Page:Malabari, Behramji M. - Gujarat and the Gujaratis (1882).djvu/34

18 acquaintance under somewhat painful circumstances. Travelling together one day, I learnt by accident that my companion was Meer Gulám Bábá. There were four of us in the compartment—Meer Gulám, his secretary, a European, and myself. Now, it so happened that the European, not knowing Meer Gulám, went to sleep with his booted feet in Meer Gulám's lap. The Meer, unwilling to provoke a quarrel, quietly moved further from under the insulting encumbrance. The European hereupon accused him of having disturbed his rest, and fired off a volley of ear-splitting abuses. The poor Meer held his tongue, though I could see from the working of his face that his blood was up. But the European, some vulgar bully, thus emboldened, took the Meer by the arm and attempted to push him out of the carriage. Here I interfered, and after a good deal of explanation, I got the European to desist from annoying the nobleman. The man went to bed again, muttering "I don't care a hang who he is." I hinted to the Meer that he could have done better; but he mildly replied in Hindustani, "We have had our day; these people have their day now, you see." After this philosophic remark, we dropped the unpleasant