Part 27 (1/2)
Aar and utilised an observation of the Political's as a lever to swing the conversation to a plane rumbled about the exactions of his position as particularly instanced by the necessity of his attending tedious and tiresome native ceremonies in connection with the _tamasha_
”What's, precisely, the nature of this _ta ht you knew Isn't it what you came to see?”
”No,” Amber admitted cautiously; ”Iunco worth while?”
”Rather,” Raikes interjected drily; ”the present ruler's abdicating in favour of his son, a child of twelve That puts the business in a class by itself”
”There's been one precedent, hasn't there?” said the arette ”The Holkar of Indore?”
”Yes,” agreed Farrell; ”a similar case, to be sure”
”But why should a prince hand over the reins of government to a child of twelve? There must be some reason for it Isn't it known?” asked Arunted Farrell ”I daresay there's soue at the bottom of it Eh, Raikes?”
The Resident shook his head ”Don't cooes on in Khandawar I doubt if there's another Resident in India who knows as little of the underhand devilment in his State as I do His Majesty the Rana loves me as a cheetah loves his trainer He's an intractable rascal”
”They grease the wheels of the independent native States with intrigue,” Farrell explained ”I know from sore experience And your Rajput is the deepest of the lot I don't envy Raikes, here”
”The uess what a Rajput intends to do next is entitled to give himself a deal of credit,” coh
”I've travelled a bit,” continued Farrell, ”and have seen so of the courts of Europe, but I've yet to reat deal about the astuteness of the Russians and the yellow races, and a Greek or Turk can lie with a fairly straight face when he sees a profit in deception, but none of thelish ever decide to let India rule herself, her diplomatic corps will be recruited exclusively fro Singh against the field,” said Raikes grimly; ”he'll be dean of the corps, when that tiht, and the Rajputs--of course you know--are a warrior caste I've a notion”--the Resident leaned back and searched the shadows for an eavesdropper--”I've a notion,” he continued, lowering his voice, ”that the Rana has got himself in rather deep in soet out before he's put out There's bazaar gossip Hmm! Do you speak French, Mr Aue ”And I,” nodded the e of diploly
”There have been a nurand vizier's ast them”
”White arsenic cholera?”
”That, and the hemp poison kind”
”Refractory vizier?” questioned Farrell ”The kind that wants to retrench and institute reforms--railways and metalled roads and so forth?”
”No; he was quite suited to his master But the bazaar says Naraini took a dislike to him for one reason or another”
”Naraini?” queried Aenius of the place” Raikes nodded toward the Raj Mahal, shi+ning like a pearl through the darkness on the hill-side over against the Residency ”She's Salig's head queen At least that's about as near to her status as one can get She's not actually his queen, but soe fro never married her, but she lives in the Palace, and for several years--ever since she first began to be talked about--she's ruled froh hand and an out-stretched arm So the bazaar says”
”I've heard she was beautiful,” Farrell observed
”As beautiful as a peri, according to ru; nine out of ten native wolowing end of his cigar into the shrubbery and reverted to English ”Shall we join Miss Farrell?”