"Why do we go into the army and the navy—the worst paid professions on earth? It's an instinct, thank goodness, and with it goes the love of justice and fair play towards the weak and unprotected. It's the keynote of our power all the world over."
"Oh! you are hopeless!" cried Miss Baker. "I call it love of conquest, and position, and power!"
"Call it what you like, don't you shut your eyes to the results—anyway, out here."
"The results! Poverty and famine, and a refusal to allow the people to govern themselves, refusal to mix with them socially——"
"Wait a moment," he interrupted, angry with himself because he could not keep silence. "Which in your opinion should govern—the Hindus or the Mohammedans?"
"Of course the Hindus. India is their country."
"The Mohammedans would have something to say to that; or, rather, it would be deeds not words. And how about other nations who would all like to exploit India? We could hardly be expected to keep up an army and a navy to prevent them from doing so if we had no stake in the country."
"Go on," she urged sarcastically. "I am listening."
"When India is in a position to protect herself from internal quarrels and foreign invasion it will be time enough for us to clear out; and as far as social questions go I can assure you they are not at all anxious to mix with us. Their customs and traditions are all opposed to ours.... But it would take weeks to give you even the most superficial idea of the difficulties, and at the end I suppose you wouldn't believe me."