Page:Indira and Other Stories.pdf/174

 report of the subsequent proceedings had better be reserved for another chapter.

  The lecturer resumed his discourse as follows:—

"Mr. President, Tigresses and Tigers,

I promised on a previous occasion that I would tell you something about the extraordinary marriage and other customs of men. My first and obvious duty is to fulfil that promise. I enter upon my subject at once without any preliminary apologies.

You all know what is meant by marriage. You have all from time to time contracted marriages, as occasion served. But marriage as understood by men is somewhat different. Marriage, with tigers and other civilised animals, is merely, if I may be permitted the expression, a temporary arrangement ad hoc between male and female on equal terms. Among men marriage is not infrequently a life-long union! 