Idonotwishintheleasttoreflectonthemoralityofthe“Shikarris；“butitisonrecordthatfourmenjumpedupasiftheyhadbeenshot。Threeofthemweremarriedmen。PerhapstheywereafraidthattheirwiveshadcomefromHomeunbeknownst。Thefourthsaidthathehadactedontheimpulseofthemoment。Heexplainedthisafterwards。
Thenthevoicecried:——“Oh，Lionel！“LionelwastheSeniorSubaltern'sname。Awomancameintothelittlecircleoflightbythecandlesonthepeg-tables，stretchingoutherhandstothedarkwheretheSeniorSubalternwas，andsobbing。Werosetoourfeet，feelingthatthingsweregoingtohappenandreadytobelievetheworst。Inthisbad，smallworldofours，oneknowssolittleofthelifeofthenextman——which，afterall，isentirelyhisownconcern——
thatoneisnotsurprisedwhenacrashcomes。Anythingmightturnupanydayforanyone。PerhapstheSeniorSubalternhadbeentrappedinhisyouth。Menarecrippledthatwayoccasionally。Wedidn'tknow；wewantedtohear；andtheCaptains'wiveswereasanxiousaswe。IfheHADbeentrapped，hewastobeexcused；forthewomanfromnowhere，inthedustyshoes，andgraytravellingdress，wasverylovely，withblackhairandgreateyesfulloftears。Shewastall，withafinefigure，andhervoicehadarunningsobinitpitifultohear。AssoonastheSeniorSubalternstoodup，shethrewherarmsroundhisneck，andcalledhim“mydarling，“andsaidshecouldnotbearwaitingaloneinEngland，andhislettersweresoshortandcold，andshewashistotheendoftheworld，andwouldheforgiveher。Thisdidnotsoundquitelikealady'swayofspeaking。Itwastoodemonstrative。
Thingsseemedblackindeed，andtheCaptains'wivespeeredundertheireyebrowsattheSeniorSubaltern，andtheColonel'sfacesetliketheDayofJudgmentframedingraybristles，andnoonespokeforawhile。
NexttheColonelsaid，veryshortly:——“Well，Sir?“andthewomansobbedafresh。TheSeniorSubalternwashalfchokedwiththearmsroundhisneck，buthegaspedout:——“It'sad——dlie！Ineverhadawifeinmylife！““Don'tswear，“saidtheColonel。“ComeintotheMess。Wemustsiftthisclearsomehow，“andhesighedtohimself，forhebelievedinhis“Shikarris，“didtheColonel。
Wetroopedintotheante-room，underthefulllights，andtherewesawhowbeautifulthewomanwas。Shestoodupinthemiddleofusall，sometimeschokingwithcrying，thenhardandproud，andthenholdingoutherarmstotheSeniorSubaltern。Itwaslikethefourthactofatragedy。ShetoldushowtheSeniorSubalternhadmarriedherwhenhewasHomeonleaveeighteenmonthsbefore；andsheseemedtoknowallthatweknew，andmoretoo，ofhispeopleandhispastlife。Hewaswhiteandashygray，tryingnowandagaintobreakintothetorrentofherwords；andwe，notinghowlovelyshewasandwhatacriminalhelooked，esteemedhimabeastoftheworstkind。Wefeltsorryforhim，though。
IshallneverforgettheindictmentoftheSeniorSubalternbyhiswife。Norwillhe。Itwassosudden，rushingoutofthedark，unannounced，intoourdulllives。TheCaptains'wivesstoodback；
buttheireyeswerealight，andyoucouldseethattheyhadalreadyconvictedandsentencedtheSeniorSubaltern。TheColonelseemedfiveyearsolder。OneMajorwasshadinghiseyeswithhishandandwatchingthewomanfromunderneathit。Anotherwaschewinghismoustacheandsmilingquietlyasifhewerewitnessingaplay。Fullintheopenspaceinthecentre，bythewhist-tables，theSeniorSubaltern'sterrierwashuntingforfleas。Irememberallthisasclearlyasthoughaphotographwereinmyhand。IrememberthelookofhorrorontheSeniorSubaltern'sface。Itwasratherlikeseeingamanhanged；butmuchmoreinteresting。Finally，thewomanwoundupbysayingthattheSeniorSubalterncarriedadoubleF。M。intattooonhisleftshoulder。Weallknewthat，andtoourinnocentmindsitseemedtoclinchthematter。ButoneoftheBachelorMajorssaidverypolitely:——“Ipresumethatyourmarriagecertificatewouldbemoretothepurpose?“
Thatrousedthewoman。ShestoodupandsneeredattheSeniorSubalternforacur，andabusedtheMajorandtheColonelandalltherest。Thenshewept，andthenshepulledapaperfromherbreast，sayingimperially:——“Takethat！Andletmyhusband——mylawfullyweddedhusband——readitaloud——ifhedare！“
Therewasahush，andthemenlookedintoeachother'seyesastheSeniorSubalterncameforwardinadazedanddizzyway，andtookthepaper。Wewerewonderingaswestared，whethertherewasanythingagainstanyoneofusthatmightturnuplateron。TheSeniorSubaltern'sthroatwasdry；but，asheranhiseyeoverthepaper，hebrokeoutintoahoarsecackleofrelief，andsaidtothewoman:——
“Youyoungblackguard！“
Butthewomanhadfledthroughadoor，andonthepaperwaswritten:——“ThisistocertifythatI，TheWorm，havepaidinfullmydebtstotheSeniorSubaltern，and，further，thattheSeniorSubalternismydebtor，byagreementonthe23dofFebruary，asbytheMessattested，totheextentofonemonth'sCaptain'spay，inthelawfulcurrencyoftheIndiaEmpire。”
ThenadeputationsetoffforTheWorm'squartersandfoundhim，betwixtandbetween，unlacinghisstays，withthehat，wig，sergedress，etc。，onthebed。Hecameoverashewas，andthe“Shikarris“shoutedtilltheGunners'Messsentovertoknowiftheymighthaveashareofthefun。Ithinkwewereall，excepttheColonelandtheSeniorSubaltern，alittledisappointedthatthescandalhadcometonothing。Butthatishumannature。TherecouldbenotwowordsaboutTheWorm'sacting。Itleanedasneartoanastytragedyasanythingthissideofajokecan。WhenmostoftheSubalternssatuponhimwithsofa-cushionstofindoutwhyhehadnotsaidthatactingwashisstrongpoint，heansweredveryquietly:——“Idon'tthinkyoueveraskedme。IusedtoactatHomewithmysisters。”ButnoactingwithgirlscouldaccountforTheWorm'sdisplaythatnight。Personally，Ithinkitwasinbadtaste。
Besidesbeingdangerous。Thereisnosortofuseinplayingwithfire，evenforfun。
The“Shikarris“madehimPresidentoftheRegimentalDramaticClub；
and，whentheSeniorSubalternpaiduphisdebt，whichhedidatonce，TheWormsankthemoneyinsceneryanddresses。HewasagoodWorm；andthe“Shikarris“areproudofhim。Theonlydrawbackisthathehasbeenchristened“Mrs。SeniorSubaltern；“andastherearenowtwoMrs。SeniorSubalternsintheStation，thisissometimesconfusingtostrangers。
Lateron，Iwilltellyouofacasesomethinglike，this，butwithallthejestleftoutandnothinginitbutrealtrouble。
THEBROKENLINKHANDICAPPED。
Whilethesnaffleholds，orthe“long-neck“stings，Whilethebigbeamtilts，orthelastbellrings，Whilehorsesarehorsestotrainandtorace，ThenwomenandwinetakeasecondplaceForme——forme——
Whileashort“ten-three“
Hasafieldtosquanderorfencetoface！
SongoftheG。R。
Therearemorewaysofrunningahorsetosuityourbookthanpullinghisheadoffinthestraight。Somemenforgetthis。
Understandclearlythatallracingisrotten——aseverythingconnectedwithlosingmoneymustbe。Outhere，inadditiontoitsinherentrottenness，ithasthemeritofbeingtwo-thirdssham；
lookingprettyonpaperonly。Everyoneknowseveryoneelsefartoowellforbusinesspurposes。Howonearthcanyourackandharryandpostamanforhislosings，whenyouarefondofhiswife，andliveinthesameStationwithhim?Hesays，“ontheMondayfollowing，““Ican'tsettlejustyet。”“Yousay，“Allright，oldman，“andthinkyourselfluckyifyoupulloffninehundredoutofatwo-thousandrupeedebt。Anywayyoulookatit，Indianracingisimmoral，andexpensivelyimmoral。Whichismuchworse。Ifamanwantsyourmoney，heoughttoaskforit，orsendroundasubscription-list，insteadofjugglingaboutthecountry，withanAustralianlarrikin；a“brumby，“withasmuchbreedastheboy；abraceofchumarsingold-lacedcaps；threeorfourekka-ponieswithhoggedmanes，andaswitch-taileddemirepofamarecalledArabbecauseshehasakinkinherflag。Racingleadstotheshroffquickerthananythingelse。Butifyouhavenoconscienceandnosentiments，andgoodhands，andsomeknowledgeofpace，andtenyears'experienceofhorses，andseveralthousandrupeesamonth，I
