“That seems like a poser,” said I.
“It does,” replied Tom; “’tis plausible; but it just shows into what errors mere unassisted reason may lead us.”
“But what said Marpeet to it? he is a right loyal man, and always sticks up for the ‘Honourable John.’”
“Why,” said Tom, “Captain Marpeet, being a bit of a logician, proved syllogistically to old Davy Persaud that all was as it should be, thus: ‘It was well known,’ said he, ‘and an established fact, that the Honourable Company are liberal, generous and considerate masters; that they don’t do illiberal, impolitic, and inconsiderate things—ergo,’ and there Marpeet brought his conclusions to bear in high style, and regularly demolished David Persaud’s position; ‘ergo, this must be all right, though appearances are the other way.’ Your friend, however, confessed to me afterwards, that when at home he should have been glad could he have sported a bit of ribbon at his button hole, or something of the sort, just to show that he had frozen patriotically on the mountains of Nepaul, and struck a blow for old England at Laswarrie and Putpergunge.”
I was much surprised, and not a little amused, to observe that each native officer was accompanied by an attendant, generally some simple looking Coolie youth, carrying his chair, and odd three-cornered pieces of furniture some of them were.
“Tom,” said I, sotto voce, “there seems to be no want of chairmen at your meeting; but, seriously, tell me, is it usual for the native officers to carry about their chairs in this sort of way?”
My friend answered that it generally was, and that not only native, but European officers did the like, subalterns’ bungalows not being usually overstocked with furniture.
“The possession of a chair, by the way, and the right to sit in it in the presence of his European officer,” added he, “are prerogatives on which the subadur or jemadar sets a high value.”
“Enlighten my griffinism a little, Tom,” said I, “and expound the cause thereof.”
“Why, the reason,” rejoined my friend, “is, I believe, this. No inferior in India ever sits in the presence of a superior, unless squatting on his heels on the ground may be so considered; and you must have perceived that a chair is never offered to a sepoy or non-commissioned native officer, under any circumstance of long detention or the like, which it would perhaps be to Europeans of the same rank in those cases; in fact, if it were, it would be stoutly refused, and the man would think you were bantering him. But when promoted, when he gets his commission, he acquires a status in society, is an ‘uppiser’ (an officer), one of the sirdar logue, and in some respects on a par with his European superior. He now sports a gold necklace or kanta; and sets up a chair and a tatoo (pony), as indispensable concomitants of his newly-acquired rank—riding on the one, and in all probability sitting on the other, for the first time in his life. I have been a good deal amused,” continued Tom, “to see them sometimes, when seated opposite their houses, or rather huts, in the lines, enjoying their otium cum dignitate in these same chairs, illustrating amusingly enough the invincible force of habit—legs partly doubled up under them, feet slantingly projecting under the arms thereof, instead of depending before, according to the usages of Christendom. Blacky does not readily adopt new habits and European improvements; or if he does, he often mars their object by engrafting on them something of his own.”