SPARE RED-ROOM. 
Sometimes, he would try to “ pump ” him as to wheli 
he was going away. He would suddenly stop in his 
work of sweeping the verandah, rest on his broom, 
and say : “Why does not master take a situation ? 
A proper master like you can surely get the very 
best place you choose to ask for. Why don’t mas- 
ter go to Kandy, and ask a place from some of the 
periya durais ? The periya durais surely cannot know 
master wants situation ; if they did, master would get 
plejity of letters ; indeed, not know which place to 
take, for is it not very well known, no master take 
such trouble, and do such harij work, and very cheap 
also, as master.” And so on. Now, however much 
one and all of us may protest and inveigh against 
flattery, we would just appeal to one and all, that 
although, of course, we see through and understand 
all this talk of the boy's as being merely gross 
nonsense, and spoken only in the spirit of eastern 
flattery from a subordinate to a superior, yet it is 
human nature, and one has no objections to have 
his ears tickled. How often have we read of some 
of the greatest of men as having stooped, demeaned 
themselves, and been led into foolish actionSj simply 
from flattery ; and if such is, or has been, the case 
with wise and great men, how can we expect a poor 
staff gentleman, only an ex-coffee planter, to be exempt 
from it ? In thinking over the matter, a good deal 
of truth seems under the boy’s suggestion, but, sup- 
pose he does go to Kandy, how is he to live there ? 
He would have gone long ago had it not been for 
this formidable objection— it would cost him well on 
to a pound a day living in a hotel ; he can’t afford 
that, and he has no friends in Kandy, at least none 
who would receive a gentleman on the staff. 
A good many planters’ bungalows in these timers 
had no spare bed-rooms. The visitor or visitors just 
took a couch in the sitting-room and went into mas- 
ter’s bed-room to wash and dress. Even if there was 
a spare bed-room, one in the position of a staff officer 
could hardly expect it to be allotted to him. The 
spare room must be kept open for more distinguished 
visitors, gentlemen w'ho had a bungalow of their own^ 
and could ask you back again in return your hospitality. 
• The assistant on the staff would therefore be very 
plainly told he must content himself with a couch in 
the sitting-room, to which he would no doubt reply, 
that anything was good enough for him. 
He would be late of turning in at night, sit up and 
read, or walk up and down the verandah smoking. 
What was the use of going to bed? He did not re- 
quire to get up in the morning, besides he had in- 
dulged in a good deal of sleep during the day, and 