believethatyoucanoccasionallycontrivetopayyourshoeing-
bills。
DidyoueverknowShackles——b。w。g。，15。13。8——coarse，loose，mule-
likeears——barrelaslongasagate-post——toughasatelegraph-wire——
andthequeerestbrutethateverlookedthroughabridle?Hewasofnobrand，beingoneofanear-nickedmobtakenintotheBucephalusat4l-10s。aheadtomakeupfreight，andsoldrawandoutofconditionatCalcuttaforRs。275。Peoplewholostmoneyonhimcalledhima“brumby；“butifeveranyhorsehadHarpoon'sshouldersandTheGin'stemper，Shackleswasthathorse。Twomileswashisownparticulardistance。Hetrainedhimself，ranhimself，androdehimself；and，ifhisjockeyinsultedhimbygivinghimhints，heshutupatonceandbuckedtheboyoff。Heobjectedtodictation。Twoorthreeofhisownersdidnotunderstandthis，andlostmoneyinconsequence。Atlasthewasboughtbyamanwhodiscoveredthat，ifaracewastobewon，Shackles，andShacklesonly，wouldwinitinhisownway，solongashisjockeysatstill。
Thismanhadariding-boycalledBrunt——aladfromPerth，WestAustralia——andhetaughtBrunt，withatrainer'swhip，thehardestthingajockcanlearn——tositstill，tositstill，andtokeeponsittingstill。WhenBruntfairlygraspedthistruth，Shacklesdevastatedthecountry。Noweightcouldstophimathisowndistance；andThefameofShacklesspreadfromAjmirintheSouth，toChedputterintheNorth。TherewasnohorselikeShackles，solongashewasallowedtodohisworkinhisownway。Buthewasbeatenintheend；andthestoryofhisfallisenoughtomakeangelsweep。
AtthelowerendoftheChedputterracecourse，justbeforetheturnintothestraight，thetrackpassesclosetoacoupleofoldbrick-
moundsenclosingafunnel-shapedhollow。Thebigendofthefunnelisnotsixfeetfromtherailingsontheoff-side。Theastoundingpeculiarityofthecourseisthat，ifyoustandatoneparticularplace，abouthalfamileaway，insidethecourse，andspeakatanordinarypitch，yourvoicejusthitsthefunnelofthebrick-moundsandmakesacuriouswhiningechothere。Amandiscoveredthisonemorningbyaccidentwhileouttrainingwithafriend。Hemarkedtheplacetostandandspeakfromwithacoupleofbricks，andhekepthisknowledgetohimself。EVERYpeculiarityofacourseisworthrememberinginacountrywhereratsplaythemischiefwiththeelephant-litter，andStewardsbuildjumpstosuittheirownstables。
Thismanranaveryfairishcountry-bred，along，rackinghighmarewiththetemperofafiend，andthepacesofanairywanderingseraph——adrifty，glidystretch。Themarewas，asadelicatetributetoMrs。Reiver，called“TheLadyRegulaBaddun“——orforshort，RegulaBaddun。
Shackles'jockey，Brunt，wasaquiet，well-behavedboy，buthisnerveshadbeenshaken。Hebeganhiscareerbyridingjump-racesinMelbourne，whereafewStewardswantlynching，andwasoneofthejockeyswhocamethroughtheawfulbutchery——perhapsyouwillrecollectit——oftheMaribyrnongPlate。Thewallswerecolonialramparts——logsofjarrakspikedintomasonry——withwingsasstrongasChurchbuttresses。Onceinhisstride，ahorsehadtojumporfall。Hecouldn'trunout。IntheMaribyrnongPlate，twelvehorseswerejammedatthesecondwall。RedHat，leading，fellthisside，andthrewoutTheGlen，andtheruckcameupbehindandthespacebetweenwingandwingwasonestruggling，screaming，kickingshambles。Fourjockeysweretakenoutdead；threewereverybadlyhurt，andBruntwasamongthethree。HetoldthestoryoftheMaribyrnongPlatesometimes；andwhenhedescribedhowWhalleyonRedHat，said，asthemarefellunderhim:——“Godha'mercy，I'mdonefor！“andhow，nextinstant，SitheeThereandWhiteOtterhadcrushedthelifeoutofpoorWhalley，andthedusthidasmallhellofmenandhorses，noonemarvelledthatBrunthaddroppedjump-
racesandAustraliatogether。RegulaBaddun'sownerknewthatstorybyheart。Bruntnevervarieditinthetelling。Hehadnoeducation。
ShacklescametotheChedputterAutumnracesoneyear，andhisownerwalkedaboutinsultingthesportsmenofChedputtergenerally，tilltheywenttotheHonorarySecretaryinabodyandsaid:——“AppointHandicappers，andarrangearacewhichshallbreakShacklesandhumbletheprideofhisowner。”TheDistrictsroseagainstShacklesandsentupoftheirbest；Ousel，whowassupposedtobeabletodohismilein1-53；Petard，thestud-bred，trainedbyacavalryregimentwhoknewhowtotrain；Gringalet，theewe-lambofthe75th；
Bobolink，theprideofPeshawar；andmanyothers。
TheycalledthatraceTheBroken-LinkHandicap，becauseitwastosmashShackles；andtheHandicapperspiledontheweights，andtheFundgaveeighthundredrupees，andthedistancewas“roundthecourseforallhorses。”Shackles'ownersaid:——“YoucanarrangetheracewithregardtoShacklesonly。Solongasyoudon'tburyhimunderweight-cloths，Idon'tmind。RegulaBaddun'sownersaid:——“I
throwinmymaretofretOusel。SixfurlongsisRegula'sdistance，andshewillthenliedownanddie。SoalsowillOusel，forhisjockeydoesn'tunderstandawaitingrace。”Now，thiswasalie，forRegulahadbeeninworkfortwomonthsatDehra，andherchancesweregood，alwayssupposingthatShacklesbrokeablood-vessel——OR
BRUNTMOVEDONHIM。
Theplunginginthelotterieswasfine。Theyfilledeightthousand-
rupeelotteriesontheBrokenLinkHandicap，andtheaccountinthePioneersaidthat“favoritismwasdivided。”InplainEnglish，thevariouscontingentswerewildontheirrespectivehorses；fortheHandicappershaddonetheirworkwell。TheHonorarySecretaryshoutedhimselfhoarsethroughthedin；andthesmokeofthecherootswaslikethesmoke，andtherattlingofthedice-boxesliketherattleofsmall-armfire。
Tenhorsesstarted——verylevel——andRegulaBaddun'sownercanteredoutonhisbacktoaplaceinsidethecircleofthecourse，wheretwobrickshadbeenthrown。Hefacedtowardsthebrick-moundsatthelowerendofthecourseandwaited。
ThestoryoftherunningisinthePioneer。Attheendofthefirstmile，Shacklescreptoutoftheruck，wellontheoutside，readytogetroundtheturn，layholdofthebitandspinupthestraightbeforetheothersknewhehadgotaway。Bruntwassittingstill，perfectlyhappy，listeningtothe“drum，drum，drum“ofthehoofsbehind，andknowingthat，inabouttwentystrides，Shackleswoulddrawonedeepbreathandgoupthelasthalf-milelikethe“FlyingDutchman。”AsShackleswentshorttotaketheturnandcameabreastofthebrick-mound，Bruntheard，abovethenoiseofthewindinhisears，awhining，wailingvoiceontheoffside，saying:——“Godha'
mercy，I'mdonefor！“Inonestride，BruntsawthewholeseethingsmashoftheMaribyrnongPlatebeforehim，startedinhissaddleandgaveayellofterror。ThestartbroughttheheelsintoShackles'
side，andthescreamhurtShackles'feelings。Hecouldn'tstopdead；butheputouthisfeetandslidalongforfiftyyards，andthen，verygravelyandjudicially，buckedoffBrunt——ashaking，terror-strickenlump，whileRegulaBaddunmadeaneck-and-neckracewithBobolinkupthestraight，andwonbyashorthead——Petardabadthird。Shackles'owner，intheStand，triedtothinkthathisfield-glasseshadgonewrong。RegulaBaddun'sowner，waitingbythetwobricks，gaveonedeepsighofrelief，andcanteredbacktothestand。Hehadwon，inlotteriesandbets，aboutfifteenthousand。
