Evening star., 1911-06-06
CHAPTER XIII.
The Road Clear.

The English colony heard Of the ra1ah's
project with mingled feelings Of amuse-
ment and anxiety. As Col. Carmichael
expressed It, It would have been safer to
have stirred up q hornets nest than to
attempt any vital reform in the native
quarters; and he was firmly convinced
that the Inhabitants OF the bazaar would
cling to their dirt and squalor with the
Same tenacity with which they clung to
their religion. When the first batch of
native workers. under the direction OF
European overseer. set out on the task
Of constructing new and sanitary quar-
ters half a mile outside Marut he an
nounced that Ii was no more than the
calm before the storm. and kept q wealth
er eye open for trouble. But. In spite OF
these gloomy representations, the work
proceeded calmly and steadily on Its way.
The new dwellings were well constructed.
broad. clean thoroughfares taking the
place Of the narrow. dirty passages which
had run like an unwholeSome laoyr1nth
through the old bazaar. Water in abun-
dance was laid on from the river. Ma
tives of superior caste. who had proved
their capacity for order, were put In
charge OF the different blocks and made
responsible for their condition. or more
value than all this was the energy ana
willingness with which the people entered
into the project. More workers offered
themselves than were required. and could
only be comforted with the assurance
that very soon q new enterprise would
be set on foot In which they. too. would
find occupation.
A month after the first stone had been
laid. Stafford paid a visit OF inspection In
company with the rajah and Travers On
his way back he passed the Carys' bum
randa. he had ridden up. as he said. to
make his salaams. Very little persua-
sion tempted him into the cool, shady
drawing room. He knew that Lois would
be up at the club, and. faute de mieux,
Beatrice's company was something to be
appreciated after q hot and exhausting
afternoon. For q rather curious friend
ship had sprung up between these two
They had nothing In common. His stimy
honest and orthodox character was oil
ence to the usual codes and morals OF
ordinary society. And yet he liked her.
and, strangely enough, he never found
that her supercilious criticisms ana dar-
ing opinions Jared on him. Perhaps 1t
was his honesty which recognized the
honesty in her. just as. on the reverse
side, the sanctimonious Philistinisms OF
Maud Berry left him glowing with frr1-
tation because his instincts told him that
they were not even sincere.
On this particular afternoon he was
more than usually glad to have a few
minutes quiet chat with Beatrice That
which he had seen and heard on his four
hours ride had stirred to life q sudden
doubt in himself and in his hitherto
firmly rooted principles. and. like q great
many men, he felt that he could only re-
gain a clear outlook by an exchange OF
ideas with some second person.
You know my standpoint pretty well
by now" he said, as. seated in q comfort
able lounge chair, he watched Beatrice
busy over some patterns which she had
Just received from London. 'It isn't your
standpoint, OF course, and. no doubt. you
would be fully in your right to say, 1
told you so,' when l confess that l am
beginning to waver.'
"I never say I told you so.'" she re-
turned. smiling. THAT is the war cry
OF those accustomed to few triumphs.
Not that by wavering I mean that
am coming round to your opinions" he
went on. >On the contrary. nothing on
this earth will shake my theory that a
mingling Of races is an fmpoSsibtlity.
They must and will, with few exceptions.
remain separate to all eternity, and one
or the other must have the upper hand IL
there is to be any law or order. No. it's
not that. It's my self-satisfaction that Is
beginning to waver."
you must be more explicit" Beatrice
observed.
"I mean. men like myself-in fact. most
Englishmen-are pretty we'll convinced.
keeping 1t to themselves. that they are
the salt Of the earth. They may be. as q
whole, but there are exceptions all round
which we are inclined to overlook be-
cause of the foregone conclusion. 1t has
struck me lately that there are some OF
us-well. not up to the mark
HAS this revelation come to you by
force Of contrast? she asked. Haven't
you been out with the rajah?'
He looked at her with the pleasure OF a