saidTarrionThenheleft，andtheStrongMandepartedtoseehowtheappointmentwastobeblocked……
　　Followedapauseofelevendays；withthundersandlightningsandmuchtelegraphingTheappointmentwasnotaveryimportantone，carryingonlybetweenRs500andRs700amonth；but，astheViceroysaid，itwastheprincipleofdiplomaticsecrecythathadtobemaintained，anditwasmorethanlikelythataboysowellsuppliedwithspecialinformationwouldbeworthtranslatingSotheytranslatedhimTheymusthavesuspectedhim，thoughheprotestedthathisinformationwasduetosingulartalentsofhisownNow，muchofthisstory，includingtheafter-historyofthemissingenvelope，youmustfillinforyourself，becausetherearereasonswhyitcannotbewrittenIfyoudonotknowaboutthingsUpAbove，youwon’tunderstandhowtofillitin，andyouwillsayitisimpossible。
　　WhattheViceroysaidwhenTarrionwasintroducedtohimwas：——“So，thisistheboywho’rusked’theGovernmentofIndia，isit？
　　Recollect，Sir，thatisnotdoneTWICE。”Sohemusthaveknownsomething。
　　WhatTarrionsaidwhenhesawhisappointmentgazettedwas：——“IfMrsHauksbeeweretwentyyearsyounger，andIherhusband，I
　　shouldbeViceroyofIndiaintwentyyears。”
　　WhatMrsHauksbeesaid，whenTarrionthankedher，almostwithtearsinhiseyes，wasfirst：——“Itoldyouso！”andnext，toherself：——“Whatfoolsmenare！”
　　THECONVERSIONOFAURELIANMcGOGGIN。
　　Ridewithanidlewhip，ridewithanunusedheel。
　　But，onceinaway，therewillcomeadayWhenthecoltmustbetaughttofeelThelashthatfalls，andthecurbthatgalls，andthestingoftherowelledsteel。
　　Life’sHandicap。
　　ThisisnotataleexactlyItisaTract；andIamimmenselyproudofitMakingaTractisaFeat。
　　Everymanisentitledtohisownreligiousopinions；butnoman——
　　leastofallajunior——hasarighttothrustthesedownothermen’sthroatsTheGovernmentsendsoutweirdCiviliansnowandagain；
　　butMcGogginwasthequeerestexportedforalongtimeHewasclever——brilliantlyclever——buthiscleverenessworkedthewrongwayInsteadofkeepingtothestudyofthevernaculars，hehadreadsomebookswrittenbyamancalledComte，Ithink，andamancalledSpencer，andaProfessorClifford[YouwillfindthesebooksintheLibrary。]Theydealwithpeople’sinsidesfromthepointofviewofmenwhohavenostomachsTherewasnoorderagainsthisreadingthem；buthisMammashouldhavesmackedhim。
　　Theyfermentedinhishead，andhecameouttoIndiawithararefiedreligionoverandabovehisworkItwasnotmuchofacreedItonlyprovedthatmenhadnosouls，andtherewasnoGodandnohereafter，andthatyoumustworryalongsomehowforthegoodofHumanity。
　　OneofitsminortenetsseemedtobethattheonethingmoresinfulthangivinganorderwasobeyingitAtleast，thatwaswhatMcGogginsaid；butIsuspecthehadmisreadhisprimers。
　　IdonotsayawordagainstthiscreedItwasmadeupinTown，wherethereisnothingbutmachineryandasphaltandbuilding——allshutinbythefogNaturally，amangrowstothinkthatthereisnoonehigherthanhimself，andthattheMetropolitanBoardofWorksmadeeverythingButinthiscountry，whereyoureallyseehumanity——raw，brown，nakedhumanity——withnothingbetweenitandtheblazingsky，andonlytheused-up，over-handledearthunderfoot，thenotionsomehowdiesaway，andmostfolkcomebacktosimplertheoriesLife，inIndia，isnotlongenoughtowasteinprovingthatthereisnooneinparticularattheheadofaffairs。