Itwasabroken-linkHandicapwithavengeance。Itbrokenearlyallthemenconcerned，andnearlybroketheheartofShackles'owner。
HewentdowntointerviewBrunt。Theboylay，lividandgaspingwithfright，wherehehadtumbledoff。Thesinoflosingtheraceneverseemedtostrikehim。AllheknewwasthatWhalleyhad“called“him，thatthe“call“wasawarning；and，werehecutintwoforit，hewouldnevergetupagain。Hisnervehadgonealtogether，andheonlyaskedhismastertogivehimagoodthrashing，andlethimgo。Hewasfitfornothing，hesaid。Hegothisdismissal，andcreptuptothepaddock，whiteaschalk，withbluelips，hiskneesgivingwayunderhim。Peoplesaidnastythingsinthepaddock；butBruntneverheeded。Hechangedintotweeds，tookhisstickandwentdowntheroad，stillshakingwithfright，andmutteringoverandoveragain:——“Godha'mercy，I'mdonefor！“Tothebestofmyknowledgeandbeliefhespokethetruth。
SonowyouknowhowtheBroken-LinkHandicapwasrunandwon。Ofcourseyoudon'tbelieveit。YouwouldcreditanythingaboutRussia'sdesignsonIndia，ortherecommendationsoftheCurrencyCommission；butalittlebitofsoberfactismorethanyoucanstand！
BEYONDTHEPALE。
“Loveheedsnotcastenorsleepabrokenbed。Iwentinsearchofloveandlostmyself。”
HinduProverb。
Amanshould，whateverhappens，keeptohisowncaste，raceandbreed。LettheWhitegototheWhiteandtheBlacktotheBlack。
Then，whatevertroublefallsisintheordinarycourseofthings——
neithersudden，alien，norunexpected。
Thisisthestoryofamanwhowilfullysteppedbeyondthesafelimitsofdecentevery-daysociety，andpaidforitheavily。
Heknewtoomuchinthefirstinstance；andhesawtoomuchinthesecond。Hetooktoodeepaninterestinnativelife；buthewillneverdosoagain。
DeepawayintheheartoftheCity，behindJithaMegji'sbustee，liesAmirNath'sGully，whichendsinadead-wallpiercedbyonegratedwindow。AttheheadoftheGullyisabigcow-byre，andthewallsoneithersideoftheGullyarewithoutwindows。NeitherSuchetSinghnorGaurChandapprovedoftheirwomen-folklookingintotheworld。IfDurgaCharanhadbeenoftheiropinion，hewouldhavebeenahappiermanto-day，andlittleBiessawouldhavebeenabletokneadherownbread。HerroomlookedoutthroughthegratedwindowintothenarrowdarkGullywherethesunnevercameandwherethebuffaloeswallowedintheblueslime。Shewasawidow，aboutfifteenyearsold，andsheprayedtheGods，dayandnight，tosendheralover；forshedidnotapproveoflivingalone。
Onedaytheman——Trejagohisnamewas——cameintoAmirNath'sGullyonanaimlesswandering；and，afterhehadpassedthebuffaloes，stumbledoverabigheapofcattlefood。
ThenhesawthattheGullyendedinatrap，andheardalittlelaughfrombehindthegratedwindow。Itwasaprettylittlelaugh，andTrejago，knowingthat，forallpracticalpurposes，theoldArabianNightsaregoodguides，wentforwardtothewindow，andwhisperedthatverseof“TheLoveSongofHarDyal“whichbegins:
CanamanstanduprightinthefaceofthenakedSun；
oraLoverinthePresenceofhisBeloved?
Ifmyfeetfailme，OHeartofmyHeart，amItoblame，beingblindedbytheglimpseofyourbeauty?
Therecamethefainttchinksofawoman'sbraceletsfrombehindthegrating，andalittlevoicewentonwiththesongatthefifthverse:
Alas！alas！CantheMoontelltheLotusofherlovewhentheGateofHeavenisshutandthecloudsgatherfortherains?
TheyhavetakenmyBeloved，anddrivenherwiththepack-horsestotheNorth。
Thereareironchainsonthefeetthatweresetonmyheart。
Calltothebowmantomakeready——
Thevoicestoppedsuddenly，andTrejagowalkedoutofAmirNath'sGully，wonderingwhointheworldcouldhavecapped“TheLoveSongofHarDyal“soneatly。
Nextmorning，ashewasdrivingtotheoffice，anoldwomanthrewapacketintohisdog-cart。Inthepacketwasthehalfofabrokenglassbangle，oneflowerofthebloodreddhak，apinchofbhusaorcattle-food，andelevencardamoms。Thatpacketwasaletter——notaclumsycompromisingletter，butaninnocent，unintelligiblelover'sepistle。
Trejagoknewfartoomuchaboutthesethings，asIhavesaid。NoEnglishmanshouldbeabletotranslateobject-letters。ButTrejagospreadallthetriflesonthelidofhisoffice-boxandbegantopuzzlethemout。
Abrokenglass-banglestandsforaHinduwidowallIndiaover；
because，whenherhusbanddiesawoman'sbraceletsarebrokenonherwrists。Trejagosawthemeaningofthelittlebitoftheglass。
Theflowerofthedhakmeansdiversely“desire，““come，““write，“or“danger，“accordingtotheotherthingswithit。Onecardamommeans“jealousy；“butwhenanyarticleisduplicatedinanobject-letter，itlosesitssymbolicmeaningandstandsmerelyforoneofanumberindicatingtime，or，ifincense，curds，orsaffronbesentalso，place。Themessageranthen:——“Awidowdhakflowerandbhusa——ateleveno'clock。”ThepinchofbhusaenlightenedTrejago。Hesaw——
thiskindofletterleavesmuchtoinstinctiveknowledge——thatthebhusareferredtothebigheapofcattle-foodoverwhichhehadfalleninAmirNath'sGully，andthatthemessagemustcomefromthepersonbehindthegrating；shebeingawidow。Sothemessageranthen:——“Awidow，intheGullyinwhichistheheapofbhusa，desiresyoutocomeateleveno'clock。”
Trejagothrewalltherubbishintothefireplaceandlaughed。HeknewthatmenintheEastdonotmakeloveunderwindowsatelevenintheforenoon，nordowomenfixappointmentsaweekinadvance。
Sohewent，thatverynightateleven，intoAmirNath'sGully，cladinaboorka，whichcloaksamanaswellasawoman。DirectlythegongsintheCitymadethehour，thelittlevoicebehindthegratingtookup“TheLoveSongofHarDyal“attheversewherethePanthangirlcallsuponHarDyaltoreturn。ThesongisreallyprettyintheVernacular。InEnglishyoumissthewailofit。Itrunssomethinglikethis:——
Aloneuponthehousetops，totheNorthIturnandwatchthelightninginthesky，——
TheglamourofthyfootstepsintheNorth，Comebacktome，Beloved，orIdie！
BelowmyfeetthestillbazarislaidFar，farbelowthewearycamelslie，——
Thecamelsandthecaptivesofthyraid，Comebacktome，Beloved，orIdie！
Myfather'swifeisoldandharshwithyears，Anddrudgeofallmyfather'shouseamI——
Mybreadissorrowandmydrinkistears，Comebacktome，Beloved，orIdie！
Asthesongstopped，Trejagosteppedupunderthegratingandwhispered:——“Iamhere。”
Bisesawasgoodtolookupon。
Thatnightwasthebeginningofmanystrangethings，andofadoublelifesowildthatTrejagoto-daysometimeswondersifitwerenotalladream。Bisesaorheroldhandmaidenwhohadthrowntheobject-letterhaddetachedtheheavygratingfromthebrick-workofthewall；sothatthewindowslidinside，leavingonlyasquareofrawmasonry，intowhichanactivemanmightclimb。
Intheday-time，Trejagodrovethroughhisroutineofoffice-work，orputonhiscalling-clothesandcalledontheladiesoftheStation；wonderinghowlongtheywouldknowhimiftheyknewofpoorlittleBisesa。Atnight，whenalltheCitywasstill，camethewalkundertheevil-smellingboorka，thepatrolthroughJithaMegji'sbustee，thequickturnintoAmirNath'sGullybetweenthesleepingcattleandthedeadwalls，andthen，lastofall，Bisesa，andthedeep，evenbreathingoftheoldwomanwhosleptoutsidethedoorofthebarelittleroomthatDurgaCharanallottedtohissister'sdaughter。WhoorwhatDurgaCharanwas，Trejagoneverinquired；andwhyintheworldhewasnotdiscoveredandknifedneveroccurredtohimtillhismadnesswasover，andBisesa……Butthiscomeslater。
