then! Good for India that we hold India? Ay, good: but not at such
a cost as an extra tax, or compulsory service of our working man.
If India is to be held for the good of India, throw open India to
the civilized nations, that they help us in a task that overstrains
us. At present India means utter perversion of the policy of
England. Adrift India! rather than England red-coated. We dissent,
Beauchamp! For by-and-by."

'That is,' Captain Baskelett explained, 'by-and-by Shrapnel will have old
Nevil fast enough.'

'Is there more of it?' said Colonel Halkett, flapping his forehead for
coolness.

'The impudence of this dog in presuming to talk about India!--eh,
colonel? Only a paragraph or two more: I skip a lot . . . . Ah!
here we are.' Captain Baskelett read to himself and laughed in derision:
'He calls our Constitution a compact unsigned by the larger number
involved in it. What's this? "A band of dealers in fleshpottery." Do
you detect a gleam of sense? He underscores it. Then he comes to this':
Captain Baskelett requested Colonel Halkett to read for himself: 'The
stench of the trail of Ego in our History.'

The colonel perused it with an unsavoury expression of his features, and
jumped up.

'Oddly, Mr. Romfrey thought this rather clever,' said Captain Baskelett,
and read rapidly:

'"Trace the course of Ego for them: first the king who conquers and