For many reasons, to be explained later, the people concerned objected to the Bill.  The Native Member in Council knew as much about Punjabis as he knew about Charing Cross.  He had said in Calcutta that ’the Bill was entirely in accord with the desires of that large and important class, the cultivators’; and so on, and so on.  The Legal Member’s knowledge of natives was limited to English-speaking Durbaris, and his own red chaprassis, the Sub-Montane Tracts concerned no one in particular, the Deputy Commissioners were a good deal too driven to make representations, and the measure was one which dealt with small land-holders only.  Nevertheless, the Legal Member prayed that it might be correct, for he was a nervously conscientious man.  He did not know that no man can tell what natives think unless he mixes with them with the varnish off.  And not always then.  But he did the best he knew.  And the measure came up to the Supreme Council for the final touches, while Tods patrolled the Burra Simla Bazar in his morning rides, and played with the monkey belonging to Ditta Mull, the bunnia, and listened, as a child listens, to all the stray talk about this new freak of the Lord Sahib’s.

One day there was a dinner-party at the house of Tods’ Mamma, and the Legal Member came.  Tods was in bed, but he kept awake till he heard the bursts of laughter from the men over the coffee.  Then he paddled out in his little red flannel dressing-gown and his night-suit, and took refuge by the side of his father, knowing that he would not be sent back.  ‘See the miseries of having a family!’ said Tods’ father, giving Tods three prunes, some water in a glass that had been used for claret, and telling him to sit still.  Tods sucked the prunes slowly, knowing that he would have to go when they were finished, and sipped the pink water like a man of the world, as he listened to the conversation.  Presently, the Legal Member, talking ‘shop’ to the Head of a Department, mentioned his Bill by its full name—­’The Sub-Montane Tracts Ryotwary Revised Enactment.’  Tods caught the one native word, and lifting up his small voice said—­

’Oh, I know all about that!  Has it been murramutted yet, Councillor Sahib?’

‘How much?’ said the Legal Member. ’Murramutted—­mended.—­Put theek, you know—­made nice to please Ditta Mull!’

The Legal Member left his place and moved up next to Tods.

‘What do you know about ryotwari, little man?’ he said.

’I’m not a little man, I’m Tods, and I know all about it.  Ditta Mull, and Choga Lall, and Amir Nath, and—­oh, lakhs of my friends tell me about it in the bazars when I talk to them.’

‘Oh, they do—­do they?  What do they say, Tods?’

Tods tucked his feet under his red flannel dressing-gown and said—­’I must fink.’

The Legal Member waited patiently.  Then Tods, with infinite compassion—­