BisesawasanendlessdelighttoTrejago。Shewasasignorantasabird；andherdistortedversionsoftherumorsfromtheoutsideworldthathadreachedherinherroom，amusedTrejagoalmostasmuchasherlispingattemptstopronouncehisname——“Christopher。”
Thefirstsyllablewasalwaysmorethanshecouldmanage，andshemadefunnylittlegestureswithherrose-leafhands，asonethrowingthenameaway，andthen，kneelingbeforeTrejago，askedhim，exactlyasanEnglishwomanwoulddo，ifheweresurehelovedher。Trejagosworethathelovedhermorethananyoneelseintheworld。Whichwastrue。
Afteramonthofthisfolly，theexigenciesofhisotherlifecompelledTrejagotobeespeciallyattentivetoaladyofhisacquaintance。Youmaytakeitforafactthatanythingofthiskindisnotonlynoticedanddiscussedbyaman'sownrace，butbysomehundredandfiftynativesaswell。TrejagohadtowalkwiththisladyandtalktoherattheBand-stand，andonceortwicetodrivewithher；neverforaninstantdreamingthatthiswouldaffecthisdearerout-of-the-waylife。Butthenewsflew，intheusualmysteriousfashion，frommouthtomouth，tillBisesa'sduennaheardofitandtoldBisesa。Thechildwassotroubledthatshedidthehouseholdworkevilly，andwasbeatenbyDurgaCharan'swifeinconsequence。
Aweeklater，BisesataxedTrejagowiththeflirtation。Sheunderstoodnogradationsandspokeopenly。TrejagolaughedandBisesastampedherlittlefeet——littlefeet，lightasmarigoldflowers，thatcouldlieinthepalmofaman'sonehand。
Muchthatiswrittenabout“Orientalpassionandimpulsiveness“isexaggeratedandcompiledatsecond-hand，butalittleofitistrue；
andwhenanEnglishmanfindsthatlittle，itisquiteasstartlingasanypassioninhisownproperlife。Bisesaragedandstormed，andfinallythreatenedtokillherselfifTrejagodidnotatoncedropthealienMemsahibwhohadcomebetweenthem。Trejagotriedtoexplain，andtoshowherthatshedidnotunderstandthesethingsfromaWesternstandpoint。Bisesadrewherselfup，andsaidsimply:
“Idonot。Iknowonlythis——itisnotgoodthatIshouldhavemadeyoudearerthanmyownhearttome，Sahib。YouareanEnglishman。
Iamonlyablackgirl“——shewasfairerthanbar-goldintheMint——
“andthewidowofablackman。”
Thenshesobbedandsaid:“ButonmysoulandmyMother'ssoul，I
loveyou。Thereshallnoharmcometoyou，whateverhappenstome。”
Trejagoarguedwiththechild，andtriedtosootheher，butsheseemedquiteunreasonablydisturbed。Nothingwouldsatisfyhersavethatallrelationsbetweenthemshouldend。Hewastogoawayatonce。Andhewent。Ashedroppedoutatthewindow，shekissedhisforeheadtwice，andhewalkedawaywondering。
Aweek，andthenthreeweeks，passedwithoutasignfromBisesa。
Trejago，thinkingthattherupturehadlastedquitelongenough，wentdowntoAmirNath'sGullyforthefifthtimeinthethreeweeks，hopingthathisrapatthesilloftheshiftinggratingwouldbeanswered。Hewasnotdisappointed。
Therewasayoungmoon，andonestreamoflightfelldownintoAmirNath'sGully，andstruckthegrating，whichwasdrawnawayasheknocked。Fromtheblackdark，Bisesaheldoutherarmsintothemoonlight。Bothhandshadbeencutoffatthewrists，andthestumpswerenearlyhealed。
Then，asBisesabowedherheadbetweenherarmsandsobbed，someoneintheroomgruntedlikeawildbeast，andsomethingsharp——knife，swordorspear——thrustatTrejagoinhisboorka。Thestrokemissedhisbody，butcutintooneofthemusclesofthegroin，andhelimpedslightlyfromthewoundfortherestofhisdays。
Thegratingwentintoitsplace。Therewasnosignwhateverfrominsidethehouse——nothingbutthemoonlightstriponthehighwall，andtheblacknessofAmirNath'sGullybehind。
ThenextthingTrejagoremembers，afterragingandshoutinglikeamadmanbetweenthosepitilesswalls，isthathefoundhimselfneartheriverasthedawnwasbreaking，threwawayhisboorkaandwenthomebareheaded。
Whatthetragedywas——whetherBisesahad，inafitofcauselessdespair，toldeverything，ortheintriguehadbeendiscoveredandshetorturedtotell，whetherDurgaCharanknewhisname，andwhatbecameofBisesa——Trejagodoesnotknowtothisday。Somethinghorriblehadhappened，andthethoughtofwhatitmusthavebeencomesuponTrejagointhenightnowandagain，andkeepshimcompanytillthemorning。OnespecialfeatureofthecaseisthathedoesnotknowwhereliesthefrontofDurgaCharan'shouse。Itmayopenontoacourtyardcommontotwoormorehouses，oritmayliebehindanyoneofthegatesofJithaMegji'sbustee。Trejagocannottell。
HecannotgetBisesa——poorlittleBisesa——backagain。HehaslostherintheCity，whereeachman'shouseisasguardedandasunknowableasthegrave；andthegratingthatopensintoAmirNath'sGullyhasbeenwalledup。
ButTrejagopayshiscallsregularly，andisreckonedaverydecentsortofman。
Thereisnothingpeculiarabouthim，exceptaslightstiffness，causedbyariding-strain，intherightleg。
INERROR。
Theyburntacorpseuponthesand——
Thelightshoneoutafar；
ItguidedhometheplungingboatsThatbeatfromZanzibar。
SpiritofFire，where'erThyaltarsrise。
ThouartLightofGuidancetooureyes！
SalsetteBoat-Song。
Thereishopeforamanwhogetspubliclyandriotouslydrunkmoreoftenthatheoughttodo；butthereisnohopeforthemanwhodrinkssecretlyandaloneinhisownhouse——themanwhoisneverseentodrink。
Thisisarule；sotheremustbeanexceptiontoproveit。
Moriarty'scasewasthatexception。
HewasaCivilEngineer，andtheGovernment，verykindly，puthimquitebyhimselfinanout-district，withnobodybutnativestotalktoandagreatdealofworktodo。Hedidhisworkwellinthefouryearshewasutterlyalone；buthepickeduptheviceofsecretandsolitarydrinking，andcameupoutofthewildernessmoreoldandwornandhaggardthanthedead-alivelifehadanyrighttomakehim。
Youknowthesayingthatamanwhohasbeenaloneinthejungleformorethanayearisneverquitesaneallhislifeafter。PeoplecreditedMoriarty'squeernessofmannerandmoodywaystothesolitude，andsaiditshowedhowGovernmentspoiltthefuturesofitsbestmen。Moriartyhadbuilthimselftheplinthofaverygodreputationinthebridge-dam-girderline。Butheknew，everynightoftheweek，thathewastakingstepstounderminethatreputationwithL。L。L。and“Christopher“andlittlenipsofliqueurs，andfilthofthatkind。Hehadasoundconstitutionandagreatbrain，orelsehewouldhavebrokendownanddiedlikeasickcamelinthedistrict，asbettermenhavedonebeforehim。
GovernmentorderedhimtoSimlaafterhehadcomeoutofthedesert；
andhewentupmeaningtotryforapostthenvacant。Thatseason，Mrs。Reiver——perhapsyouwillrememberher——wasintheheightofherpower，andmanymenlayunderheryoke。EverythingbadthatcouldbesaidhasalreadybeensaidaboutMrs。Reiver，inanothertale。
Moriartywasheavily-builtandhandsome，veryquietandnervouslyanxioustopleasehisneighborswhenhewasn'tsunkinabrownstudy。Hestartedagooddealatsuddennoisesorifspokentowithoutwarning；and，whenyouwatchedhimdrinkinghisglassofwateratdinner，youcouldseethehandshakealittle。Butallthiswasputdowntonervousness，andthequiet，steady，“sip-sip-
sip，fillandsip-sip-sip，again，“thatwentoninhisownroomwhenhewasbyhimself，wasneverknown。Whichwasmiraculous，seeinghoweverythinginaman'sprivatelifeispublicpropertyouthere。
Moriartywasdrawn，notintoMrs。Reiver'sset，becausetheywerenothissort，butintothepowerofMrs。Reiver，andhefelldowninfrontofherandmadeagoddessofher。Thiswasduetohiscomingfreshoutofthejungletoabigtown。Hecouldnotscalethingsproperlyorseewhowaswhat。