　　ForthisreasonTheDeputyisabovetheAssistant，theCommissionerabovetheDeputy，theLieutenant-GovernorabovetheCommissioner，andtheViceroyaboveallfour，undertheordersoftheSecretaryofState，whoisresponsibletotheEmpressIftheEmpressbenotresponsibletoherMaker——ifthereisnoMakerforhertoberesponsibleto——theentiresystemofOuradministrationmustbewrongWhichismanifestlyimpossibleAtHomemenaretobeexcusedTheyarestalledupagooddealandgetintellectually“beany。”Whenyoutakeagross，’beany“horsetoexercise，heslaversandslobbersoverthebittillyoucan’tseethehorns。
　　ButthebitistherejustthesameMendonotget“beany“inIndiaTheclimateandtheworkareagainstplayingbrickswithwords。
　　IfMcGogginhadkepthiscreed，withthecapitallettersandtheendingsin“isms。”tohimself，noonewouldhavecared；buthisgrandfathersonbothsideshadbeenWesleyanpreachers，andthepreachingstraincameoutinhismindHewantedeveryoneattheClubtoseethattheyhadnosoulstoo，andtohelphimtoeliminatehisCreatorAsagoodmanymentoldhim，HE
　　undoubtedlyhadnosoul，becausehewassoyoung，butitdidnotfollowthathisseniorswereequallyundeveloped；and，whethertherewasanotherworldornot，amanstillwantedtoreadhispapersinthis“Butthatisnotthepoint——thatisnotthepoint！”AurelianusedtosayThenmenthrewsofa-cushionsathimandtoldhimtogotoanyparticularplacehemightbelieveinTheychristenedhimthe“Blastoderm“——hesaidhecamefromafamilyofthatnamesomewhere，inthepre-historicages——and，byinsultandlaughter，strovetochokehimdumb，forhewasanunmitigatednuisanceattheClub；besidesbeinganoffencetotheoldermenHisDeputyCommissioner，whowasworkingontheFrontierwhenAurelianwasrollingonabed-quilt，toldhimthat，foracleverboy，AurelianwasaverybigidiotAnd，youknow，ifhehadgoneonwithhiswork，hewouldhavebeencaughtuptotheSecretariatinafewyearsHewasjustthetypethatgoesthere——allhead，nophysiqueandahundredtheoriesNotasoulwasinterestedinMcGoggin’ssoulHemighthavehadtwo，ornone，orsomebody’selse’sHisbusinesswastoobeyordersandkeepabreastofhisfilesinsteadofdevastatingtheClubwith“isms。”
　　Heworkedbrilliantly；buthecouldnotacceptanyorderwithouttryingtobetteritThatwasthefaultofhiscreedItmadementooresponsibleandlefttoomuchtotheirhonorYoucansometimesrideanoldhorseinahalter；butneveracolt。
　　McGoggintookmoretroubleoverhiscasesthananyofthemenofhisyearHemayhavefanciedthatthirty-pagejudgmentsonfifty-
　　rupeecases——bothsidesperjuredtothegullet——advancedthecauseofHumanityAtanyrate，heworkedtoomuch，andworriedandfrettedovertherebukeshereceived，andlecturedawayonhisridiculouscreedoutofoffice，tilltheDoctorhadtowarnhimthathewasoverdoingitNomancantoileighteenannasintherupeeinJunewithoutsufferingButMcGogginwasstillintellectually“beany“andproudofhimselfandhispowers，andhewouldtakenohintHeworkedninehoursadaysteadily。
　　“Verywell。”saidthedoctor，“you’llbreakdownbecauseyouareover-enginedforyourbeam。”McGogginwasalittlechap。
　　Oneday，thecollapsecame——asdramaticallyasifithadbeenmeanttoembellishaTract。
　　ItwasjustbeforetheRainsWeweresittingintheverandahinthedead，hot，closeair，gaspingandprayingthattheblack-bluecloudswouldletdownandbringthecoolVery，veryfaraway，therewasafaintwhisper，whichwastheroaroftheRainsbreakingovertheriverOneofthemenheardit，gotoutofhischair，listened，andsaid，naturallyenough：——“ThankGod！”
　　ThentheBlastodermturnedinhisplaceandsaid：——“Why？Iassureyouit’sonlytheresultofperfectlynaturalcauses——atmosphericphenomenaofthesimplestkindWhyyoushould，therefore，returnthankstoaBeingwhoneverdidexist——whoisonlyafigment——“
　　“Blastoderm。”gruntedthemaninthenextchair，“dryup，andthrowmeoverthePioneerWeknowallaboutyourfigments。”TheBlastodermreachedouttothetable，tookuponepaper，andjumpedasifsomethinghadstunghimThenhehandedthepaperover。
