Kim (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) - Rudyard Kipling [62]
‘An’ how do you like it, my son, as far as you’ve gone? Not much, eh? It must be hard—very hard on a wild animal. Listen now. I’ve an amazin’ epistle from your friend.’
‘Where is he? Is he well? Oah! If he knows to write me letters, it is all right.’
‘You’re fond of him, then?’
‘Of course I am fond of him. He was fond of me.’
‘It seems so by the look of this. He can’t write English, can he?’
‘Oah no. Not that I know, but of course he found a letter-writer who can write English veree well, and so he wrote. I do hope you understand.’
‘That accounts for it. D’you know anything about his money affairs?’ Kim’s face showed that he did not.
‘How can I tell?’
‘That’s what I’m askin’. Now listen if you can make head or tail o’ this. We’ll skip the first part.... It’s written from Jagadhir Road.... “Sitting on wayside in grave meditation, trusting to be favoured with your Honour’s applause of present step, which recommend your Honour to execute for Almighty God’s sake. Education is greatest blessing if of best sorts. Otherwise no earthly use. ”Faith, the old man’s hit the bull‘s-eye that time! “If your Honour condescending giving my boy best educations Xavier” (I suppose that’s St. Xavier’s in Partibus) “in terms of our conversation dated in your tent 15th instant” (a business-like touch there!) “then Almighty God blessing your Honour’s succeedings to third an’ fourth generation and”—now listen!—“confide in your Honour’s humble servant for adequat remuneration per hoondi171 per annum three hundred rupees a year to one expensive education St. Xavier, Lucknow, and allow small time to forward same per hoondi sent to any part of India as your Honour shall address yourself. This servant of your Honour has presently no place to lay crown of his head, but going to Benares by train on account of persecution of old woman talking so much and unanxious residing Saharunpore in any domestic capacity. ”Now what in the world does that mean?’
‘She has asked him to be her puro—her clergyman—at Saharunpore, I think. He would not do that on account of his River. She did talk.
‘It’s clear to you, is it? It beats me altogether. “So going to Benares, where will find address and forward rupees for boy who is apple of eye, and for Almighty God’s sake execute this education, and your petitioner as in duty bound shall ever awfully pray. Written by Sobrao Satai, Failed Entrance172 Allahabad University, for Venerable Teshoo Lama the priest of Such-zen looking for a River, address care of Tirthankars’ Temple, Benares. P.M.—Please note boy is apple of eye, and rupees shall be sent per hoondi three hundred per annum. For God Almighty’s sake. ”Now, is that ravin’ lunacy or a business proposition? I ask you, because I’m fairly at my wit’s end.’
‘He says he will give me three hundred rupees a year? So he will give me them.’
‘Oh, that’s the way you look at it, is it?’
‘Of course. If he says so!’
The priest whistled; then he addressed Kim as an equal.
‘I don’t believe it; but we’ll see. You were goin’ off to-day to the Military Orphanage at Sanawar, where the Regiment would keep you till you were old enough to enlist. Ye’d be brought up to the Church of England. Bennett arranged for that. On the other hand, if ye go to St. Xavier’s ye’ll get a better education an’—an’ can have the religion. D‘ye see my dilemma?’
Kim saw nothing save a vision of the lama going south in a train with none to beg for him.
‘Like most people, I’m going to temporise. If your friend sends the money from Benares—Powers of Darkness below, where’s a street-beggar to raise three hundred rupees?—ye’ll go down to Lucknow and I’ll pay your fare, because I can’t touch the subscription-money if I intend, as I do, to make ye a Catholic. If he doesn‘t, ye’ll go to the Military Orphanage at the Regiment’s expense. I’ll allow him three days’ grace, though I don’t believe it at all. Even then, if he fails in his payments later on ... but it’s beyond me. We can only walk one step at a time in this world, praise God! An’ they sent Bennett to the Front an’ left me behind. Bennett can’t expect everything.