BecauseMrs。Reiverwascoldandhard，hesaidshewasstatelyanddignified。Becauseshehadnobrains，andcouldnottalkcleverly，hesaidshewasreservedandshy。Mrs。Reivershy！Becauseshewasunworthyofhonororreverencefromanyone，hereverencedherfromadistanceanddoweredherwithallthevirtuesintheBibleandmostofthoseinShakespeare。
Thisbig，dark，abstractedmanwhowassonervouswhenaponycanteredbehindhim，usedtomooninthetrainofMrs。Reiver，blushingwithpleasurewhenshethrewawordortwohisway。Hisadmirationwasstrictlyplatonic:evenotherwomensawandadmittedthis。HedidnotmoveoutinSimla，soheheardnothingagainsthisidol:whichwassatisfactory。Mrs。Reivertooknospecialnoticeofhim，beyondseeingthathewasaddedtoherlistofadmirers，andgoingforawalkwithhimnowandthen，justtoshowthathewasherproperty，claimableassuch。Moriartymusthavedonemostofthetalking，forMrs。Reivercouldn'ttalkmuchtoamanofhisstamp；
andthelittleshesaidcouldnothavebeenprofitable。WhatMoriartybelievedin，ashehadgoodreasonto，wasMrs。Reiver'sinfluenceoverhim，and，inthatbelief，sethimselfseriouslytotrytodoawaywiththevicethatonlyhehimselfknewof。
Hisexperienceswhilehewasfightingwithitmusthavebeenpeculiar，butheneverdescribedthem。Sometimeshewouldholdofffromeverythingexceptwaterforaweek。Then，onarainynight，whennoonehadaskedhimouttodinner，andtherewasabigfireinhisroom，andeverythingcomfortable，hewouldsitdownandmakeabignightofitbyaddinglittleniptolittlenip，planningbigschemesofreformationmeanwhile，untilhethrewhimselfonhisbedhopelesslydrunk。Hesufferednextmorning。
Onenight，thebigcrashcame。Hewastroubledinhisownmindoverhisattemptstomakehimself“worthyofthefriendship“ofMrs。
Reiver。Thepasttendayshadbeenverybadones，andtheendofitallwasthathereceivedthearrearsoftwoandthree-quarteryearsofsippinginoneattackofdeliriumtremensofthesubduedkind；
beginningwithsuicidaldepression，goingontofitsandstartsandhysteria，andendingwithdownrightraving。Ashesatinachairinfrontofthefire，orwalkedupanddowntheroompickingahandkerchieftopieces，youheardwhatpoorMoriartyreallythoughtofMrs。Reiver，forheravedaboutherandhisownfallforthemostpart；thoughheravelledsomeP。W。D。accountsintothesameskeinofthought。Hetalked，andtalked，andtalkedinalowdrywhispertohimself，andtherewasnostoppinghim。Heseemedtoknowthattherewassomethingwrong，andtwicetriedtopullhimselftogetherandconferrationallywiththeDoctor；buthismindranoutofcontrolatonce，andhefellbacktoawhisperandthestoryofhistroubles。Itisterribletohearabigmanbabblinglikeachildofallthatamanusuallylocksup，andputsawayinthedeepofhisheart。Moriartyreadouthisverysoulforthebenefitofanyonewhowasintheroombetweenten-thirtythatnightandtwo-forty-fivenextmorning。
Fromwhathesaid，onegatheredhowimmenseaninfluenceMrs。Reiverheldoverhim，andhowthoroughlyhefeltforhisownlapse。Hiswhisperingscannot，ofcourse，beputdownhere；buttheywereveryinstructiveasshowingtheerrorsofhisestimates……
Whenthetroublewasover，andhisfewacquaintanceswerepityinghimforthebadattackofjungle-feverthathadsopulledhimdown，MoriartysworeabigoathtohimselfandwentabroadagainwithMrs。
Reivertilltheendoftheseason，adoringherinaquietanddeferentialwayasanangelfromheaven。Lateronhetooktoriding——nothacking，buthonestriding——whichwasgoodproofthathewasimproving，andyoucouldslamdoorsbehindhimwithouthisjumpingtohisfeetwithagasp。That，again，washopeful。
Howhekepthisoath，andwhatitcosthiminthebeginning，nobodyknows。Hecertainlymanagedtocompassthehardestthingthatamanwhohasdrankheavilycando。Hetookhispegandwineatdinner，butheneverdrankalone，andneverletwhathedrankhavetheleastholdonhim。
Oncehetoldabosom-friendthestoryofhisgreattrouble，andhowthe“influenceofapurehonestwoman，andanangelaswell“hadsavedhim。Whentheman——startledatanythinggoodbeinglaidtoMrs。Reiver'sdoor——laughed，itcosthimMoriarty'sfriendship。
Moriarty，whoismarriednowtoawomantenthousandtimesbetterthanMrs。Reiver——awomanwhobelievesthatthereisnomanonearthasgoodandcleverasherhusband——willgodowntohisgravevowingandprotestingthatMrs。Reiversavedhimfromruininbothworlds。
ThatsheknewanythingofMoriarty'sweaknessnobodybelievedforamoment。Thatshewouldhavecuthimdead，thrownhimover，andacquaintedallherfriendswithherdiscovery，ifshehadknownofit，nobodywhoknewherdoubtedforaninstant。
Moriartythoughthersomethingsheneverwas，andinthatbeliefsavedhimself。Whichwasjustasgoodasthoughshehadbeeneverythingthathehadimagined。
Butthequestionis，whatclaimwillMrs。ReiverhavetothecreditofMoriarty'ssalvation，whenherdayofreckoningcomes?
ABANKFRAUD。
Hedrankstrongwatersandhisspeechwascoarse；
Hepurchasedraimentandforeboretopay；
Hestruckatrustingjuniorwithahorse，AndwonGymkhanasinadoubtfulway。
Then，'twixtaviceandfolly，turnedasideTodogooddeedsandstraighttocloakthem，lied。
TheMessRoom。
IfReggieBurkewereinIndianow，hewouldresentthistalebeingtold；butasheisinHong-Kongandwon'tseeit，thetellingissafe。HewasthemanwhoworkedthebigfraudontheSindandSialkoteBank。Hewasmanagerofanup-countryBranch，andasoundpracticalmanwithalargeexperienceofnativeloanandinsurancework。Hecouldcombinethefrivolitiesofordinarylifewithhiswork，andyetdowell。ReggieBurkerodeanythingthatwouldlethimgetup，dancedasneatlyasherode，andwaswantedforeverysortofamusementintheStation。
Ashesaidhimself，andasmanymenfoundoutrathertotheirsurprise，thereweretwoBurkes，bothverymuchatyourservice。
“ReggieBurke，“betweenfourandten，readyforanythingfromahot-
weathergymkhanatoariding-picnic；and，betweentenandfour，“Mr。
ReginaldBurke，ManageroftheSindandSialkoteBranchBank。”Youmightplaypolowithhimoneafternoonandhearhimexpresshisopinionswhenamancrossed；andyoumightcallonhimnextmorningtoraiseatwo-thousandrupeeloanonafivehundredpoundinsurance-policy，eightypoundspaidinpremiums。Hewouldrecognizeyou，butyouwouldhavesometroubleinrecognizinghim。
TheDirectorsoftheBank——ithaditsheadquartersinCalcuttaanditsGeneralManager'swordcarriedweightwiththeGovernment——
pickedtheirmenwell。TheyhadtestedReggieuptoafairlyseverebreaking-strain。TheytrustedhimjustasmuchasDirectorsevertrustManagers。Youmustseeforyourselfwhethertheirtrustwasmisplaced。
Reggie'sBranchwasinabigStation，andworkedwiththeusualstaff——oneManager，oneAccountant，bothEnglish，aCashier，andahordeofnativeclerks；besidesthePolicepatrolatnightsoutside。
Thebulkofitswork，foritwasinathrivingdistrict，washoondiandaccommodationofallkinds。Afoolhasnogripofthissortofbusiness；andaclevermanwhodoesnotgoaboutamonghisclients，andknowmorethanalittleoftheiraffairs，isworsethanafool。
Reggiewasyoung-looking，clean-shaved，withatwinkleinhiseye，andaheadthatnothingshortofagallonoftheGunners'Madeiracouldmakeanyimpressionon。
