Page:Letters from India Vol 1.djvu/158

 the fish and making Chance swim, and expecting a breath of air, but it never came, so we went home again.

As we passed by ’s bungalow we found him and all the rest of the household sitting in front of it smoking. Two chairs at least to each man, and some trying to be more comfortable by putting their feet on the table. Their hookahbadeers (I do not know how to spell any of their words) were squatting behind them, and their grooms leading their horses about, as it was too hot to ride. ‘What a crowd!’ I naturally observed. ‘Just look at home!’ said, and I found that George and I, for our quiet walk, had fifteen men gliding after us; our own two head servants (who never lose sight of us), two men with umbrellas, a black gardener, eight palanquin-bearers with their head man, and Chance’s servant, skipping about after him.

I found out the other day that Chance, without telling me, had hired another valet, because his man did not like going backwards and forwards to Barrackpore: so I was obliged to represent to him that he never would make his fortune in five years if he went on in that