boy was thundering
away on a tom-tom, but it did not disturb the parrot. The people seemed
to think this display of wealth demanded an apology. "It is not his, it
belongs to his followers; he, being what he is, requires none of these
things," they said.

I had to go then, and we started soon afterwards on our day's round, and
I do not know what happened next; but I had never had the chance of a
talk with a celebrity of this description, and in the evening, on my
homeward way, I stopped before the little house and asked if I might see
him, the famous Guru of one of the greatest of South Indian Castes.

The Government officials of the morning were there, but the officialism
was gone. No coats and sashes and badges now, only the simple national
dress, a scarf of white muslin. The one who in the morning had been an
illustration of the possible effect of the mixture of East and West,
stood in a dignity he had not then, a fine manly form.

The door was open, and they were sentry, for their Guru was resting,
they said. "Then he is very human, just like yourselves?" But the
strong, sensible faces looked almost frightened at the words. "Hush,"
they answered all in a breath, "no such thoughts may be even thought
here. He is not just like us." And as if to divert us from the
expression of such sentiments, they moved a little from the door, and
said, "You may look, if you do not speak," and knowing such looks are
not often allowed, I looked with interest, and saw all there was to see.

The Guru was in the far corner resting; a rich purple silk, with gold
interwoven in borders and bands, was flung over his ascetic's dress. At
the far end, too, was a sort of altar, covered with red cloth, and on it
were numerous brass candlesticks and vessels, and on a little shelf
above, a row of little divinities, some brass ornaments, and flowers.

To the left of this altar there was a high-backed chair covered by a
deer skin; there were pictures of gods and goddesses round the room,
especially near the altar, and there were the usual censers, rosaries,
and musical instruments, and there was the parrot.

The Government official pointed in, and said, with an air of pride in
the whole, and a certainty of sympathy too, "There, you see how closely
it resembles your churches; there is not so much difference between you
and us after all!"

Not so much difference! There is a very great difference, I told him;
and I asked him where he had seen a Ch