“Can’t help it in a case like this. Indeed, I am not sure you ought not to go further and weigh the whole character and quality and upbringing of the man. You must admit that the monumental complacency with which he trotted out his ingenious little Constitution for India showed a strange want of imagination and the sense of humour.” “No, I don’t quite admit it,” said Pagett. “Well, you know him and I don’t, but that’s how it strikes a stranger.” He turned on his heel and paced the verandah thoughtfully. “And, after all, the burden of the actual, daily unromantic toil falls on the shoulders of the men out here, and not on his own. He enjoys all the privileges of recommendation without responsibility, and we—well, perhaps, when you’ve seen a little more of India you’ll understand. To begin with, our death-rate’s five times higher than yours—I speak now for the brutal bureaucrat—and we work on the refuse of worked-out cities and exhausted civilisations, among the bones of the dead.” Pagett laughed. “That’s an epigrammatic way of putting it, Orde.” “Is it? Let’s see,” said the Deputy Commissioner of Amara, striding into the sunshine towards a half-naked gardener potting roses. He took the man’s hoe, and went to a rain-scarped bank at the bottom of the garden. “Come here, Pagett,” he said, and cut at the sun-baked soil. After three strokes there rolled from under the blade of the hoe the half of a clanking skeleton that settled at Pagett’s feet in an unseemly jumble of bones. The M. P. drew back. “Our houses are built on cemeteries,” said Orde. “There are scores of thousands of graves within ten miles.” Pagett was contemplating the skull with the awed fascination of a man who has but little to do with the dead. “India’s a very curious place,” said he, after a pause. “Ah? You’ll know all about it in three months. Come in to lunch,” said Orde. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Transcriber’s Note Many chapters included a copyright statement at the bottom of the first page. These have been relocated to directly follow the title. The name ‘Yardley-Orde’ (pp. 169 & 175) appears twice as ‘Yardely-Orde’ (pp. 180 & 182). References to the character in Kipling critical texts use the former, and the variant is corrected here. Errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s have been corrected, and are noted here. The references are to the page and line in the original. The following issues should be noted, along with the resolutions. 2.29 Do not join me[./,] for Replaced. 37.20 Whereever where[e]ver a grain cart atilt Removed. 78.1 two thousand pack-bullocks cross in one Replaced. night[,/.] 151.9 its paws lacking strength or direction[./,] Replaced. 180.20 Yard[el/le]y-Orde knew his failing Transposed. 182.12 In Yard[el/le]y-Orde’s consulship Transposed.