New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-04
Mr.. STEVENS MEETS 4 R4JAH.
AN INDIAN RULER. CURIOUS IN APPEAR
ANCE AND HYPOCRITICAL IN
CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION.
From The London Daily Mail.

From The London Daily Mail.
At the door Of the stucco palace dishevelled
sentry presented arms with even more than the
usual fervor. Then understood-and perceived
coming slowly slowly. and quite noiselessy
toward down a corridor small human
figure Ii wore a white urban tabard Of lilac
silk lined with ealmon satin a long muslin SCARF
round the neck. snow white linen drawers. tight
yet shapeless, and white cotton socks. 1t came
Up, always quite nOiselessy. appearing to be
moved rather than to move; / saw brown face
melting black eyes, a long haired. fine haired
oiled black beard.
The figure took my hand in a hand that seemed
made of soufflet and With the same mysterious
unmoving motion led me across a high rooted
hall, with chandeliers IKE forest-trees and the
paint peelIng Off the skirtinG- board, into
verandah that overlooked a Keeling chasm or
torrent bed and a lowering heaye u mountain
beyond He sat me in a chair beside him, the
interpreter opposite, then turned and fixed his
eyes on me- If the movements were inhuman
the eyes were unearthy. Eyes weary beyond
Satiety-oyes utterly passionless and purpose
less, il their owner neither des'red anything
nor intended anything. had neither never had
interest in the world had quite finished with
il. Looking into those black pools OF sheer
emptiness. you wondered whether he were
newborn baby million years old; you al
most wondered if he were alive or dead.
That Wa9 the Rajah. And then in voice
that seemed TO fall among us from nowhere, he
told the fatcheeked gold specialized babu to tell
me he trusted | was in the enjoyment Of good
health,
y
and | began to think that this Niryana-eyel
Rajah was-if one may speak Of prime es-a fool.
But presently the babu : circumamblent periods
tegaD 20 coil themselves round a definite sub
Jet. and the Rajah was instructing me on the
political question Of tine hour 1t does not mat
ter 10 you what the question was; 1t did not
matter to me. The interest TO me lay in com
pairing what the Rajah suggested with what !
knew 20 be true. In black and white he said
nothing but he limited worlds The suggestions
were subty nebulous that you could hardly
bc sure they meant anything at all, the subject
seemed 10 be i'm the air rather than in his con
versatile I found il quite impossible 70 speak
language 50 evasive, and had 10 hy 10 brutal
verbs and nouns. He accepted my remarks
though with depreciation Of their Guinness, 50
that at least ! had the satisfaction Of knowing
We were both talking about the same thing.
But the astonishing and inhuman feature OF
rio talk was that ne continually conveyed 70 me
views OF the questions Of the hour which knew
TO be false which he knew me to know to be
false At least he knew that came with the
Resident. and might have known that "ouil
ask him about things and believe what he SAD.
Yet without the least encouragement ne IN
situated and Insinuated and insulated away
till felt almost a traitor to sit and listen 10
him He cannot have thought should take hi5
side or that | could be Of any service 10 nm II
did; but that appeared to matter nothlhS'
Intrigue was his nature. and in default or bet
ter confederate he kept his hand in by trying %
And then suddenly without a flicker in the
eyes Of either Rajah or interpreter:
HIS HlBnneSs hopcS tildt va '"Hl - - -.
rour country sou will write TO nm from tlihe %
time. and give him your advice on AFFAIRS OF
state"
| gasped His HighnesS has heard much ot
your good name and high reputation. purSu ~
The bland relentless vOiCe-he he'd first heard,
and forgotten my name three hours before
land ne is sure that your opinion on the govern
rnent Of his country would be very valuable ID
him"
And while I still gasped. His Highness mo-
tonlessly rose handed me out Of the chair win
his souffet-t touch and pratted. in English. ID
rot forget me-"