　　“AsIwassaying。”hewentonslowlyandwithaneffort——“duetoperfectlynaturalcauses——perfectlynaturalcausesImean——“
　　“Hi！Blastoderm，you’vegivenmetheCalcuttaMercantileAdvertiser。”
　　Thedustgotupinlittlewhorls，whilethetreetopsrockedandthekiteswhistledButnoonewaslookingatthecomingoftheRains。
　　WewereallstaringattheBlastoderm，whohadrisenfromhischairandwasfightingwithhisspeechThenhesaid，stillmoreslowly：——
　　“Perfectlyconceivable——dictionary——redoak——amenable——cause——
　　retaining——shuttlecock——alone。”
　　“Blastoderm’sdrunk。”saidonemanButtheBlastodermwasnotdrunkHelookedatusinadazedsortofway，andbeganmotioningwithhishandsinthehalflightasthecloudsclosedoverhead。
　　Then——withascream：——
　　“Whatisit？——Can’t——reserve——attainable——market——obscure——“
　　Buthisspeechseemedtofreezeinhim，and——justasthelightningshottwotonguesthatcutthewholeskyintothreepiecesandtherainfellinquiveringsheets——theBlastodermwasstruckdumbHestoodpawingandchampinglikeahard-heldhorse，andhiseyeswerefullofterror。
　　TheDoctorcameoverinthreeminutes，andheardthestory“It’saphasia。”hesaid“TakehimtohisroomIKNEWthesmashwouldcome。”WecarriedtheBlastodermacross，inthepouringrain，tohisquarters，andtheDoctorgavehimbromideofpotassiumtomakehimsleep。
　　ThentheDoctorcamebacktousandtoldusthataphasiawaslikeallthearrearsof“PunjabHead“fallinginalump；andthatonlyoncebefore——inthecaseofasepoy——hadhemetwithsocompleteacaseImyselfhaveseenmildaphasiainanoverworkedman，butthissuddendumbnesswasuncanny——though，astheBlastodermhimselfmighthavesaid，dueto“perfectlynaturalcauses。”
　　“He’llhavetotakeleaveafterthis。”saidtheDoctor“Hewon’tbefitforworkforanotherthreemonthsNo；itisn’tinsanityoranythinglikeitIt’sonlycompletelossofcontroloverthespeechandmemoryIfancyitwillkeeptheBlastodermquiet，though。”
　　Twodayslater，theBlastodermfoundhistongueagainThefirstquestionheaskedwas：“Whatwasit？”TheDoctorenlightenedhim。
　　“ButIcan’tunderstandit！”saidtheBlastoderm；“I’mquitesane；
　　butIcan’tbesureofmymind，itseems——myOWNmemory——canI？”
　　“GoupintotheHillsforthreemonths，anddon’tthinkaboutit。”
　　saidtheDoctor。
　　“ButIcan’tunderstandit。”repeatedtheBlastoderm“ItwasmyOWNmindandmemory。”
　　“Ican’thelpit。”saidtheDoctor；“thereareagoodmanythingsyoucan’tunderstand；and，bythetimeyouhaveputinmylengthofservice，you’llknowexactlyhowmuchamandarecallhisowninthisworld。”
　　ThestrokecowedtheBlastodermHecouldnotunderstanditHewentintotheHillsinfearandtrembling，wonderingwhetherhewouldbepermittedtoreachtheendofanysentencehebegan。
　　ThisgavehimawholesomefeelingofmistrustThelegitimateexplanation，thathehadbeenoverworkinghimself，failedtosatisfyhimSomethinghadwipedhislipsofspeech，asamotherwipesthemilkylipsofherchild，andhewasafraid——horriblyafraid。
　　SotheClubhadrestwhenhereturned；andifeveryoucomeacrossAurelianMcGogginlayingdownthelawonthingsHuman——hedoesn’tseemtoknowasmuchasheusedtoaboutthingsDivine——putyourforefingeronyourlipforamoment，andseewhathappens。
　　Don’tblamemeifhethrowsaglassatyourhead！
　　AGERMDESTROYER。
　　PleasantitisfortheLittleTinGods，WhengreatJovenods；
　　ButLittleTinGodsmaketheirlittlemistakesInmissingthehourwhengreatJovewakes。
　　Asageneralrule，itisinexpedienttomeddlewithquestionsofStateinalandwheremenarehighlypaidtoworkthemoutforyou。