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When the laughing subsided, Gandhi turned to me and said, “Now fire.”

“That would be violence, Mr. Gandhi,” I said.

“And have you any objection to violence?” he asked.

“But you have never heard a word from me as to whether I am for or against violence,” I said.

“You don’t have to tell me,” he said laughingly. “I look at you and know.”

“In case your impending civil disobedience movement,” I asked, “develops a violent phase, as it has sometimes in past years, would you call it off? You have done that before.”

“In my present mood,” he replied, “it would be incorrect to say that no circumstances might arise in which I would call off the movement. In the past, however, I have been too cautious. That was necessary for my own training and for the training of my collaborators. But I would not behave as I have in the past.”

“Since I am going away soon from your village,” I began, “I want to be quite sure that I understand your ideas correctly. Would there be any chance of a compromise between what you want and what the British authorities are ready to offer? Might some kind of a modified Cripps proposal be accept able to you?”

“No,” Gandhi said. “Nothing along the lines of the Cripps offer. I want their complete and irrev-