“Then we leaves ’im at the Kernul’s ’ouse, werry sick, an’ we cuts hover to B Comp’ny barrick an’ we sez we ’ave saved Benira from a bloody doom, an’ the chances was agin there bein’ p’raid on Thursday. About ten minutes later come three envelicks, one for each of us. S’elp me Bob, if the old bloke ’adn’t guv us a fiver apiece—sixty-four rupees in the bazar! On Thursday ’e was in ’orspital recoverin’ from ’is sanguinary encounter with a gang of Pathans, an’ B Comp’ny was drinkin’ ’emselves into Clink by squads. So there never was no Thursday p’raid. But the Kernal, when ’e ’eard of our galliant conduct, ’e sez, ‘Hi know there’s been some devilry somewheres,’ sez ’e, ‘but I can’t bring it ’ome to you three.’”
“An’ my privit imprisshin is,” said Mulvaney, getting off the bar and turning his glass upside down, “that, av they had known they wudn’t have brought ut home. ’Tis flyin’ in the face, firstly av Nature, secon’ av the Rig’lations, an’ third the will av Terence Mulvaney, to hold p’rades av Thursdays.”
“Good, ma son!” said Learoyd; “but, young mon, what’s t’ notebook for?”
“‘Let be,” said Mulvaney; “this time next month we’re in the Sherapis. ’Tis immortial fame the gentleman’s goin’ to give us. But kape it dhark till we’re out av the range av me little frind Bobs Bahadur.”
And I have obeyed Mulvaney’s order.
BEYOND THE PALE
Love heeds not caste nor sleep a broken bed. I went in search of love and lost myself.
—Hindu Proverb.
A man should, whatever happens, keep to his own caste, race and breed. Let the White go to the White and the Black to the Black. Then, whatever trouble falls is in the ordinary course of things—neither sudden, alien nor unexpected.
This is the story of a man who wilfully stepped beyond the safe limits of decent everyday society, and paid for it heavily.