VISITORS 53 



minute or two ; then he would say, ' I think it would be 

 a good time to purchase.' My grandfather understood, 

 and when the visit was over he went into the bazaar 

 and bought all the cotton in the markets far and near. 

 Presently the orders of the Company to buy were pub- 

 lished. The price of cotton went up, and my grand- 

 father sold at a great profit. And thus in the course of 

 a few years, without any injury to the Company and 

 without any fraud or oppression to other persons, my 

 grandfather, simply by the favour and kindness of Mr. 

 Dillon, accumulated a fortune of very many lacs of 

 rupees." 



It might be supposed that Mr. Dillon also benefited 

 himself. Not in the least. He drew an immense salary, 

 lived in great style, and left but comparatively little 

 money behind him. What he did was out of pure good- 

 nature, and was, in native opinion, only a very amiable 

 and quite legitimate method of benefiting a subordinate. 



The feelings of the English of that day were on 

 many matters much more in harmony with those of 

 the natives than they are at present, especially as 

 regarded their servants and subordinates. It was not 

 considered consistent with the dignity of any high 

 official that those who had served him for long and 

 faithfully should afterwards be compelled to enter the 

 service of another master. On leaving the country 

 every high official either pensioned his servants or 

 otherwise provided for them. 



Sometimes the methods adopted were rather amusing, 

 as in the following instance. When in another district 

 many years previously I often heard the story related. 



