Every animal possesses a body of his own
and a right to make an honest use of it. Whereas the bhutas are doomed
dakoits, brigands and thieves, they are ever watching for an opportunity
to use what does not belong to them. This is a horrible state--a horror
indescribable. This is the true hell. What is this spiritualism they
talk so much of in the West? Is it possible the intelligent English and
Americans are so mad as this?"

And all our remonstrances notwithstanding, he refused to believe that
there are actually people who are fond of bhutas, who would do much to
attract them into their homes.

After supper the men went again to the family well to wash, and then
dressed themselves.

Usually at this hour of the night the Hindus put on clean malmalas,
a kind of tight shirt, white turbans, and wooden sandals with knobs
pressed between the toes. These curious shoes are left at the door
whilst their owners return to the hall and sit down along the walls
on carpets and cushions to chew betel, smoke hookahs and cheroots, to
listen to sacred reading, and to witness the dances of the nautches.
But this evening, probably in our honor, all the Hindus dressed
magnificently. Some of them wore darias of rich striped satin, no end of
gold bangles, necklaces mounted with diamonds and emeralds, gold watches
and chains, and transparent Brahmanical scarfs with gold embroidery.
The fat fingers and the right ear of our host were simply blazing with
diamonds.

The women, who waited on us during the meal, disappeared afterwards
for a considerable time. When they came back they also were luxuriously
overdressed and were introduced to us formally as the ladies of the
house. They were five: the wife of the host, a woman of twenty-six or
twenty-seven years of age, then two others looking somewhat younger, one
of whom carried a baby, and, to our great astonishment, was introduced
as the married daughter of the hostess; then the old mother of the host
and a little girl of seven, the wife of one of his brothers. So that our
hostess turned out to be a grandmother, and her sister-in-law, who was
to enter finally into matrimony in from two to three years, might have
become a mother before she was twelve. They were all barefooted, with
rings on each of their toes, and all, with the exception of the old
woman, wore garlands of natural flowers round their necks and in their
jet black hair. Their tight bodices, covered with embroidery, were so
short