Oneday，atabigdinner，heannouncedcasuallythattheDirectorshadshiftedontohimaNaturalCuriosity，fromEngland，intheAccountantline。Hewasperfectlycorrect。Mr。SilasRiley，Accountant，wasaMOSTcuriousanimal——along，gawky，rawbonedYorkshireman，fullofthesavageself-conceitthatblossom'sonlyinthebestcountyinEngland。ArrogancewasamildwordforthementalattitudeofMr。S。Riley。Hehadworkedhimselfup，aftersevenyears，toaCashier'spositioninaHuddersfieldBank；andallhisexperiencelayamongthefactoriesoftheNorth。PerhapshewouldhavedonebetterontheBombayside，wheretheyarehappywithone-halfpercent。profits，andmoneyischeap。HewasuselessforUpperIndiaandawheatProvince，whereamanwantsalargeheadandatouchofimaginationifheistoturnoutasatisfactorybalance-
sheet。
Hewaswonderfullynarrow-mindedinbusiness，and，beingnewtothecountry，hadnonotionthatIndianbankingistotallydistinctfromHomework。Likemostcleverself-mademen，hehadmuchsimplicityinhisnature；and，somehoworother，hadconstruedtheordinarilypolitetermsofhisletterofengagementintoabeliefthattheDirectorshadchosenhimonaccountofhisspecialandbrillianttalents，andthattheysetgreatstorebyhim。Thisnotiongrewandcrystallized；thusaddingtohisnaturalNorth-countryconceit。
Further，hewasdelicate，sufferedfromsometroubleinhischest，andwasshortinhistemper。
YouwilladmitthatReggiehadreasontocallhisnewAccountantaNaturalCuriosity。Thetwomenfailedtohititoffatall。RileyconsideredReggieawild，feather-headedidiot，giventoHeavenonlyknewwhatdissipationinlowplacescalled“Messes，“andtotallyunfitfortheseriousandsolemnvocationofbanking。HecouldnevergetoverReggie'slookofyouthand“you-be-damned“air；andhecouldn'tunderstandReggie'sfriends——clean-built，carelessmenintheArmy——whorodeovertobigSundaybreakfastsattheBank，andtoldsultrystoriestillRileygotupandlefttheroom。RileywasalwaysshowingReggiehowthebusinessoughttobeconducted，andReggiehadmorethanoncetoremindhimthatsevenyears'limitedexperiencebetweenHuddersfieldandBeverlydidnotqualifyamantosteerabigup-countrybusiness。ThenRileysulkedandreferredtohimselfasapillaroftheBankandacherishedfriendoftheDirectors，andReggietorehishair。Ifaman'sEnglishsubordinatesfailhiminthiscountry，hecomestoahardtimeindeed，fornativehelphasstrictlimitations。InthewinterRileywentsickforweeksatatimewithhislungcomplaint，andthisthrewmoreworkonReggie。ButhepreferredittotheeverlastingfrictionwhenRileywaswell。
OneoftheTravellingInspectorsoftheBankdiscoveredthesecollapsesandreportedthemtotheDirectors。NowRileyhadbeenfoistedontheBankbyanM。P。，whowantedthesupportofRiley'sfather，who，again，wasanxioustogethissonouttoawarmerclimatebecauseofthoselungs。TheM。P。hadaninterestintheBank；butoneoftheDirectorswantedtoadvanceanomineeofhisown；and，afterRiley'sfatherhaddied，hemadetherestoftheBoardseethatanAccountantwhowassickforhalftheyear，hadbettergiveplacetoahealthyman。IfRileyhadknowntherealstoryofhisappointment，hemighthavebehavedbetter；butknowingnothing，hisstretchesofsicknessalternatedwithrestless，persistent，meddlingirritationofReggie，andallthehundredwaysinwhichconceitinasubordinatesituationcanfindplay。Reggieusedtocallhimstrikingandhair-curlingnamesbehindhisbackasarelieftohisownfeelings；butheneverabusedhimtohisface，becausehesaid:“Rileyissuchafrailbeastthathalfofhisloathsomeconceitisduetopainsinthechest。”
LateoneApril，Rileywentverysickindeed。Thedoctorpunchedhimandthumpedhim，andtoldhimhewouldbebetterbeforelong。ThenthedoctorwenttoReggieandsaid:——“DoyouknowhowsickyourAccountantis?““No！“saidReggie——“Theworsethebetter，confoundhim！He'saclackingnuisancewhenhe'swell。I'llletyoutakeawaytheBankSafeifyoucandrughimsilentforthishot-weather。”
Butthedoctordidnotlaugh——“Man，I'mnotjoking，“hesaid。“I'llgivehimanotherthreemonthsinhisbedandaweekorsomoretodiein。Onmyhonorandreputationthat'sallthegracehehasinthisworld。Consumptionhasholdofhimtothemarrow。”
Reggie'sfacechangedatonceintothefaceof“Mr。ReginaldBurke，“
andheanswered:——“WhatcanIdo?“
“Nothing，“saidthedoctor。“Forallpracticalpurposesthemanisdeadalready。Keephimquietandcheerfulandtellhimhe'sgoingtorecover。That'sall。I'lllookafterhimtotheend，ofcourse。”
Thedoctorwentaway，andReggiesatdowntoopentheeveningmail。
HisfirstletterwasonefromtheDirectors，intimatingforhisinformationthatMr。Rileywastoresign，underamonth'snotice，bythetermsofhisagreement，tellingReggiethattheirlettertoRileywouldfollowandadvisingReggieofthecomingofanewAccountant，amanwhomReggieknewandliked。
Reggielitacheroot，and，beforehehadfinishedsmoking，hehadsketchedtheoutlineofafraud。Heputaway——“burked“——theDirectorsletter，andwentintotalktoRiley，whowasasungraciousasusual，andfrettinghimselfoverthewaythebankwouldrunduringhisillness。HeneverthoughtoftheextraworkonReggie'sshoulders，butsolelyofthedamagetohisownprospectsofadvancement。ThenReggieassuredhimthateverythingwouldbewell，andthathe，Reggie，wouldconferwithRileydailyonthemanagementoftheBank。Rileywasalittlesoothed，buthehintedinasmanywordsthathedidnotthinkmuchofReggie'sbusinesscapacity。
Reggiewashumble。AndhehadlettersinhisdeskfromtheDirectorsthataGilbarteoraHardiemighthavebeenproudof！
Thedayspassedinthebigdarkenedhouse，andtheDirectors'letterofdismissaltoRileycameandwasputawaybyReggie，who，everyevening，broughtthebookstoRiley'sroom，andshowedhimwhathadbeengoingforward，whileRileysnarled。ReggiedidhisbesttomakestatementspleasingtoRiley，buttheAccountantwassurethattheBankwasgoingtorackandruinwithouthim。InJune，asthelyinginbedtoldonhisspirit，heaskedwhetherhisabsencehadbeennotedbytheDirectors，andReggiesaidthattheyhadwrittenmostsympatheticletters，hopingthathewouldbeabletoresumehisvaluableservicesbeforelong。HeshowedRileytheletters:andRileysaidthattheDirectorsoughttohavewrittentohimdirect。
Afewdayslater，ReggieopenedRiley'smailinthehalf-lightoftheroom，andgavehimthesheet——nottheenvelope——ofalettertoRileyfromtheDirectors。RileysaidhewouldthankReggienottointerferewithhisprivatepapers，speciallyasReggieknewhewastooweaktoopenhisownletters。Reggieapologized。
ThenRiley'smoodchanged，andhelecturedReggieonhisevilways:
hishorsesandhisbadfriends。“Ofcourse，lyinghereonmyback，Mr。Burke，Ican'tkeepyoustraight；butwhenI'mwell，IDOhopeyou'llpaysomeheedtomywords。”Reggie，whohaddroppedpolo，anddinners，andtennis，andalltoattendtoRiley，saidthathewaspenitentandsettledRiley'sheadonthepillowandheardhimfretandcontradictinhard，dry，hackingwhispers，withoutasignofimpatience。Thisattheendofaheavyday'sofficework，doingdoubleduty，inthelatterhalfofJune。
WhenthenewAccountantcame，Reggietoldhimthefactsofthecase，andannouncedtoRileythathehadagueststayingwithhim。Rileysaidthathemighthavehadmoreconsiderationthantoentertainhis“doubtfulfriends“atsuchatime。ReggiemadeCarron，thenewAccountant，sleepattheClubinconsequence。Carron'sarrivaltooksomeoftheheavyworkoffhisshoulders，andhehadtimetoattendtoRiley'sexactions——toexplain，soothe，invent，andsettleandresettlethepoorwretchinbed，andtoforgecomplimentarylettersfromCalcutta。Attheendofthefirstmonth，Rileywishedtosendsomemoneyhometohismother。Reggiesentthedraft。Attheendofthesecondmonth，Riley'ssalarycameinjustthesame。Reggiepaiditoutofhisownpocket；and，withit，wroteRileyabeautifulletterfromtheDirectors。
