By this time we had a crowd of people seated around us upon the ground, as I went on munching my parched gram, and talking to the old patriarch.

They all laughed at the old man at the conclusion of my last speech, and he confessed I was right.

’This is all true, sir, but still your Government is not considerate; it goes on taking kingdom after kingdom, and adding to its dominions without diminishing the burden upon us, its old subjects.  Here you have had armies away taking Afghanistan, but we shall not have one rupee the less to pay.’[9]

’True, my friend, nor would you demand a rupee less from those honest cultivators around us, if we were to leave you all your lands untaxed.  You complain of the Government—­they complain of you.’ (Here the circle around us laughed at the old man again.) ’Nor would you subdivide the lands the less for having it rent-free; on the contrary, it would be every generation subdivided the more, inasmuch as there would be more of local ties, and a greater disinclination of families to separate and seek service abroad.’

‘True, sir, very true—­that is, no doubt, a very great evil.’

’And you know it is not an evil produced by us, but one arising out of your own laws of inheritance.  You have heard, no doubt, that with us the eldest son gets the whole of the land, and the younger sons all go out in search of service, with such share as they can get of the other property of their father?’

’Yes, sir; but when shall we get service?—­you have none to give us.  I would serve to-morrow if you would take me as a soldier,’ said he, stroking his white whiskers.

The crowd laughed heartily; and some wag observed that I should perhaps think him too old.

‘Well,’ said the old man, smiling, ’the gentleman himself is not very young, and yet I dare say he is a good servant of his Government.’

This was paying me off for making the people laugh at his expense.

‘True, my old friend,’ said I, ’but I began to serve when I was young, and have been long learning.’

‘Very well,’ said the old man, ’but I should be glad to serve the rest of my life upon a less salary than you got when you began to learn.’

’Well, my friend, you complain of our Government; but you must acknowledge that we do all we can to protect you, though it is true that we are often acting in the dark.’

’Often, sir? you are always acting in the dark; you, hardly any of you, know anything of what your revenue and police officers are doing; there is no justice or redress to be got without paying for it, and it is not often that those who pay can get it.’

’True, my old friend, that is bad all over the world.  You cannot presume to ask anything even from the Deity Himself, without paying the priest who officiates in His temples; and if you should, you would none of you hope to get from your Deity what you asked for.’