'All that too much true, sar. S'pose the Colonel Sahib, or the Major Sahib, or any other burra sahib [great man], happen to cast his eye that way,' and he inclined his head towards the school, 'and him say, 'Boy, go, bring me such a girl,' ah, that bhote brabher hie [very proper]. Him boy say, 'Bhote eucha, sahib' [very good, sir], and him run to old lady mistress and say, 'The burra sahib wantee such a girl, put a veil over her and let her come.'
'Then old lady mistress askee, 'You money got?' 'Yees!' him answer, 'How much rupee?'
'Very good, backsheesh, ma'am, fifty rupah.' 'Fifty rupees not 'nuff, must have eighty rupees, you tellee Colonel Sahib dat girl one virgin.'
'Den burra sahib get angry, and he make send sepoy and angry chit [note], and he threaten old half-caste woman to send to jail for being procuress, and he frighten old she too much, so she send little missee, and she take the fifty rupees, and Colonel Sahib have girl all rightee. But s'pose little young Cornet Sahib, like your honour, do this, then master get too much trouble, get in what you call one great row, master savee.'
'Yes yes, I see what you mean, but what force won't accomplish, money may.'
'That one very good word, sahib, but master's pay only two hundred and ten rupees a month, that not too much money.'
'But I have money at my agents, Messrs Parry, Dare amp; Co. At all events I must and will have that girl.'
'How much you givee, sahib?'
'Well, eighty rupees [?8], if she's a virgin, and fifty rupees [?5], if she's been poked before.'
'Bhote eucha, Sahib, master dress and go banker's and bring back pica [the money], and then I make all brabher.'
'And when shall I have her?'
'Today night.'
I continued to watch the girls till they had done bathing, and then having breakfasted, I was off to my agents in a palankeen as fast as the bearers could trot. I brought back the money in gold pagodas (a beautiful coin about the size of an English half-crown, and worth seventeen rupees, or thirty-four English shillings).
'There' I said, as I shot them out on to the table in one golden glittering heap, if that sight does not make the old girl's mouth water I don't know what will. But, harkee, Master Ballaram, take care I'm not made a fool of, for if the affair fails, I shall dismiss you from my service.'
'Har — why sar? you don't want to talk that way, master gentleman, no; I only too much poor man, I master slave; what him say it same as if my God say it — de girl sall come.'
'Yes,' said I laughing, 'but in the meantime I'll put the pagodas under lock and key — tell the old woman you have seen the money, that it is all ready, and upon her bringing the girl here tonight at ten o'clock, it is hers.'
Ballaram looked vexed, but promised compliance.
'If it is all right I have a pagoda for you.'
'Bhote eucha, sahib!' and he made his salaam.
I sat drinking my wine at mess till half-past nine, and then retired to my apartments, and lighting a cheroot, waited with the greatest expectation for the happy moment. At about three minutes to ten Ballaram appeared, and in a mysterious whisper told me the old woman and the girl were below.
'Quick!' said I, 'show them up.'
The next minute two muffled figures appeared, covered from head to foot with a thick native veil of crimson muslin edged with gold. The stoutest of the two I conjectured was the old harridan herself, so I said, 'Good evening, madam, be seated, pray,' and I placed two chairs on which they sat down.
'Good evening, sare,' replied the old woman, 'I have brought missee, you see, as you wished, and if you really have the money your dubash mentioned, I leave her with you till half-past four tomorrow morning, when I will call for her, before anybody is about. But I must have my rupees at once.'
'With all my heart,' said I, unlocking my cash box, then resting my arm upon it I added, 'be so obliging as to remove your veil and that of the young lady, that I may see that she is the same I expected.'
'But the money sare, the money!'
'Is here,' said I.
'Well, sight for sight,' said the old crone, 'dat fair; show me your money, I show you the gal.' I turned the key and threw up the lid, the old woman cast her muffler off her head and sprang forward.
At the sight of the gold pagodas her eyes sparkled, and she tried to clutch them.
'Soho — gently — gently! you have shown so much distrust of me that you must pardon me if I doubt you; there is the money, you see it, I will count it if you please; prove to me that you have brought the right girl, and it is yours.'
I thought the old devil looked a little confused, but she unmuffled the girl in an instant; to my surprise she had nothing on but the crimson wimple, so there she stood naked and grinning before me.
'It won't do, old lady, won't do at all, this is not the young lady, as you know quite well.'
In fact it was the 'splashing' girl.
'She is fine piece,' said the old woman deprecatingly, 'she'll know how to please you; as to the other she's no good and too much shy.'
'Oh! damn it all,' said I, 'what an old humbug you are; I tell you, I'll have the other one or none, so come — troop — shog off; come back with the other, or not, just as you please; if you do, here's the money, if you don't, not a rupee — begone.'
As she went out, I heard her say to Ballaram, in Hindustani. 'What a sharp little fellow he is, that master of yours.'
Ballaram twirled up his moustache, cast upon her a glance of supreme disdain, but vouchsafed not a word. So the old hag began to hobble down the stairs, followed by the equally discontented damsel, whom I did not admire in the least, and who gave me an angry glance, which I replied to with
'a snipe'.
As soon as they were gone, I called Ballaram. 'You see,' said I.
'What I do, sar? how could I help it. Dam old woman understand too much well, but she try to put off her old stuff on you first. S'pose master like other young gentleman, griffin you call dem, you pay money first, and find out not right gal after. Old woman not know you not like other griffin, sahib.'
'But I want the girl, and I suppose she won't bring her now?'
'Not bring — never fear. She back 'gen presently.'
He was right, in about ten minutes she returned, and pushed the girl into the room with an angry gesture. 'There she is sir, take her and give me the money,' and she roughly pulled off the girl's muffler, and spite of her modest struggles to retain at least some part of it, presented the beautiful creature naked to me. She was the same girl I had seen wringing the water out of her hair in the school compound. I handed over the pagodas, which the old crone carefully counted; then, tying them up in a red cotton handkerchief, she hurried away. I sprang to the door, bolted it and then caught the dear girl in my arms.
She was quite young, but her breasts were fully developed, firm and pointed; only a slight quantity of hair had begun to sprout on her mons Veneris; her waist was small and round, and her hips singularly large and bulging, with the most splendid buttocks imaginable; her hands and feet were exquisitely small, and there was a pensive expression in her childlike face, which was very winning.
'Come, my pet,' said I, caressingly, drawing her on to my knee, 'let me give you a glass of wine; try these mangoes, they are very fine.'
'I feel so ashamed,' she said, trying to hide her face.
'Nonsense!' said I, 'never mind me, I'm only a boy, you know; now if it had been the old grey-headed colonel, I shouldn't be surprised; come, give me a kiss.'
This she did, and so electrified me, that I could not restrain myself, and began to kiss and pull her about, to all of which she made great resistance.
'Then you really never yet have had a man?' said I.
'No, never I assure you.'
'But you know all about it, I suppose, my dear?'
'Oh — yes — many of the girls have been with the officers four or five times, and they tell us about it; so, of course, we learn everything.'
'Well, my darling, drink a glass or two of wine, and have some mangoes, we will chat a little while.' She did
