Page:Life in India or Madras, the Neilgherries, and Calcutta.djvu/259

221 he drinks of the river of the water of life, while others are dead and fruitless about him.

Not far from the other bank stood the collector's house. Our poor rustic bandy-man, not daring to come too near the great ruler's residence, drew up before the cutchery or courthouse. Native officers, handsomely dressed, were grouped before it. One of them, the duffadar, with his silver-hilted dagger and broad belt, not conceiving that riders in so humble a conveyance could have any business there, told us, with bold impudence, that the collector was not at home. We informed him that we happened to know that the collector was at home; and, not waiting to be introduced by these courtly gentry, we entered the house. Mr. B.'s warm reception of us showed them that they had made a mistake, and completely changed their behaviour, which became as obsequious as it had been rude. Insolence and servility are twin vices, and both are almost universal characteristics of the Hindu. Anxious to know who and what we were, they plied our poor bandyman with questions; but to no purpose, for all that he could tell was, that we got into his bandy, and bade him drive to the collector's.

Having received from Mr. B. the advice and