day ? There is good sport in the country near us, too." " Will Miss Scott be good enough to accom- 70 HINDUPORE pany us now to the Palace ? The Rani expects her," said the Raja. Cehtia looked very hand- some in a simple dress of embroidered Dacca muslin. Little Kishen Singh admired her very much, and offered his hand with affability to lead her to his mother. The Raja was not sure t^iat the Rani would be pleased to find that the lady doctor was so young and attractive. She some- times took jealous fancies into her head, and was apt to distrust the extreme liberty English ladies enjoyed, especially in India. CHAPTER VIII A HINDU ARMOURY — A HINDU BOUDOIR The Raja sent his personal attendant Sukhdeo to conduct Lord Tara to the Palace. Ram Singh was Smoking a fragrant cigar to soothe his nerves. He had been banished from the Rani's apartments during Celitia's visit. Coffee was served in silver-gilt cups delicately chased. The armoury was a magnificent hall with marble columns of serpentine form, the ceiling painted in rich colours with stirring scenes from the warUke exploits of the Rajput Princes in defending Ajmere against the Mahomedan in- vaders. The floor was inlaid with mosaics in coloured marbles, in which the lion rampant, the family crest of Ram Singh, was represented in various forms of conflict with serpents and dragons of formidable aspect. The crimson-painted walls of the hall were hung with every kind of armour and weapons in use during a period of more than a thousand years, arranged in chronological order. The Raja 71 72 HINDUPORE took down a slightly-curved sabre, beautifully damascened in gold. " This we call a sirohi, and it has always been our favourite Rajput sword. This one is several hundred years old, and did good service in the hands of an ancestor of mine when Shahab-ud-