`Dowenotallworkforgain？’Kimchangedhistonepromptlytomatchthatalteredvoice。`Ihaveheard’-thiswasabowdrawnataventure-`Ihaveheard——’
`Whathastthouheard？’shesnapped，rappingwiththefinger。
`NothingthatIwellremember，butsometalkinthebazars，whichisdoubtlessalie，thatevenRajahs-smallHillRajahs——’
`ButnonethelessofgoodRajputblood。’
`Assuredlyofgoodblood。Thattheseevensellthemorecomelyoftheirwomenfolkforgain。Downsouththeysellthem-tozemindarsandsuch-allofOudh。’
IftherebeonethingintheworldthatthesmallHillRajahsdenyitisjustthischarge；butithappenstobeonethingthatthebazarsbelieve，whentheydiscussthemysteriousslavetrafficsofIndia。TheoldladyexplainedtoKim，inatense，indignantwhisper，preciselywhatmannerandfashionofmalignantliarhewas。HadKimhintedthiswhenshewasagirl，hewouldhavebeenpommelledtodeaththatsameeveningbyanelephant。
Thiswasperfectlytrue。
`Ahai！Iamonlyabeggar’sbrat，astheEyeofBeautyhassaid，’
hewailedinextravagantterror。
`EyeofBeauty，forsooth！WhoamIthatthoushouldstflingbeggar-endearmentsatme？’Andyetshelaughedatthelong-forgottenword。`Fortyyearsagothatmighthavebeensaid，andnotwithouttruth。Ay，thirtyyearsago。
ButitisthefaultofthisgaddingupanddownHindthataking’swidowmustjostleallthescumoftheland，andbemadeamockbybeggars。’
`GreatQueen，’saidKimpromptly，forheheardhershakingwithindignation，`IamevenwhattheGreatQueensaysIam；butnonethelessismymasterholy。HehasnotyetheardtheGreatQueen’sorderthat——’
`Order？IorderaHolyOne-aTeacheroftheLaw-tocomeandspeaktoawoman？Never！’
`Pitymystupidity。Ithoughtitwasgivenasanorder——’
`Itwasnot。Itwasapetition。Doesthismakeallclear？’
Asilvercoinclickedontheedgeofthecart。Kimtookitandsalaamedprofoundly。Theoldladyrecognizedthat，astheeyesandtheearsofthelama，hewastobepropitiated。
`IambuttheHolyOne’sdisciple。Whenhehaseatenperhapshewillcome。’
`Oh，villainandshamelessrogue！’Thejewelledforefingershookitselfathimreprovingly；buthecouldheartheoldlady’schuckle。
`Nay，whatisit？’hesaid，droppingintohismostcaressingandconfidentialtone-theone，hewellknew，thatfewcouldresist。`Is-isthereanyneedofasoninthyfamily？Speakfreely，forwepriests——’ThatlastwasadirectplagiarismfromafakirbytheTaksaliGate。
`Wepriests！Thouartnotyetoldenoughto——’Shecheckedthejokewithanotherlaugh。`Believeme，nowandagain，wewomen，Opriest，thinkofothermattersthansons。Moreover，mydaughterhasborneherman-child。’
`Twoarrowsinthequiverarebetterthanone；andthreearebetterstill。’Kimquotedtheproverbwithameditativecough，lookingdiscreetlyearthward。
`True-oh，true。Butperhapsthatwillcome。Certainlythosedown-countryBrahminsareutterlyuseless。Isentgiftsandmoniesandgiftsagaintothem，andtheyprophesied。’
`Ah，’drawledKim，withinfinitecontempt，`theyprophesied！’Aprofessionalcouldhavedonenobetter。
`AnditwasnottillIrememberedmyownGodsthatmyprayerswereheard。
Ichoseanauspicioushour，and-perhapsthyHolyOnehasheardoftheAbbotoftheLung-Cholamassery。ItwastohimIputthematter，andbeholdintheduetimeallcameaboutasIdesired。TheBrahmininthehouseofthefatherofmydaughter’ssonhassincesaidthatitwasthroughhisprayers-whichisalittleerrorthatIwillexplaintohimwhenwereachourjourney’send。AndsoafterwardsIgotoBuddhGaya，tomakeshraddhaforthefatherofmychildren。’
`Thithergowe。’
`Doublyauspicious，’chirrupedtheoldlady。`Asecondsonatleast！’
`OFriendofalltheWorld！’Thelamahadwaked，and，simplyasachildbewilderedinastrangebed，calledforKim。
`Icome！Icome，HolyOne！’Hedashedtothefire，wherehefoundthelamaalreadysurroundedbydishesoffood，thehillmenvisiblyadoringhimandtheSouthernerslookingsourly。
`Goback！Withdraw！’Kimcried。`Doweeatpubliclylikedogs？’Theyfinishedthemealinsilence，eachturnedalittlefromtheother，andKimtoppeditwithanative-madecigarette。
`HaveInotsaidanhundredtimesthattheSouthisagoodland？Hereisavirtuousandhigh-bornwidowofaHillRajahonpilgrimage，shesays，toBuddhGaya。Sheitissendsusthosedishes；andwhenthouartwellratedshewouldspeaktothee。’
`Isthisalsothywork？’Thelamadippeddeepintohissnuffgourd。
`Whoelsewatchedovertheesinceourwonderfuljourneybegan？’Kim’seyesdancedinhisheadasheblewtheranksmokethroughhisnostrilsandstretchedhimonthedustyground。`HaveIfailedtooverseethycomforts，HolyOne？’
`Ablessingonthee。’Thelamainclinedhissolemnhead。`Ihaveknownmanymeninmysolonglife，anddisciplesnotafew。Buttononeamongmen，ifsobethouartwoman-born，hasmyheartgoneoutasithastothee-thoughtful，wise，andcourteous；butsomethingofasmallimp。’
