umbrella. After him
a car loaded with a thousand cocoa-nuts and a hundred bamboo baskets,
tied together by a red rope. The god who looks after marriages drove in
melancholy isolation on the vast back of an elephant, whose mahout
led him by a chain of flowers. Our humble party modestly advanced just
behind the elephant's tail.

The performance of rites on the way seemed endless.

We had to stop before every tree, every pagoda, every sacred tank and
bush, and at last before a sacred cow. When we came back to the house
of the bride it was four in the afternoon, and we had started a little
after six in the morning. We all were utterly exhausted, and Miss X----
literally threatened to fall asleep on her feet. The indignant Sikh
had left us long ago, and had persuaded Mr. Y---- and Mulji--whom the
colonel had nicknamed the "mute general"--to keep him company. Our
respected president was bathed in his own perspiration, and even Narayan
the unchangeable yawned and sought consolation in a fan. But the Babu
was simply astonishing. After a nine hours' walk under the sun, with his
head unprotected, he looked fresher than ever, without a drop of sweat
on his dark satin-like forehead. He showed his white teeth in an eternal
smile, and chaffed us all, reciting the "Diamond Wedding" of Steadman.

We struggled against our fatigue in our desire to wit-ness the last
ceremony, after which the woman is forever cut off from the external
world. It was just going to begin; and we kept our eyes and ears wide
open.

The bridegroom and the bride were placed before the altar. The
officiating Brahman tied their hands with some kus-kus grass, and led
them three times round the altar. Then their hands were untied, and the
Brahman mumbled a mantram. When he had finished, the boy husband lifted
his diminutive bride and carried her three times round the altar in his
arms, then again three turns round the altar, but the boy preceding the
girl, and she following him like an obedient slave. When this was over,
the bridegroom was placed on a high chair by the entrance door, and the
bride brought a basin of water, took off his shoes, and, having washed
his feet, wiped them with her long hair. We learned that this was a very
ancient custom. On the right side of the bridegroom sat his mother. The
bride knelt before her also, and, having performed the same operation
over her feet, she retired to the house. Then her mother came out of the
crowd and repeated