AllIndiaknewWressley’snameandoffice——itwasinThackerandSpink’sDirectory——butwhohewaspersonally，orwhathedid，orwhathisspecialmeritswere，notfiftymenkneworcaredHisworkfilledallhistime，andhefoundnoleisuretocultivateacquaintancesbeyondthoseofdeadRajputchiefswithAhirblotsintheir’scutcheonsWressleywouldhavemadeaverygoodClerkintheHerald’sCollegehadhenotbeenaBengalCivilian。
Uponaday，betweenofficeandoffice，greattroublecametoWressley——overwhelmedhim，knockedhimdown，andlefthimgaspingasthoughhehadbeenalittleschool-boyWithoutreason，againstprudence，andatamoment’snotice，hefellinlovewithafrivolous，golden-hairedgirlwhousedtotearaboutSimlaMallonahigh，roughwaler，withabluevelvetjockey-capcrammedoverhereyesHernamewasVenner——TillieVenner——andshewasdelightful。
ShetookWressley’sheartatahand-gallop，andWressleyfoundthatitwasnotgoodformantolivealone；evenwithhalftheForeignOfficeRecordsinhispresses。
ThenSimlalaughed，forWressleyinlovewasslightlyridiculous。
Hedidhisbesttointerestthegirlinhimself——thatistosay，hiswork——andshe，afterthemannerofwomen，didherbesttoappearinterestedinwhat，behindhisback，shecalled“MrWressley’sWajahs“；forshelispedveryprettilyShedidnotunderstandonelittlethingaboutthem，butsheactedasifshedidMenhavemarriedonthatsortoferrorbeforenow。
Providence，however，hadcareofWressleyHewasimmenselystruckwithMissVenner’sintelligenceHewouldhavebeenmoreimpressedhadheheardherprivateandconfidentialaccountsofhiscallsHeheldpeculiarnotionsastothewooingofgirlsHesaidthatthebestworkofaman’scareershouldbelaidreverentlyattheirfeet。
Ruskinwritessomethinglikethissomewhere，Ithink；butinordinarylifeafewkissesarebetterandsavetime。
AboutamonthafterhehadlosthishearttoMissVenner，andhadbeendoinghisworkvilelyinconsequence，thefirstideaofhis“NativeRuleinCentralIndia“struckWressleyandfilledhimwithjoyItwas，ashesketchedit，agreatthing——theworkofhislife——areallycomprehensivesurveyofamostfascinatingsubject——
tobewrittenwithallthespecialandlaboriouslyacquiredknowledgeofWressleyoftheForeignOffice——agiftfitforanEmpress。
HetoldMissVennerthathewasgoingtotakeleave，andhoped，onhisreturn，tobringherapresentworthyofheracceptanceWouldshewait？CertainlyshewouldWressleydrewseventeenhundredrupeesamonthShewouldwaitayearforthatHermammawouldhelphertowait。
SoWressleytookoneyear’sleaveandalltheavailabledocuments，aboutatruck-load，thathecouldlayhandson，andwentdowntoCentralIndiawithhisnotionhotinhisheadHebeganhisbookinthelandhewaswritingofToomuchofficialcorrespondencehadmadehimafrigidworkman，andhemusthaveguessedthatheneededthewhitelightoflocalcoloronhispaletteThisisadangerouspaintforamateurstoplaywith。
Heavens，howthatmanworked！HecaughthisRajahs，analyzedhisRajahs，andtracedthemupintothemistsofTimeandbeyond，withtheirqueensandtheirconcubinesHedatedandcross-dated，pedigreedandtriple-pedigreed，compared，noted，connoted，wove，strung，sorted，selected，inferred，calendaredandcounter-
calendaredfortenhoursadayAnd，becausethissuddenandnewlightofLovewasuponhim，heturnedthosedrybonesofhistoryanddirtyrecordsofmisdeedsintothingstoweeportolaughoverashepleasedHisheartandsoulwereattheendofhispen，andtheygotintothelinkHewasdoweredwithsympathy，insight，humorandstylefortwohundredandthirtydaysandnights；andhisbookwasaBookHehadhisvastspecialknowledgewithhim，sotospeak；
