uniform
revolutionises the savage. Put him into Convention, that is clothes,
give him Responsibility, that is a chance to exercise vanity and
power, and you make him a Britisher--a good citizen to all intents and
purposes."

Blithelygo was a clever fellow in his way. He had a decided instinct
for military matters, and for good cigars and pretty women. Yet he would
rather give up both than an idea which had got firmly fixed in his mind.
He was very deferential in his remarks, but at the same time he was
quite willing to go into a minority which might not include pretty
Miss Angel who sat beside him, if he was not met by conclusive good
arguments.

In the slight pause which followed his rather long speech, his
Excellency passed the champagne cup, and Lady Tynemouth said: "But I
suppose it depends somewhat on the race, doesn't it, Mr. Travers? I
am afraid mere uniforming would scarcely work successfully--among the
Bengalese, for instance."

"A wretched crew," said Major Warham; "awful liars, awful scoundrels,
need kicking every morning."

"Of course," said Blithelygo, "there must be some consideration of race.
But look at the Indian Mutiny. Though there was revolt, look at those
who 'fought with us faithful and few'; look at the fidelity of the
majority of the native servants. Look at the native mounted police in
Australia; at the Sikhs in the Settlements and the Native States; at the
Indian scouts of the United States and Canada; and look at these very
Indian troops at your door, your Excellency! I think my principle holds
good; give uniform, give responsibility--under European surveillance of
course--get British civilisation."

His Excellency's eyes had been wandering out of the window, over the
white wall and into the town where Arabia, India, Africa, the Islands of
the South and Palestine were blended in a quivering, radiant panorama.
Then they rose until they fell upon Jebel Shamsan, in its intoxicating
red and opal far away, and upon the frowning and mighty rampart that
makes Aden one of the most impregnable stations of the Empire. The
amusement in his eyes had died away; and as he dipped his fingers in the
water at his side and motioned for a quickening of the punkahs, he said:
"There is force in what you say. It would be an unpleasant look-out for
us here and in many parts of the world if we could not place reliance
on the effect of uniform; but"--and the amused look came again to his
eyes--"we somehow get