And above those black girders--so strong, so tense--were the faint stars. And among them--what?--kites!
He gave a bitter laugh, and told himself that he must get away from fancies into facts. He would go into the little galvanised iron shed, dignified by the name of the office, and there, with pen and paper before him, think the matter out solidly. Yes! with pen and paper. He had always been at his best with them, and the memory of many an examination was with him, idly, as he walked across the line to the station on the other side of it, to borrow a light. But the only ones--in the telegraph and the assistant station-master's offices--were behind closed doors; and so, seeing a figure at the end of the platform, outlined against the distant dimness of bridge and river, he went on towards it.
'I want a lamp, baboo; bring one over to my office, I have to look up some figures,' he said curtly; for the excuse had brought back the memory of something else that he had promised to see to in the works, and Jân-Ali-shân's advice having come back also, made him speak more after the manner of the master than usual.
That--and the frock-coat possibly--produced an instant and almost servile obedience on the part of the baboo, whose mind was still in that state of dissolution which crystallises round the least thread of authority.
So, the lamp being brought, Chris sat down and tried to figure out facts.
Taking it from the point of abstract Right and Wrong, to begin with----
He leant his head on his hand and thought; but five minutes after had to pull himself up from a vague regret that already he had failed--he had held back information--though he had promised Mr. Raymond, who had always been so kind----
What a fool he was! What had these personal details to do with it?
He bent himself to his task again. Right and Wrong! Higher and Lower! Yet when, by chance, he looked at the paper before him on which he had been idly jotting down the heading of his subject, it was not 'Right or Wrong,' 'Higher or Lower,' that he saw. It was 'Naraini'!
He stood up then and faced himself; and her! He could marry her--Viva would not mind--she could not help it, anyhow, she had taken the risk! What if he did? And then--then went back on the priests!--then chose----