“That is all raight. I am only Babu showing off my English to you. All we Babus talk English to show off;” said Hurree, flinging his shoulder-cloth jauntily. “As I was about to say, ‘Son of the Charm’ means that you may be member of the _Sat Bhai_—the Seven Brothers, which is Hindi _and_ Tantric. It is popularly supposed to be extinct Society, but I have written notes to show it is still extant. You see, it is all my invention. Verree good. _Sat Bhai_ has many members, and perhaps before they jolly-well-cut-your-throat they may give you just a chance of life. That is useful, anyhow. And moreover, these foolish natives—if they are not too excited—they always stop to think before they kill a man who says he belongs to any speecific organization. You see? You say then when you are in tight place, ‘I am Son of the Charm’, and you get—perhaps—ah—your second wind. That is only in extreme instances, or to open negotiations with a stranger. Can you quite see? Verree good. But suppose now, I, or any one of the Department, come to you dressed quite different. You would not know me at all unless I choose, I bet you. Some day I will prove it. I come as Ladakhi trader—oh, anything—and I say to you: ‘You want to buy precious stones?’ You say: ‘Do I look like a man who buys precious stones?’ Then I say: ‘Even verree poor man can buy a turquoise or _tarkeean_.’” “That is _kichree_—vegetable curry,” said Kim. “Of course it is. You say: ‘Let me see the _tarkeean_.’ Then I say: ‘It was cooked by a woman, and perhaps it is bad for your caste.’ Then you say: ‘There is no caste when men go to—look for _tarkeean_.’ You stop a little between those words, ‘to—look’. That is thee whole secret. The little stop before the words.” Kim repeated the test-sentence. “That is all right. Then I will show you my turquoise if there is time, and then you know who I am, and then we exchange views and documents and those-all things. And so it is with any other man of us. We talk sometimes about turquoises and sometimes about _tarkeean_, but always with that little stop in the words. It is verree easy. First, ‘Son of the Charm’, if you are in a tight place. Perhaps that may help you—perhaps not. Then what I have told you about the _tarkeean_, if you want to transact offeecial business with a strange man. Of course, at present, you have no offeecial business. You are—ah ha!—supernumerary on probation. Quite unique specimen. If you were Asiatic of birth you might be employed right off; but this half-year of leave is to make you de-Englishized, you see? The lama he expects you, because I have demi-offeecially informed him you have passed all your examinations, and will soon obtain Government appointment. Oh ho! You are on acting-allowance, you see: so if you are called upon to help Sons of the Charm mind you jolly-well try. Now I shall say good-bye, my dear fellow, and I hope you—ah—will come out top-side all raight.”