o drink tea, for I am thirsty.'

With a laugh across his tears, Kim kissed the lama's feet, and set
about the tea-making.

'Thou leanest on me in the body, Holy One, but I lean on thee for some
other things. Dost know it?'

'I have guessed maybe,' and the lama's eyes twinkled. 'We must change
that.'

So, when with scufflings and scrapings and a hot air of importance,
paddled up nothing less than the Sahiba's pet palanquin sent twenty
miles, with that same grizzled old Oorya servant in charge, and when
they reached the disorderly order of the long white rambling house
behind Saharunpore, the lama took his own measures.

Said the Sahiba cheerily from an upper window, after compliments: 'What
is the good of an old woman's advice to an old man? I told thee--I
told thee, Holy One, to keep an eye upon the chela. How didst thou do
it? Never answer me! I know. He has been running among the women.
Look at his eyes--hollow and sunk--and the Betraying Line from the nose
down! He has been sifted out! Fie! Fie! And a priest, too!'

Kim looked up, over-weary to smile, shaking his head in denial.

'Do not jest,' said the lama. 'That time is done. We are here upon
great matters. A sickness of soul took me in the Hills, and him a
sickness of the body. Since then I have lived upon his
strength--eating him.'

'Children together--young and old,' she sniffed, but forbore to make
any new jokes. 'May this present hospitality restore ye! Hold awhile
and I will come to gossip of the high good Hills.'

At evening time--her son-in-law was returned, so she did not need to go
on inspection round the farm--she won to the meat of the matter,
explained low-voicedly by the lama. The two old heads nodded wisely
together. Kim had reeled to a room with a cot in it, and was dozing
soddenly. The lama had forbidden him to set blankets or get food.

'I know--I know. Who but I?' she cackled. 'We who go down to the
burning-ghats clutch at the hands of those coming up from the River of
Life with full water-jars--yes, brimming water-jars. I did the boy
wrong. He lent thee his strength? It is true that the old eat the
young daily. Stands now we must restore him.'

'Thou hast many times acquired merit--'

'My merit. What is it? Old bag of bones making curries for men who do
not ask "Who cooked this?" Now if it were stored up for my grandson--'

'He that had the belly-pain?'

'To think the Holy One remembers that! I mus