The older boys, however, had a chance. They exclaimed “That Eurasian!” as applied to me, so I was “That Eurasian” to them, and this name abideth with me still. Thus it was that I came by my two names that through all my life have been hurled at my poor head; one the donation of a Commissioner, the other of our worthy Padri. If I never got anything else from that school, I got this legacy of names. A number of months now passed, when one morning the magistrate sahib came again. Passing into the yard I overheard him say, “I am greatly interested in that Eurasian, or, as I think, we named him, Japhet, the one in search of his father. What kind of a boy is he?” Our sahib replied, “He is one of, or rather, he is the best and brightest boy we have in school. He is a little one, as we for a long while called him, but he leaves the larger boys behind in all his studies.” This was so unexpected to me that I dodged behind a pillar; still I could hear what was said. The magistrate continued: “I have often thought of him, in fact, taken a fancy to him, and if you don’t mind, and will let me have him, I will take him away and educate him myself.” As the magistrate had brought me there, and as he was the big man of the district, whose word was law, and as our sahib had a great respect, almost fear of him, any boy of us could have told that his proposal would be accepted. Our sahib in reply said that he would be sorry to lose Japhet, but it would be for his good to go, as he would have greater advantages. He then called out to the crowd of boys, “Japhet! Where is Japhet?” One of the larger boys pulled me out from behind the pillar, and brought me into the presence of the sahibs. Little as I was and ignorant, I was conscious that I ought not to have heard what was said about me, and I held my head down in shame, though they probably thought my embarrassment was caused by fear of the sahibs. It is often in life lucky as well as unlucky for us that we are misunderstood. The magistrate smiled upon me. What a world of pleasure there is in receiving only a smile! They cost so little, why are they not oftener given? As he turned away he said to our sahib: “I will let you know in a few days.” Shortly after, going among a crowd of the larger boys among whom I was so small that I was hid by them, one, who understood English better than most, called out, “Do you know what the magistrate sahib said about that Eurasian?” “No,” said they, “what was it?” “Why, he is going to take him out of the school, and educate him himself!” “Wah! Wah!” shouted some of them, who were rather envious of me for being promoted out of their classes. They had also twigged the story of Japhet, and said: “Then he will go in search of his father!” “But he never had a father!” said another. “Wah! Wah!” was the only reply. I did not like the bantering tone, though I did not understand the joke, but as I had heard what the magistrate sahib said, these little things did not disturb me much.