Page:Stories of Bengalee life - Prabhat Kumar Mukerji.pdf/100

88 thinks he is the Viceroy himself. I am not sorry for him."

The Doctor Babu mused for a while. Then he said—"No doubt the Sahib acted wrongly. But five men attacking one man—was it a fair fight? I am ashamed at the conduct of my countrymen."

"I do not think,"—rejoined Ajay—"there ever can be a fair fight between an Englishman and an Indian."

"Why not, pray?"

"Because everything is unfair right through. Should there be a criminal case in connection with this matter for instance, would justice be done to such as are hauled up as accused?"

The Doctor smiled.

"I don't think much of your logic, Ajay."—he said.—"Because somebody else does what is wrong, is that any reason why I should act similarly?"

Ajay did not know how to meet this. After a little while he said—"What seems to me, father, is, that in such matters, number ought not to be the criterion for judging whether the fight has been fair or otherwise. A Bengalee is nothing but an individual in such cases. An Englishman on the other hand, is an individual, a member of the ruling race—and not infrequently, one vested