in.

There was no pushing nor striving, neither was there laughter nor any
kind of merry-making, although a flower garland hung around every neck,
although the multi-coloured raiment was of the best and cleanest and
brightest, and the different marks of the different religious sects
shone as though fresh painted between the eyes and upon the face and
body.

The holy cows walked slowly with the people, hung with garlands and
painted on the face and sides; holding up the traffic as, unafraid,
they snuffled their velvety muzzles in the unguarded baskets of grain,
and pushed their way unconcernedly and by holy right across the human
stream into the Cow Temple as they passed the ever-open door.

There was certainly no pushing nor striving to get one before the
other, but underneath the calm pulsated a certain restrained
excitement, to be read in the light of the thousands of eyes, and the
extraordinary spasmodic, almost uncontrolled, movements of the delicate
dusky hands.

Mothers would suddenly jerk their children up into their arms and press
their little faces against one of the thousands of tiny shrines, where
the gods sit all day and all night behind the bars through which are
thrust offerings of flowers, of food, of jewels.

Men would suddenly strip themselves of all except the loin-cloth and,
casting their clothing at the feet of some holy man, proceed calmly
upon their way. One out of a number of beautiful, fragile girls, with
cast-down painted eyes and half-veiled face, for no apparent reason
would sidle up against some man; rest for one moment against him, and
continue with him upon the road, his arm about her, crushing her body
to his; and the drums throbbed, and the horns screamed in and around
the temple of their goddess.

Yet one did strive, and, heedless of rebuke, did push her way
ruthlessly through the throngs, slipping on the greasy pavement covered
with refuse and cow-dung; sliding, ducking, squirming her way in and
out, breathless and dishevelled, with a simple brown _sari_ slipping
from about her sleek head and pock-marked face.

Her monkey eyes flashed this way and that in search of something or
someone she could not find; her withered hands beat her withered
breast; the sweat streamed down her face until at last the crowd gave
way, and looking upon her as one mentally afflicted, helped her
stumbling passage up to and through the temple gateway.

Priests stood at the entrance to the outer cour