Rileywasveryillindeed，buttheflameofhislifeburntunsteadily。Nowandthenhewouldbecheerfulandconfidentaboutthefuture，sketchingplansforgoingHomeandseeinghismother。
Reggielistenedpatientlywhentheofficeworkwasover，andencouragedhim。
AtothertimesRileyinsistedonReggie'sreadingtheBibleandgrim“Methody“tractstohim。OutofthesetractshepointedmoralsdirectedathisManager。ButhealwaysfoundtimetoworryReggieabouttheworkingoftheBank，andtoshowhimwheretheweakpointslay。
Thisin-door，sick-roomlifeandconstantstrainsworeReggiedownagooddeal，andshookhisnerves，andloweredhisbilliard-playbyfortypoints。ButthebusinessoftheBank，andthebusinessofthesick-room，hadtogoon，thoughtheglasswas116degreesintheshade。
Attheendofthethirdmonth，Rileywassinkingfast，andhadbeguntorealizethathewasverysick。ButtheconceitthatmadehimworryReggie，kepthimfrombelievingtheworst。“Hewantssomesortofmentalstimulantifheistodragon，“saidthedoctor。
“Keephiminterestedinlifeifyoucareabouthisliving。”SoRiley，contrarytoallthelawsofbusinessandthefinance，receiveda25-per-cent，riseofsalaryfromtheDirectors。The“mentalstimulant“succeededbeautifully。Rileywashappyandcheerful，and，asisoftenthecaseinconsumption，healthiestinmindwhenthebodywasweakest。Helingeredforafullmonth，snarlingandfrettingabouttheBank，talkingofthefuture，hearingtheBibleread，lecturingReggieonsin，andwonderingwhenhewouldbeabletomoveabroad。
ButattheendofSeptember，onemercilesslyhotevening，heroseupinhisbedwithalittlegasp，andsaidquicklytoReggie:——“Mr。
Burke，Iamgoingtodie。Iknowitinmyself。Mychestisallhollowinside，andthere'snothingtobreathewith。TothebestofmyknowledgeIhavedonenowt“——hewasreturningtothetalkofhisboyhood——“tolieheavyonmyconscience。Godbethanked，Ihavebeenpreservedfromthegrosserformsofsin；andIcounselYOU，Mr。
Burke……”
Herehisvoicedieddown，andReggiestoopedoverhim。
“SendmysalaryforSeptembertomymother……donegreatthingswiththeBankifIhadbeenspared……mistakenpolicy……
nofaultofmine。”
Thenheturnedhisfacetothewallanddied。
ReggiedrewthesheetoverItsface，andwentoutintotheverandah，withhislast“mentalstimulant“——aletterofcondolenceandsympathyfromtheDirectors——unusedinhispocket。
“IfI'dbeenonlytenminutesearlier，“thoughtReggie，“Imighthaveheartenedhimuptopullthroughanotherday。”
TOD'SAMENDMENT。
TheWorldhathsetitsheavyyokeUpontheoldwhite-beardedfolkWhostrivetopleasetheKing。
God'smercyisupontheyoung，God'swisdominthebabytongueThatfearsnotanything。
TheParableofChajjuBhagat。
NowTods'Mammawasasingularlycharmingwoman，andeveryoneinSimlaknewTods。Mostmenhadsavedhimfromdeathonoccasions。
Hewasbeyondhisayah'scontrolaltogether，andperilledhislifedailytofindoutwhatwouldhappenifyoupulledaMountainBatterymule'stail。HewasanutterlyfearlessyoungPagan，aboutsixyearsold，andtheonlybabywhoeverbroketheholycalmofthesupremeLegislativeCouncil。
Ithappenedthisway:Tods'petkidgotloose，andfledupthehill，offtheBoileaugungeRoad，Todsafterit，untilitburstintotheViceregalLodgelawn，thenattachedto“Peterhoff。”TheCouncilweresittingatthetime，andthewindowswereopenbecauseitwaswarm。TheRedLancerintheporchtoldTodstogoaway；butTodsknewtheRedLancerandmostoftheMembersofCouncilpersonally。
Moreover，hehadfirmholdofthekid'scollar，andwasbeingdraggedallacrosstheflower-beds。“GivemysalaamtothelongCouncillorSahib，andaskhimtohelpmetakeMotiback！“gaspedTods。TheCouncilheardthenoisethroughtheopenwindows；and，afteraninterval，wasseentheshockingspectacleofaLegalMemberandaLieutenant-Governorhelping，underthedirectpatronageofaCommander-in-ChiefandaViceroy，onesmallandverydirtyboyinasailor'ssuitandatangleofbrownhair，tocoercealivelyandrebelliouskid。TheyheadeditoffdownthepathtotheMall，andTodswenthomeintriumphandtoldhisMammathatALLtheCouncillorSahibshadbeenhelpinghimtocatchMoti。WhereathisMammasmackedTodsforinterferingwiththeadministrationoftheEmpire；
butTodsmettheLegalMemberthenextday，andtoldhiminconfidencethatiftheLegalMembereverwantedtocatchagoat，he，Tods，wouldgivehimallthehelpinhispower。“Thankyou，Tods，“
saidtheLegalMember。
Todswastheidolofsomeeightyjhampanis，andhalfasmanysaises。
Hesalutedthemallas“OBrother。”Itneverenteredhisheadthatanylivinghumanbeingcoulddisobeyhisorders；andhewasthebufferbetweentheservantsandhisMamma'swrath。TheworkingofthathouseholdturnedonTods，whowasadoredbyeveryonefromthedhobytothedog-boy。EvenFuttehKhan，thevillainousloaferkhitfromMussoorie，shirkedriskingTods'displeasureforfearhisco-
matesshouldlookdownonhim。
SoTodshadhonorinthelandfromBoileaugungetoChotaSimla，andruledjustlyaccordingtohislights。Ofcourse，hespokeUrdu，buthehadalsomasteredmanyqueerside-speecheslikethechoteeboleeofthewomen，andheldgraveconversewithshopkeepersandHill-
cooliesalike。Hewasprecociousforhisage，andhismixingwithnativeshadtaughthimsomeofthemorebittertruthsoflife；themeannessandthesordidnessofit。Heused，overhisbreadandmilk，todeliversolemnandseriousaphorisms，translatedfromthevernacularintotheEnglish，thatmadehisMammajumpandvowthatTodsMUSTgohomenexthotweather。
JustwhenTodswasinthebloomofhispower，theSupremeLegislaturewerehackingoutaBill，fortheSub-MontaneTracts，arevisionofthethenAct，smallerthanthePunjabLandBill，butaffectingafewhundredthousandpeoplenonetheless。TheLegalMemberhadbuilt，andbolstered，andembroidered，andamendedthatBill，tillitlookedbeautifulonpaper。ThentheCouncilbegantosettlewhattheycalledthe“minordetails。”AsifanyEnglishmanlegislatingfornativesknowsenoughtoknowwhicharetheminorandwhicharethemajorpoints，fromthenativepointofview，ofanymeasure！ThatBillwasatriumphof“safeguardingtheinterestsofthetenant。”Oneclauseprovidedthatlandshouldnotbeleasedonlongertermsthanfiveyearsatastretch；because，ifthelandlordhadatenantbounddownfor，say，twentyyears，hewouldsqueezetheverylifeoutofhim。ThenotionwastokeepupastreamofindependentcultivatorsintheSub-MontaneTracts；andethnologicallyandpoliticallythenotionwascorrect。Theonlydrawbackwasthatitwasaltogetherwrong。Anative'slifeinIndiaimpliesthelifeofhisson。Wherefore，youcannotlegislateforonegenerationatatime。Youmustconsiderthenextfromthenativepointofview。Curiouslyenough，thenativenowandthen，andinNorthernIndiamoreparticularly，hatesbeingover-protectedagainsthimself。TherewasaNagavillageonce，wheretheylivedondeadANDburiedCommissariatmules……Butthatisanotherstory。
Formanyreasons，tobeexplainedlater，thepeopleconcernedobjectedtotheBill。TheNativeMemberinCouncilknewasmuchaboutPunjabisasheknewaboutCharingCross。HehadsaidinCalcuttathat“theBillwasentirelyinaccordwiththedesiresofthatlargeandimportantclass，thecultivators；“andsoon，andsoon。TheLegalMember'sknowledgeofnativeswaslimitedtoEnglish-
