Part 42 (1/2)

The East to Colus on aerial way!

Tell us the lore of thy loftiness, sister, We of the dark are astir for the day!

Give us the gift of thy s!

Oversea sister, affluent sister, Queen inexclusive, though out of our reach!

How is thy genius ever unruffled?

What is the talisman altitudes teach?

Measureless n?

How shall we learn of it? How shall we follow?

Heavy the burden of earth where we lie!

Only a glimpse of thy miracle stirs us, Stay in ourand teach us to fly!

How shall we spring to Colus could unweary us all!

”I a very near to paradise, if paradise is constant assuaging of the curiosity as that conduce to idleness

There were men on that country-side in plenty ould not have dared admit a Western woman into their hohters fro Yasmini in the perfectly correct establishment she kept And there were otherthat Tess, if veiled, should cross their private thresholds

So there followed a round of visits and return calls, of other ht, because the dayti drives in latticed carriages, with footmen up behind and an escort to ride before and swear at the lethargic bullock-e, old-fashi+oned springs

Yasuarded Eastern way, kept open house The women reveled in her free ideas and in the hich she heaped scorn on the priest-made fashi+ons that have kept all India in chains for centuries, ht, at the risk of blaspheenuous delight in Tess, persuading Yasing with thelish

All imprisoned folk, and especially women in the shuttered zenanas of the East, develop a news-sense of their own that passes the coly well infor outer world, yet asked the most childish questions; and only a few of them could have written their own names,--they ere titled ladies of a land of ancient chivalry

”Wait until I am maharanee!” Yasmini said ”The woh the English hate the thought of it and e the face of India,--the women and the Gods!”

But she was careful of her pro out no prospects that would stir pre the ranks she counted on

”Promise the Gods too much,” she said, ”and the Gods overwhelm you

They like to serve, which is their business, not to have you squandering on them Tell the women they are rulers, and they will start to destroy their e public what is secret! If you tell the men that the women rule them, ill the ested Tess

”Is that what they ever did? No They will choose for them certain offices they can not fill because of inexperience, and put the noisiest wo time yet must India knoho rules her!”

”Child, where did you learn all your philosophy?” Tess asked her, one night when they atching the stars froht , and I have always reversed it and believed the opposite Why do men teach? To lish teach that English ways are good for the world I answer that the world has been good to England and the English would like to keep it so! The pundits say we should study the philosophies They made me study, hours and hours when I was little Why? To bind me to the wheel of their philosophy, and keep ood for pundits, as a pond is good for frogs; but shall I be a frog, too, and croak about the beauties of the mud? The priests say we should obey theious law I say, that religion is good for priests, which is why they cherish it, and add to it, and persuade foolish wo they are our servants!”

”Your husband is going to have an interesting tihed Tess