, there is nothing very satisfying in the betel
nut, although all Indians are fond of it.

Mohammedans have a great respect for the memory of those of their
number whom they regard as "saints"; whether they are technically or
actually such does not seem to matter much. Many of their tombs may be
noticed in cities and villages, or by the roadside under some
spreading tree. The festival of each local saint is kept by the
Mohammedans of that locality with prayers and feasting and merrymaking
for several days. The occasion of the _pan supari_ party was the
festival of the local saint of the mosque which adjoined the Inamdar's
house in the city. The saint's names and titles were also of
formidable dimensions--"Peer Sayed Hisamodin Kattal Junjani Chishte."

I consulted another friendly Mohammedan as to whether I could safely
accept the invitation without running the risk of finding myself a
sharer in festivities of a doubtful character. He said that these sort
of festivals always commenced with great propriety, but often
degenerated as they proceeded. But that the _pan supari_ party to
which English were invited was sure to be eminently respectable, while
the concluding days would probably be devoted to singing and dancing
of the usual dubious kind.

Unfortunately, parties to which English are invited by both Hindus and
Mohammedans are not always free from objectionable features. Not
unfrequently part of the entertainment is dancing, and sometimes
singing, by professional performers. English people sometimes plead
that there is nothing particularly objectionable in the nature of the
dance, and that the singing is in a language which they do not
understand. But it is the character of the women who dance and sing
which some English people are not aware of. They are invariably
professional women of bad character, because no other kind of Indian
woman ever takes part in public performances of this nature in the
presence of men. And it is on this ground that Christians ought always
to refuse invitations to any festivity in which a _nautch_, or dance,
is put down as one of the events, stating politely the reason of
refusal. Indians often arrange for entertainments of this kind
because they imagine that it is the sort of thing which Europeans
enjoy. A few officials of high rank have done good service by
intimating that they do not wish to be entertained in this manner.

I accepted the Inamdar's invitation. I thought it might be