speakingDurbaris，andhisownredchaprassis，theSub-MontaneTractsconcernednooneinparticular，theDeputyCommissionerswereagooddealtoodriventomakerepresentations，andthemeasurewasonewhichdealtwithsmalllandholdersonly。Nevertheless，theLegalMemberprayedthatitmightbecorrect，forhewasanervouslyconscientiousman。Hedidnotknowthatnomancantellwhatnativesthinkunlesshemixeswiththemwiththevarnishoff。Andnotalwaysthen。Buthedidthebestheknew。AndthemeasurecameuptotheSupremeCouncilforthefinaltouches，whileTodspatrolledtheBurraSimlaBazarinhismorningrides，andplayedwiththemonkeybelongingtoDittaMull，thebunnia，andlistened，asachildlistenstoallthestraytalkaboutthisnewfreakoftheLatSahib's。
Onedaytherewasadinner-party，atthehouseofTods'Mamma，andtheLegalMembercame。Todswasinbed，buthekeptawaketillheheardtheburstsoflaughterfromthemenoverthecoffee。Thenhepaddledoutinhislittleredflanneldressing-gownandhisnight-
suit，andtookrefugebythesideofhisfather，knowingthathewouldnotbesentback。“Seethemiseriesofhavingafamily！“saidTods'father，givingTodsthreeprunes，somewaterinaglassthathadbeenusedforclaret，andtellinghimtositstill。Todssuckedtheprunesslowly，knowingthathewouldhavetogowhentheywerefinished，andsippedthepinkwaterlikeamanoftheworld，ashelistenedtotheconversation。Presently，theLegalMember，talking“shop，“totheHeadofaDepartment，mentionedhisBillbyitsfullname——“TheSub-MontaneTractsRyotwariRevisedEnactment。”Todscaughttheonenativeword，andliftinguphissmallvoicesaid:——
“Oh，IknowALLaboutthat！Hasitbeenmurramuttedyet，CouncillorSahib?“
“Howmuch?“saidtheLegalMember。
“Murramutted——mended——Puttheek，youknow——madenicetopleaseDittaMull！“
TheLegalMemberlefthisplaceandmovedupnexttoTods。
“WhatdoyouknowaboutRyotwari，littleman?“hesaid。
“I'mnotalittleman，I'mTods，andIknowALLaboutit。DittaMull，andChogaLall，andAmirNath，and——oh，lakhsofmyfriendstellmeaboutitinthebazarswhenItalktothem。”
“Oh，theydo——dothey?Whatdotheysay，Tods?“
Todstuckedhisfeetunderhisredflanneldressing-gownandsaid:——
“Imustfink。”
TheLegalMemberwaitedpatiently。ThenTods，withinfinitecompassion:
“Youdon'tspeakmytalk，doyou，CouncillorSahib?“
“No；IamsorrytosayIdonot，“saidtheLegal'Member。
“Verywell，“saidTods。“ImustfinkinEnglish。”
Hespentaminuteputtinghisideasinorder，andbeganveryslowly，translatinginhismindfromthevernaculartoEnglish，asmanyAnglo-Indianchildrendo。YoumustrememberthattheLegalMemberhelpedhimonbyquestionswhenhehalted，forTodswasnotequaltothesustainedflightoforatorythatfollows。
“DittaMullsays:——'Thisthingisthetalkofachild，andwasmadeupbyfools。'ButIdon'tthinkyouareafool，CouncillorSahib，“
saidTodds，hastily。“Youcaughtmygoat。ThisiswhatDittaMullsays:——'Iamnotafool，andwhyshouldtheSirkarsayIamachild?
Icanseeifthelandisgoodandifthelandlordisgood。IfIamafool，thesinisuponmyownhead。ForfiveyearsItakemygroundforwhichIhavesavedmoney，andawifeItaketoo，andalittlesonisborn。'DittaMullhasonedaughternow，butheSAYS
hewillhaveason，soon。Andhesays:'Attheendoffiveyears，bythisnewbundobust，Imustgo。IfIdonotgo，Imustgetfreshsealsandtakkus-stampsonthepapers，perhapsinthemiddleoftheharvest，andtogotothelaw-courtsonceiswisdom，buttogotwiceisJehannum。'ThatisQUITEtrue，“explainedTods，gravely。“Allmyfriendssayso。AndDittaMullsays:——'Alwaysfreshtakkusandpayingmoneytovakilsandchaprassisandlaw-courtseveryfiveyearsorelsethelandlordmakesmego。WhydoIwanttogo?AmI
fool?IfIamafoolanddonotknow，afterfortyyears，goodlandwhenIseeit，letmedie！ButifthenewbundobustsaysforFIFTEENyears，thenitisgoodandwise。Mylittlesonisaman，andIamburnt，andhetakesthegroundoranotherground，payingonlyonceforthetakkus-stampsonthepapers，andhislittlesonisborn，andattheendoffifteenyearsisamantoo。Butwhatprofitisthereinfiveyearsandfreshpapers?Nothingbutdikh，trouble，dikh。Wearenotyoungmenwhotaketheselands，butoldones——notjais，buttradesmenwithalittlemoney——andforfifteenyearsweshallhavepeace。NorarewechildrenthattheSirkarshouldtreatusso。”
HereTodsstoppedshort，forthewholetablewerelistening。TheLegalMembersaidtoTods:“Isthatall?“
“AllIcanremember，“saidTods。“ButyoushouldseeDittaMull'sbigmonkey。It'sjustlikeaCouncillorSahib。”
“Tods！Gotobed，“saidhisfather。
Todsgathereduphisdressing-gowntailanddeparted。
TheLegalMemberbroughthishanddownonthetablewithacrash——
“ByJove！“saidtheLegalMember，“Ibelievetheboyisright。TheshorttenureIStheweakpoint。”
Heleftearly，thinkingoverwhatTodshadsaid。Now，itwasobviouslyimpossiblefortheLegalMembertoplaywithabunnia'smonkey，bywayofgettingunderstanding；buthedidbetter。Hemadeinquiries，alwaysbearinginmindthefactthattherealnative——notthehybrid，University-trainedmule——isastimidasacolt，and，littlebylittle，hecoaxedsomeofthemenwhomthemeasureconcernedmostintimatelytogiveintheirviews，whichsquaredverycloselywithTods'evidence。
SotheBillwasamendedinthatclause；andtheLegalMemberwasfilledwithanuneasysuspicionthatNativeMembersrepresentverylittleexcepttheOrderstheycarryontheirbosoms。Butheputthethoughtfromhimasilliberal。HewasamostLiberalMan。
AfteratimethenewsspreadthroughthebazarsthatTodshadgottheBillrecastinthetenureclause，andifTods'Mammahadnotinterfered，TodswouldhavemadehimselfsickonthebasketsoffruitandpistachionutsandCabuligrapesandalmondsthatcrowdedtheverandah。TillhewentHome，TodsrankedsomefewdegreesbeforetheViceroyinpopularestimation。ButforthelittlelifeofhimTodscouldnotunderstandwhy。
IntheLegalMember'sprivate-paper-boxstillliestheroughdraftoftheSub-MontaneTractsRyotwariRevisedEnactment；and，oppositethetwenty-secondclause，pencilledinbluechalk，andsignedbytheLegalMember，arethewords“Tods'Amendment。”
INTHEPRIDEOFHISYOUTH。
“Stoppedinthestraightwhentheracewashisown！
Lookathimcuttingit——curtothebone！“
“Askeretheyoungsterberatedandchidden，Whatdidhecarryandhowwasheridden?
Maybetheyusedhimtoomuchatthestart；
MaybeFate'sweight-clothsarebreakinghisheart。”
Life'sHandicap。
WhenIwastellingyouofthejokethatTheWormplayedoffontheSeniorSubaltern，Ipromisedasomewhatsimilartale，butwithallthejestleftout。Thisisthattale:
DickyHattwaskidnappedinhisearly，earlyyouth——neitherbylandlady'sdaughter，housemaid，barmaid，norcook，butbyagirlsonearlyofhisowncastethatonlyawomancouldhavesaidshewasjusttheleastlittlebitintheworldbelowit。ThishappenedamonthbeforehecameouttoIndia，andfivedaysafterhisone-and-
twentiethbirthday。Thegirlwasnineteen——sixyearsolderthanDickyinthethingsofthisworld，thatistosay——and，forthetime，twiceasfoolishashe。
Excepting，always，fallingoffahorsethereisnothingmorefatallyeasythanmarriagebeforetheRegistrar。Theceremonycostslessthanfiftyshillings，andisremarkablylikewalkingintoapawn-
shop。Afterthedeclarationsofresidencehavebeenputin，fourminuteswillcovertherestoftheproceedings——fees，attestation，andall。ThentheRegistrarslidestheblotting-padoverthenames，andsaysgrimly，withhispenbetweenhisteeth:——“Nowyou'remanandwife；“andthecouplewalkoutintothestreet，feelingasifsomethingwerehorriblyillegalsomewhere。