The Elephant God

assages, unexpected courtyards, hidden gardens, and crazy tenements kennelling a small army of servants, retainers, and indefinable hangers-on-such was the palace of the Rajah of Lalpuri. Here

any" in pre-Mutiny years, and their uniforms were modelled on those w

awn by galled ponies, their broken harness tied with rope, and conveying some Palace official, made its way with difficulty. Sometimes the veh

are feet thrust into heelless native slippers, sat on the ground near it smoking a hubble-bubble. A chorus of neighing answered his screaming horse from the filthy stalls, outside which

alm-thatched bamboo huts and grotesquely decorated temples filled with fat priests and hideous, ochre-daubed gods, and noisy with the incessant blare of conch shells and the jangling of bells. Lalpuri was a byword throughout India and was known to its contemptuou

it himself openly against the British while secretly protesting his devotion to their enemies. He balanced himself adroitly on the fence until it was evident which side would prove victorious. When Delhi fell and the mutineers were scattered,

rule the Indian reigning princes of today-and especially those educated at the splendid Rajkumar College, or Princes' School-are an honour to their high lineage and the races from which they spring. In peace th

of age he had plumbed the lowest depths of vice and debauchery. Cruelty and tre

re stolen from the rebel princes in profitable Western enterprises ensured him an income greater than that enjoyed by many far more important maharajahs. But his revenue was never sufficient for his needs, and he ground down his wretched subjects with oppressive taxes to furnish him with still more money to waste in his vices. All men marvelled that the Government of India allowed such a debauchee and wastrel

himself that the English dominion in India was coming to an end and was ready to do all in his power to hasten the event. For he secretly nourished the design of deposing the Rajah and making himself the nominal as well as the virtual ruler of the State, and he

arned him hostile glances and open insults, and more than one foul gibe was hurled at him as he went along by some who imagined him

rtyard, and, passing the sentries, all of whom recognised him, entered the building. Through the maze of passage

ty, almost bare apartment. He was chewing betel-nut and spitt

m, were the respect and regard due to parents-usually deep-rooted in all races of India, and indeed of the East generally. S

nless the matter were very important. I had to eat abuse from that drunken Welshman to get permission to come. I had to swear that thou wert on the point

ting suggestion of the Orient in him, should have seen the pair now. The son, ultra-English in his costume, from his sun-hat to his riding-breeches and gaiters, and the old Bengali, ridiculously like him in features, despite his shaven crown with one oiled scalp-l

son's ill-temper a

ishes to see

there any

side of the English girl. Art thou to marry her? Why n

man spat con

ish girls. Thou shouldest see those of London, old man. How they lov

leered un

women are shameless. Is it needful to pay

live," replied his son sullenly. "Like all the English

an in the Palace wh

e?" echoed his son. "Who

o back to tell the English monkeys in his country what we

the Vi

s a whip over the back of the Lat Sahib and all the white m

west tho

monsoon rain to the ryot whose crops are dying of drought. Thou wilt see this one, for

n, petulantly. "Am I his dog that he should order

test that the Dewan found the money to send th

an frowned di

of his money now. Why shou

ars of the city that will seek out any man's heart at

iscontentedly

I suppose it were better to s

head in a salaam. The Premier of the State, a wrinkled old Brahmin, was seated on the ground propped up by white bolsters, with a small table, a foot high, crowded with papers in front of him.

up to the neck. He evidently felt the heat acutely, and with a large coloured handkerchief he in

artment the Dewan, without any

Indians shall be when relieved of the tyranny of

ish was

uggested rather a Hebrew patronymic, removed from his mouth

the yo

ained, then, turning t

of the Labour Party and a true friend of Ind

air. The Dewan said sharply in Bengali, using the

, as thou didst thyself before thou began to think thys

down hastily on a mat. Then

you an

and messengers from Bhutan. The troops-" He s

efore Mr. Macgregor," said the Dewan. "I

Pacifist and a socialist. I don't hold with soldiers or with keeping coloured

Buxa Duar," said Chunerbutty, reassured. "On the frontier there are only the two hundred Military Police at

ke?" enquired the

d Narain Dass on our garden and saw that he was a Bengali. He learned that others of us were emplo

ure?" aske

e cer

ook his head

served. "We must keep an eye on this inquisitive person. Now, how

d means nothing. But on our garden our greatest helper is the manager, a drunken

the native, isn't it?" asked the Hebrew r

which one day's experience in India should have shown him to be false. But this foreign Jew turned Scotchman hated the country of

ewan

tell us that his party pledges i

end to tyranny and oppression, whether of the downtrodden slaves of Capitalism at home or our coloured brothers abroad. The British working-man wants no colonies, no India.

ve lived among British working-men, when I was in the

looked at him steadily

ut the British working-man lets us represent him, and we know what's good for him, if he don't. We Socialists run t

, and we shall strike simultaneously. Afghan help has been promised, and the Pathan tribesmen will follow the Amir's regiments into India. A

you can do what you like. But don't kill the white women and children-at least, not openly. They might not like it in England, though personally I don't care if you massacre every damned Britisher in the country. From what I'v

turned to

ighness wishes to see you. I have

nown before that the conspiracy to expel the British was so widespread and promising. He had not regarded it very ser

oom. The walls were crowded with highly-coloured chromos of Hindu gods and badly-painted indecent pictures. A cut-glass chandelier hung from the c

cular line above the eyebrows with a round patch in the middle, which was the sect-mark of the Sáktas. His white linen garments were creased and dirty, but round his neck

nerbutty entered, then, reco

een? Why did you

n. He held the Rajah far less in awe than the Prime Minister, for he had been the

the prince

to see him before I cam

I," grumbled the Rajah. "I gave orders that you were to be sent to me

e is sti

m on the knee. "I must have that girl. Ever since I s

t is difficult to get hold

r and sipped it. "I have sent for you to find a way. You are clever. You know the customs of t

ies. "There the women are shameless, and they prefer us to their own colour. And the

imself to t

et. They make much of the Hindu students, the sons of fat bunniahs and shopkeepers in Calcutta,

d his glass down on the tray so vi

ermission. I, a rajah, the son of rajahs, must beg leave like a servant from a man whose grandf

lass and emptied it

carry her off and bring her here? You can have all the money you want to bribe any one.

d in a place where he was well known. For the girl in question was Noreen Daleham. The Rajah had seen her a few months before at a durbar o

the Sirkar (the Government) would be put forth to punish us? You would be deposed, and

ranch. But he was forced to admit that Chunerb

A servant entered noiselessly on bare feet, bringing two full bottles of liqueur and fresh tumblers. There was little difficulty

rong liqueur seemed to have n

yourself. But I m

xpose tentatively, as if it were an idea just come

if I could make

se up and splutte

to rival me, to interfere

stened to pacif

t me. What I mean is that, if I married her, she would have to obey me, and-" h

for a few moments. Then understanding dawned, an

ry her," he said, sinki

a tea-garden engineer is not enough to tempt a

ah thoughtfully. He was silent

here in the Palace with a sala

s a hundred thousand, and at par fifte

ur Highness,"

up a fat forefi

you have marrie

er so little as to believe that the prospect of such an income, joined to the favou

dea of sharing his wife with another. His fancy flew ahead to the time, which he knew to be inevitable, when possession would have killed passion and the money would bring new, and so more welcome, women to his arms. The Rajah would only too rea

and His Highness, to show his appreciation, invited him to share his orgies that night.