butthespirit，thewoven-inhumanTouch，thepoetryandthepoweroftheoutput，werebeyondallspecialknowledgeButIdoubtwhetherheknewthegiftthatwasinhimthen，andthushemayhavelostsomehappinessHewastoilingforTillieVenner，notforhimself。
Menoftendotheirbestworkblind，forsomeoneelse’ssake。
Also，thoughthishasnothingtodowiththestory，inIndiawhereeveryoneknowseveryoneelse，youcanwatchmenbeingdriven，bythewomenwhogovernthem，outoftherank-and-fileandsenttotakeuppointsaloneAgoodmanoncestarted，goesforward；butanaverageman，sosoonasthewomanlosesinterestinhissuccessasatributetoherpower，comesbacktothebattalionandisnomoreheardof。
WressleyborethefirstcopyofhisbooktoSimlaand，blushingandstammering，presentedittoMissVennerShereadalittleofit。
Igiveherreviewverbatim：——“Oh，yourbook？It’sallaboutthosehow-widWajahsIdidn’tunderstandit。”。
WressleyoftheForeignOfficewasbroken，smashed，——Iamnotexaggerating——bythisonefrivolouslittlegirlAllthathecouldsayfeeblywas：——“But，butit’smymagnumopus！Theworkofmylife。”MissVennerdidnotknowwhatmagnumopusmeant；butsheknewthatCaptainKerringtonhadwonthreeracesatthelastGymkhanaWressleydidn’tpresshertowaitforhimanylonger。
Hehadsenseenoughforthat。
Thencamethereactionaftertheyear’sstrain，andWressleywentbacktotheForeignOfficeandhis“Wajahs。”acompiling，gazetteering，report-writinghack，whowouldhavebeendearatthreehundredrupeesamonthHeabidedbyMissVenner’sreview。
WhichprovesthattheinspirationinthebookwaspurelytemporaryandunconnectedwithhimselfNevertheless，hehadnorighttosink，inahill-tarn，fivepacking-cases，broughtupatenormousexpensefromBombay，ofthebestbookofIndianhistoryeverwritten。
Whenhesoldoffbeforeretiring，someyearslater，Iwasturningoverhisshelves，andcameacrosstheonlyexistingcopyof“NativeRuleinCentralIndia“——thecopythatMissVennercouldnotunderstandIreadit，sittingonhismule-trucks，aslongasthelightlasted，andofferedhimhisownpriceforitHelookedovermyshoulderforafewpagesandsaidtohimselfdrearily：——“Now，howintheworlddidIcometowritesuchdamnedgoodstuffasthat？”
Thentome：——“TakeitandkeepitWriteoneofyourpenny-farthingyarnsaboutitsbirthPerhaps——perhaps——thewholebusinessmayhavebeenordainedtothatend。”
Which，knowingwhatWressleyoftheForeignOfficewasonce，struckmeasaboutthebitterestthingthatIhadeverheardamansayofhisownwork。
BYWORDOFMOUTH。
Notthoughyoudieto-night，OSweet，andwail，Aspectreatmydoor，ShallmortalFearmakeLoveimmortalfail——
Ishallbutloveyoumore，WhofromDeath’shousereturning，givemestillOnemoment’scomfortinmymatchlessill。
ShadowHouses。
Thistalemaybeexplainedbythosewhoknowhowsoulsaremade，andwheretheboundsofthePossibleareputdownIhavelivedlongenoughinthiscountrytoknowthatitisbesttoknownothing，andcanonlywritethestoryasithappened。
DumoisewasourCivilSurgeonatMeridki，andwecalledhim“Dormouse。”becausehewasaroundlittle，sleepylittlemanHewasagoodDoctorandneverquarrelledwithanyone，notevenwithourDeputyCommissioner，whohadthemannersofabargeeandthetactofahorseHemarriedagirlasroundandassleepy-lookingashimselfShewasaMissHillardyce，daughterof“Squash“
HillardyceoftheBerars，whomarriedhisChief’sdaughterbymistakeButthatisanotherstory。
AhoneymooninIndiaisseldommorethanaweeklong；butthereisnothingtohinderacouplefromextendingitovertwoorthreeyearsThisisadelightfulcountryformarriedfolkwhoarewrappedupinoneanotherTheycanliveabsolutelyaloneandwithoutinterruption——justastheDormicedidThesetwolittlepeopleretiredfromtheworldaftertheirmarriage，andwereveryhappyTheywereforced，ofcourse，togiveoccasionaldinners，buttheymadenofriendshereby，andtheStationwentitsownwayandforgotthem；onlysaying，occasionally，thatDormousewasthebestofgoodfellows，thoughdullACivilSurgeonwhoneverquarrelsisararity，appreciatedassuch。
