plate. Whence came this ugly creature? Well, the plate was removed and
another put in its place for the next dish.

When the next dish came another surprise awaited everybody.

As the cover was removed it was found that the whole contents were
covered with a thin layer of sweepings. The Khansama (the servant who
serves at the table) looked at Mr. Anderson and Mr. Anderson at the
Khansama "with a wild surmise"; the cover was replaced and the dish
taken away. Nothing was said this time.

After about 5 minutes of waiting a third covered dish was brought.

When the cover was removed the contents were found mixed with stable
sweepings. The smell was horrible, the dish was at once removed.

This was about the limit.

No man can eat after that. Mr. Anderson left the table and went to his
office--without breakfast.

It was the habit of Mr. Anderson to have his lunch in his office. A
Khansama used to take a tiffin basket to the office and there in his
private room Mr. Anderson ate his lunch punctually at 2 P.M. Today he
expected his tiffin early. He thought, that though he had left no
instructions himself the Khansama would have the sense to remember that
he had gone to office without breakfast. And so Mr. Anderson expected a
lunch heavier than usual and earlier too.

But it was two o'clock and the servant had not arrived. Mr. Anderson was
a man of particularly regular habits. He was very hungry. The thought
of the beggar in the morning made him angry too. He shouted to his
punkha coolie to pull harder.

It was a quarter after two and still the Khansama would not arrive. It
was probably the first time in 20 years that the fellow was late. Mr.
Anderson sent his _chaprasi_ (peon) to look for the Khansama at about
half past two. A couple of minutes after the _chaprasi's_ departure, Mr.
Atkins, the Collector of the district, was announced (A Collector is
generally a District Magistrate also, and in the Central Provinces he is
called the Deputy Commissioner). He is one of the principal officers in
the district. In this particular district of which I am speaking there
were two principal government officers. The Divisional Judge was the
head of the Civil Administration as well as the person who tried the
murderers and all other big offenders who deserved more than seven years
imprisonment. He was a Bengal Brahman. Mr. Atkins was the Collector or
rather the Deputy Commissioner. He was the executive head of the
district. He wa