Page:Dumas - Tales of Strange adventure (Methuen, 1907).djvu/115

Rh you in this wet sheet and carry you back to the house.'

"But as he said the words, he winked to his fellow Brahmins as much as to say—

"'Let be; once wrapped in the sheet, she will be in our power.'

"No doubt she too had seen his look and understood its meaning, for instead of trusting herself to her uncle, she cried, ' No, no, I will not! Go back, leave me alone, leave me alone! I will go by myself.'

"But her uncle would not be denied; no doubt he had made himself responsible for his niece and was determined she should keep her word. So he gave her his oath by the waters of the Ganges that he would take her back safe to the house. That oath is so sacred that the unhappy woman believed his promise. She threw herself into the wet sheet, in which her uncle enveloped her like a mummy. Then, arms and legs being securely pinioned, he took her on his shoulders, yelling, ' To the fire, to the fire,' and set off at a run for the trench, followed by the whole population repeating the same horrid cry.

"The little Calicut maiden was filled with intense admiration. When the Brahmin uttered the sacred oath she had been on the point of cursing him for a pariah, but when she saw that the oath was only a means to cajole his niece, and that the Brahmin fully intended to break it: '"Oh, the good man,' she cried, clapping her hands, 'the worthy man! the holy man.'

"I failed quite to understand how one could be a good worthy holy man in virtue of breaking one's oath, but my little Hindoo spoke with such an air of conviction, and her whole person breathed such an air of grace and innocence, that I felt persuaded in spite of myself, masculine vanity no doubt contributing to the result, that the poor widow was certainly very sadly to blame to feel such hesitation about burning herself on her husband's body.

"Accordingly I added my acclamations to those of the crowd generally, when I saw this good, worthy, holy man hurl back into the flaming pit his wretched niece, so v;ell secured this time that, struggle as she might, in five or six minutes the fire had worked its will upon her.

"My little Calicut friend was in a state of wild enthusiasm. So much conjugal devotion in the heart of a mere child touched me, and I asked her what she was called and who she was.

"She was called Amaru, which you will agree is a very pretty name, and her father belonged to the caste of the Veissiahs, that is to say, directors of agriculture and commerce. Thus he belonged to the third class, having above him only the Rajah class and the Brahmin class, and below him that of the Sudras. The post he held at Calicut corresponded to that of Syndic or Superintendent of the Harbour. He was a man who could be very useful to me; therefore as my Nair knew him personally, it was agreed that he should make me acquainted with him on the following day.

CHAPTER XIV

THE BRAHMIN'S SLIPPERS

HE result of the visit I paid to the fair Amaru's father was that I made up my mind to stay at Calicut and establish a business in spices.

"My first care was to buy a house. Houses are cheiiper at Calicut even than at Goa. True the most substantial edifice at Calicut is of sun-dried earth, and the highest does not exceed eight feet.

"For twelve crowns I found myself owner of a house which the seller handed over to me, together with three snakes attached to the property. I told him I was not very fond of snakes and that the first thing I should do would be to break their backs; but he warned me solemnly against committing any such folly. At Calicut snakes perform the same functions cats do in Europe, killing the rats and mice with which otherwise the houses would be overrun.

"I asked him to introduce me to these reptiles which I had just become possessed of, so that I might get to know them. Indeed, it was important for both parties to come to a good understanding to avoid any unauthorised intruder coming into the house. My landlord gave a whistle and they came to call like dogs.

"In three days' time, thanks to two or three bowls of milk with which I had liberally supplied them, we were the best