THE BABU. 275 



metaphysical philosophy for three solid hours. 

 Evidently they came from different parts of 

 India, and their only common language was 

 English. Through the thin partition in the 

 station building we could hear plainly every 

 word. It was very interesting. Especially did 

 we chortle with delight when the inspector began 

 one of his arguments somewhat as follows : 



" Now the two English who are here. They 

 possess great sums of wealth " F. nudged me 

 delightedly " and they have weapons to kill, and 

 much with which to do things, yet their savage 

 minds " 



It was plain, rank, eavesdropping, but most 

 illuminating, thus to get at first hand the Eastern 

 point of view as to ourselves ; to hear the blood- 

 less, gentle shell of Indian philosophy described 

 by believers. They discussed the most minute 

 and impractical points, and involved themselves 

 in the most uncompromising dilemmas. 



Thus the gist of one argument was as follows : 

 " All sexual intercourse is sin, but the race must 

 go forward by means of sexual intercourse ; 

 therefore the race is conceived in sin and is sinful ; 

 but it is a great sin for me, as an individual, not 

 to carry forward the race, since the Divine Will 

 decrees that in some way the race is necessary to 



