ours were lavishly spent upon the soft air. An oleander bush with its willow foliage tossed trusses of almond-scented, pink blossom, at the entrance of the yard. The luxuriant vine of a gourd

bird flew across the sky, a living streak of brilliant azure upon the ethereal blue haze. Cres

bare grey rock. Ananda's spirit stirred within him as his eye followed the familiar outline of the beautiful spur of the Western Ghats. How often he had watched it un

mbered a tiger, caught and speared by the natives, which was brought in by exulting herdsmen to be shown to his father. A hy?na was also carried in in like manner slung upon a green bamboo cut from the forest. He remembered how tightly he had clung to his father's hand in

r? Only a wall or two separated them. Why did they not come and greet him? It was perfectly feasible. There was no fear of cont

tioned to his use was remote from the kitchen and women's quarters; but with t

ly round the corner of the house, his body bent under the load he was carrying. It was one of Ananda's portmanteaux. He approached the g

with my luggage?"

prostrated himself, touching

bring the two leather boxe

ou are to touch anything bel

gether palm to palm in abje

e master's bidding. He held his stick over my unprotected bo

the room himself. The dust flew in clouds as he set them down one after the other against the wall. The neat dark suit he wore was stained and his fingers soiled. Involuntarily he glanced round for the English washstand fo

is uncle, Sooba Iyer. His face cleared

little father. You are the first

Ananda knew the gesture well. He had seen it often; aye, and practised it himself in days gone by, when accident had brought him near a pariah.

om, contemptible

ck, and a large heap of rubbish was accumulated. The elder man stood silently in the enclosure, holding himself ready to

no worse case as a Christian than I was as a Hindu with my broken caste. The only difference is that one stat

th the broom and was directed to fetch the things set apart for Ananda's use. A couple of chairs, an old camp table, a cot laced with rope and furnished with coar

Neither by look nor speech was there any sign of reply. By this time the noon was passed, and although Ananda was too much disturbed in his

to drink. I am thirsty. Let the waterm

st reluctance, well aware of the gross insult he was offering. His touch was pollution, unspeakable pollution. Sooner woul

ing. With heavy blows has t

by generations of caste ancestors. He rushed at him, knocked the earthen vessel out of his hands and

a jackal offer me such an insult! Go! get out

last act had unnerved and shaken him. What had he done to merit such unnecessary and gratuitous insult? The caste waterman of the establishment might have brought the water pot and mug. He could have entered the room without detriment to his own caste.

his parents. A feeling of resentment at its injustice roused his indignation, and he lifted his head in angry pride. He would not submit w

ek an interview with his father or mother or some other member of the fa

lowly round to the front of the house he arrived at the stone steps that led up to the verandah. Three or four men wer

s relatives and he greeted them

dignity and authority. "Will one of you go and

knew all that would be involved by such an action. The inner courtyard was exposed to view. His eager eyes searched every corner for a sight of the figure he longed to see. A child toddled out from the wome

unded limbs, his smooth olive skin, his regular features could be none other than his son. Pride, tenderness, joy rose at the thought, and he opened his arms. Swif

the first flush of her womanhood? From his lips fell the o

ched away the child. The great door slammed in his face, and the vision was gone. Was it her hand that st

see his father and have some explanation. When his parents had heard the reason for the step he had taken, they would understand; they would become interested; and when they learned the beautiful doctrines of Christianity regarding the future life, they might possibly incline towards the new faith themselves and find comfort in the hope it taught. In their ignorance of the fundamental teaching of Christianity his parents believed that there was an immeasurable gulf between the two

f his adopted faith had been carefully inculcated. He had been warned that if he met with

with his walking-stick. He called his father by name, and other male relatives. He tried to wrench open the wooden shutters of the windows; but door and windows alike resisted his efforts and left him exhauste

he road. What should he do with himself during the remaining hours of daylight? To the south-east the town clustered round the old fort. He knew it well with its thronged streets and busy bazaars. To the north-west stoo

he retraced his steps, his peace of mind somewhat restored. He became conscious of a he

mp table. In a corner near the door was another waterpot with a tin mug. He did not know if the mug was the same that the pariah had defile

and most tempting quality. The mere smell whetted Ananda's appetite till he was well nigh ravenous; but he turned resolutely away whilst the pariah, not daring to enter the room, set the tray down on the thre

nge sense of detachment, of calm isolation, came over him, bringing an unexpected stilling of the emotional storm; it was almost peace. The quiet beauty of the night stirred the memory of St. Paul's cathedral. He seemed to hear the wonderful cadences of the organ echoing round him, pouring ba

n pealed and the choir sang the daily evensong. He calculated the time. It was about the hour for the service to begin. In spirit he was back again kneeling among the

no doubt but that he was desperately hungry; and the curry was food he had not tasted for some time past. It was one of the pleasures to which he was looking forward on his return home

ed away as a European might have turned from carrion. He understood why the food had been prepared

and murky. The tiled roof was open and without a ceiling. A fusty uncleanly scent of bats and squirrels offended hi

were a necessity in his daily routine. There was no dressing-table where brushes, combs, collar and stud boxes could lie; no washstand with spotless towel and pretty crockery to h

it there all night; it must be moved if only to allow of the door being closed when he slept.

! this slav

een defiled by the hand of a

ord. He returned and fell

his slave could not do otherwise. The master's brother himself held the stick over my shoulders, a

out past him i

I have somet

nd, which was walled in and private. When they were at a sufficient d

t that gives order

o orders. He sits silent in th

y mother

agged his he

en women who delivers the orders to me. I said to the kitchen woman that this was not my work. I am paid to sweep round the house

hem that I brok

made a sign in

did th

the small master laughed, and th

ncy? How did he

necessity.' My lord, I have orders to go to-morrow morning early for the coffee and rice cakes apportioned to

though he prayed forgiveness.

unfortunate outcaste than he had done before. "I can give the food to t

ight I will bring a herdsman with his cow and he shall draw the milk and deliver it into your honour's hand. There are shops in the town where food may be bought in tins. It is well known that people of all castes eat

t be so," re

as to serve as bedroom and sitting-room for the present, a den in which even a dog would have moped and pined. A sound reached his ear

ps in th

stress and

e of the f

e your excellency

enoug

spoke volumes. He was dead to them from henceforth and worse than dead. He was an outcaste sunk to the lowest