BULDAO 159 



they went back to the carriage with hearts, as I 

 imagined, full of kindly pity. As we were getting 

 in, the future Professor remarked : 



" Mother, I wish I was an orphan ! " 



The guileless simplicity of it ! He had had his 

 eye on the cakes and oranges ! 



They had a funny little man to take care of 

 them in those days when out of my sight, named 

 Buldao. He was, many years after, the father of 

 Billy Doo. He had only one eye, like his brother 

 Gobin, and had an intensely earnest manner. 



Servants in England sometimes drop their " h's," 

 but out here our ones generally seem to have 

 dropped their "i's," for we have no less than six 

 one-eyed people in the compound, poor folk. 



I remarked to the Ancient, who was not very 

 antediluvian then : 



"Why does Buldao wear his waistband right 

 up under his arms like that? It must be very 

 uncomfortable, and looks as if he has outgrown his 

 clothes." 



The Ancient had him brought before us. 



" The mistress," he said, " is inquiring for what 

 reason you are so short- waisted." 



