hauffeur to proceed. For fear of
hurting the feeling of this kind old Halwai Mr. Anderson did not do
anything then; but scarcely had the car gone 200 yards when the "_dona_"
with its contents untouched was on the road.

Mr. Anderson reached home at about half past ten. He expected to find no
dinner at home. But he was relieved to hear from his bearer that dinner
was ready. He rushed into his bath-room, had a cold bath and within five
minutes was ready for dinner in the dining-room.

But the dinner would not come. After waiting for about 15 minutes the
bearer (butler and foot man combined) was dispatched to the kitchen to
enquire what the matter was. The cook came with a sad look upon his face
and informed him that the dinner had been ready since 8-30 as usual, but
as the Saheb had not returned he had kept the food in the kitchen and
come out leaving the kitchen-door open. Unfortunately Mr. Anderson's
dogs had finished the dinner in his absence, probably thinking that the
master was dining out. In a case like this the cook, who had been in Mr.
Anderson's service for a long time, expected to hear some hard words;
but Mr. Anderson only laughed loud and long. The cook suggested that he
should prepare another dinner, but Mr. Anderson said that it would not
be necessary that night. The chauffeur subsequently informed the cook
that the master and his wife had dined at Captain Fraser's, and finished
with sweets at Gopal Halwai's shop. This explained the master's mirth to
the cook's satisfaction.

What happened the next day to Mr. Anderson need not be told. It is too
painful and too dirty a story. The fact remains that Mr. Anderson had no
solid food the next day either. He thought he should die of starvation.
He did not know how much longer the curse was going to last, or what
else was in store for him.

On the morning of the third day the bearer came and reported that a
certain Indian Fakir had invited Mr. Anderson to go and breakfast with
him. How eagerly husband and wife went! The Fakir lived in a miserable
hut on the bank of the river. He invited the couple inside his hut and
gave them bread and water. Here was clean healthy looking bread after
all, and Mr. Anderson never counted how many loaves he ate. But he had
never eaten food with greater relish and pleasure in his life before.
After the meal the Fakir who evidently knew Mr. Anderson said: "Saheb,
you are a great man and a good man too. You are rich and you think tha