After a while the Lama entered, followed by Samding and several Tibetans, or men who looked like Tibetans; they crossed to the far side and disappeared through one of the curtained openings. Not long after that great quantities of food—enough for twenty or thirty people—were brought in earthenware bowls; enough for two men was set down beside Ommony and the remainder was carried through the opening through which the Lama had disappeared.
Ommony was left entirely to himself. After a while he sent Diana to explore, but though she disappeared through the Lama’s entrance and stayed within for more than half an hour, nothing came of it; she returned and lay down beside him with her head on her paws, as if she had no information to convey.
So he proceeded to explore on his own account, commencing by merely walking around the tank. Nothing happened, so he peered into one opening that had no mat in front of it, walked in and found a cave almost exactly like his own, leading nowhere. He stayed in there a minute or two examining a very ancient carving on the wall, that bore no resemblance to any monument he had ever seen and yet was vaguely familiar; he could not guess its significance; it was extremely simple, almost formless, and yet suggestive of an infinite variety of forms; he tried to memorize it, for future reference, and then remembered that the glyph, with which the letter to McGregor in a woman’s handwriting had been signed, was almost if not quite the same shape.
He was on his way out when Samding met him in the door, his brown turban and cloak outlined in gold by the daylight at his back. More than ever the chela seemed like some one from another world, and as usual he spoke without preliminary, in a voice no man could quarrel with:
“Tsiang Samdup desires you should not ask questions.” The words were English, beautifully spoken. “If anything is lacking for your comfort you are to command me.”
Ommony laughed. “All right. I command you. Explain what all this means!”
Samding’s face became lit with sudden laughter—not aggravating—friendly—wise—humorous.
“Tsiang Samdup says, knowledge comes from within, not from without,” he answered. “As a man thinks, so are his surroundings. Tsiang Samdup says, the eyes of curiosity see only what is not so, and it is not only a man’s lips that ask questions; the eyes and the taste and the touch are all inquisitive, seeking to learn from without what shall deny the truth within. He who would see the dawn must wait for it; and even so, if he is blind, it will be darkness to him.”
“Where did you learn English?” Ommony demanded.
“From within,” said the chela. “All knowledge comes from within.”