lies.

One noticeable feature amongst the working people was their rude
manner towards their employers. An English master would not have put
up with it for an hour, but it did not disturb the Indian contractor
in the least, and it was clearly only the normal state of things. Men
and women of all grades joked with their employers, laughed at them,
made game of them, and when angry abused them to their heart's
content. They on their part either took no notice, or laughed, or
abused them in return. Their masters did not resent even deliberate
disobedience. An Englishman generally expects to be obeyed at once,
and hesitation or delay on the part of the subject is looked upon as a
serious offence. But it is not customary for any Indian to obey an
order on the instant. You must always give him a little time.

The contractor's son, who acted as ganger or overseer, would find a
bricklayer's assistant, male or female, sitting in the shade doing
nothing. Women are employed largely as day-labourers, and more often
than not it was the woman who was the slowest to obey. The overseer
would tell her peremptorily to get up and go to work. The woman would
pretend not to hear him. The command would be repeated in louder
tones. The woman would continue to wear an air of supreme
indifference, and would remain sitting. Rougher words, accompanied by
threats, would at last produce the response, "All right! I am coming,"
but without any movement on the part of the woman. She would at length
leisurely resume work. The contractor appeared to be content with this
scant measure of obedience and not to expect more.

But when it came to wages day he was able to pay off old scores, but
not in coin of the realm. Almost everybody in India is paid monthly.
When a person says, "My pay is fifteen rupees," he means that this is
what he gets each month. But the contractor settled accounts when he
felt inclined, and at irregular intervals. Pay-day was a very stormy
one. Its advent was notified by the arrival of the money-box, much
resembling the old-fashioned wooden desk of the last century. The
contractor sat on the ground on a bit of old carpet, under the shade
of a grass-mat, with the box before him. The process of paying often
went on for some hours, because it was accompanied by much fierce
arguing and angry debate. The contractor, though taking large
contracts, could neither read nor write. Yet he was said to have his
complicated accounts clearly re