FewpeoplecanaffordtoplayRobinsonCrusoeanywhere——leastofallinIndia，wherewearefewintheland，andverymuchdependentoneachother’skindofficesDumoisewaswronginshuttinghimselffromtheworldforayear，andhediscoveredhismistakewhenanepidemicoftyphoidbrokeoutintheStationintheheartofthecoldweather，andhiswifewentdownHewasashylittleman，andfivedayswerewastedbeforeherealizedthatMrsDumoisewasburningwithsomethingworsethansimplefever，andthreedaysmorepassedbeforeheventuredtocallonMrsShute，theEngineer’swife，andtimidlyspeakabouthistroubleNearlyeveryhouseholdinIndiaknowsthatDoctorsareveryhelplessintyphoidThebattlemustbefoughtoutbetweenDeathandtheNurses，minutebyminuteanddegreebydegreeMrsShutealmostboxedDumoise’searsforwhatshecalledhis“criminaldelay。”andwentoffatoncetolookafterthepoorgirlWehadsevencasesoftyphoidintheStationthatwinterand，astheaverageofdeathisaboutoneineveryfivecases，wefeltcertainthatweshouldhavetolosesomebodyButalldidtheirbestThewomensatupnursingthewomen，andthementurnedtoandtendedthebachelorswhoweredown，andwewrestledwiththosetyphoidcasesforfifty-sixdays，andbroughtthemthroughtheValleyoftheShadowintriumphBut，justwhenwethoughtallwasover，andweregoingtogiveadancetocelebratethevictory，littleMrsDumoisegotarelapseanddiedinaweekandtheStationwenttothefuneralDumoisebrokedownutterlyatthebrinkofthegrave，andhadtobetakenaway。
Afterthedeath，DumoisecreptintohisownhouseandrefusedtobecomfortedHedidhisdutiesperfectly，butweallfeltthatheshouldgoonleave，andtheothermenofhisownServicetoldhimsoDumoisewasverythankfulforthesuggestion——hewasthankfulforanythinginthosedays——andwenttoChinionawalking-tour。
ChiniissometwentymarchesfromSimla，intheheartoftheHills，andthesceneryisgoodifyouareintroubleYoupassthroughbig，stilldeodar-forests，andunderbig，stillcliffs，andoverbig，stillgrass-downsswellinglikeawoman’sbreasts；andthewindacrossthegrass，andtherainamongthedeodarssays：——“Hush——hush——
hush。”SolittleDumoisewaspackedofftoChini，toweardownhisgriefwithafull-platecamera，andarifleHetookalsoauselessbearer，becausethemanhadbeenhiswife’sfavoriteservantHewasidleandathief，butDumoisetrustedeverythingtohim。
OnhiswaybackfromChini，DumoiseturnedasidetoBagi，throughtheForestReservewhichisonthespurofMountHuttooSomemenwhohavetravelledmorethanalittlesaythatthemarchfromKotegarhtoBagiisoneofthefinestincreationItrunsthroughdarkwetforest，andendssuddenlyinbleak，nippedhill-sideandblackrocksBagidak-bungalowisopentoallthewindsandisbitterlycoldFewpeoplegotoBagiPerhapsthatwasthereasonwhyDumoisewentthereHehaltedatsevenintheevening，andhisbearerwentdownthehill-sidetothevillagetoengagecooliesforthenextday’smarchThesunhadset，andthenight-windswerebeginningtocroonamongtherocksDumoiseleanedontherailingoftheverandah，waitingforhisbearertoreturnThemancamebackalmostimmediatelyafterhehaddisappeared，andatsucharatethatDumoisefanciedhemusthavecrossedabearHewasrunningashardashecouldupthefaceofthehill。
ButtherewasnobeartoaccountforhisterrorHeracedtotheverandahandfelldown，thebloodspurtingfromhisnoseandhisfaceiron-grayThenhegurgled：——“IhaveseentheMemsahib！I
haveseentheMemsahib！”
“Where？”saidDumoise。