`AndIhaveneverseensuchapriestasthou。’Kimconsideredthebenevolentyellowfacewrinklebywrinkle。`Itislessthanthreedayssincewetooktheroadtogether，anditisasthoughitwereahundredyears。’
`PerhapsinaformerlifeitwaspermittedthatIshouldhaverendered_theesomeservice。Maybe’-hesmiled-`Ifreedtheefromatrap；or，havingcaughttheeonahookinthedayswhenIwasnotenlightened，casttheebackintotheriver。’
`Maybe，’saidKimquietly。Hehadheardthissortofspeculationagainandagain，fromthemouthsofmanywhomtheEnglishwouldnotconsiderimaginative。`Now，asregardsthatwomaninthebullock-cart，Ithinksheneedsasecondsonforherdaughter。’
`ThatisnopartoftheWay，’sighedthelama。`ButatleastsheisfromtheHills。Ah，theHills，andthesnowoftheHills！’
Heroseandstalkedtothecart。Kimwouldhavegivenhisearstocometoo，butthelamadidnotinvitehim；andthefewwordshecaughtwereinanunknowntongue，fortheyspokesomecommonspeechofthemountains。
Thewomanseemedtoaskquestionswhichthelamaturnedoverinhismindbeforeanswering。Nowandagainheheardthesing-songcadenceofaChinesequotation。ItwasastrangepicturethatKimwatchedbetweendroopedeyelids。
Thelama，verystraightanderect，thedeepfoldsofhisyellowclothingslashedwithblackinthelightoftheparaofirespreciselyasaknottedtree-trunkisslashedwiththeshadowsofthelowsun，addressedatinselandlacqueredruthwhichburnedlikeamany-colouredjewelinthesameuncertainlight。Thepatternsonthegold-workedcurtainsranupanddown，meltingandre-formingasthefoldsshookandquiveredtothenightwind；andwhenthetalkgrewmoreearnestthejewelledforefingersnappedoutlittlesparksoflightbetweentheembroideries。Behindthecartwasawallofuncertaindarknessspeckledwithlittleflamesandalivewithhalf-caughtformsandfacesandshadows。Thevoicesofearlyeveninghadsettleddowntoonesoothinghumwhosedeepestnotewasthesteadychumpingofthebullocksabovetheirchoppedstraw，andwhosehighestwasthetinkleofaBengalidancing-girl’ssitar。Mostmenhadeatenandpulleddeepattheirgurgling，gruntinghookahs，whichinfullblastsoundlikebull-frogs。
Atlastthelamareturned。Ahillmanwalkedbehindhimwithawaddedcotton-quiltandspreaditcarefullybythefire。
`Shedeservestenthousandgrandchildren，’thoughtKim。`Nonetheless，butforme，thosegiftswouldnothavecome。’
`Avirtuouswoman-andawiseone。’Thelamaslackenedoff，jointbyjoint，likeaslowcamel。`TheworldisfullofcharitytothosewhofollowtheWay。’HeflungafairhalfofthequiltoverKim。
`Andwhatsaidshe？’Kimrolledupinhisshareofit。
`Sheaskedmemanyquestionsandpropoundedmanyproblems-themostofwhichwereidletaleswhichshehadheardfromdevil-servingpriestswhopretendtofollowtheWay。SomeIanswered，andsomeIsaidwerefoolish。
ManyweartheRobe，butfewkeeptheWay。’
`True。Thatistrue。’Kimusedthethoughtful，conciliatorytoneofthosewhowishtodrawconfidences。
`Butbyherlightssheismostright-minded。ShedesiresgreatlythatweshouldgowithhertoBuddhGaya；herroadbeingours，asIunderstand，formanydays’journeytothesouthward。’
`And？’
`Patiencealittle。TothisIsaidthatmySearchcamebeforeallthings。
Shehadheardmanyfoolishlegends，butthisgreattruthofmyRivershehadneverheard。Sucharethepriestsofthelowerhills！SheknewtheAbbotofLung-Cho，butshedidnotknowofmyRiver-northetaleoftheArrow。’
`And？’
`IspokethereforeoftheSearch，andoftheWay，andofmattersthatwereprofitable；shedesiringonlythatIshouldaccompanyherandmakeprayerforasecondson。’
`Aha！`Wewomen’donotthinkofanythingsavechildren，’saidKimsleepily。
`Now，sinceourroadsruntogetherforawhile，IdonotseethatweinanywaydepartfromourSearchifsobeweaccompanyher-atleastasfaras-Ihaveforgottenthenameofthecity。’
`Ohé；！’saidKim，turningandspeakinginasharpwhispertooneoftheOoryasafewyardsaway。`Whereisyourmaster’shouse？’
`AlittlebehindSaharunpore，amongthefruitgardens。’Henamedthevillage。
`Thatwastheplace，’saidthelama。`Sofar，atleast，wecangowithher。’
`Fliesgotocarrion，’saidtheOorya，inanabstractedvoice。
`Forthesickcowacrow；forthesickmanaBrahmin。’Kimbreathedtheproverbimpersonallytotheshadow-topsofthetreesoverhead。
TheOoryagruntedandheldhispeace。
`Sothenwegowithher，HolyOne？’
`Isthereanyreasonagainst？Icanstillstepasideandtryalltheriversthattheroadoverpasses。ShedesiresthatIshouldcome。Sheverygreatlydesiresit。’
Kimstifledalaughinthequilt。Whenoncethatimperiousoldladyhadrecoveredfromhernaturalaweofalamahethoughtitprobablethatshewouldbeworthlisteningto。