is an insult beyond price.

"That's the habit of crows," he explained indignantly to Tess as she
returned, laughing, to the veranda, picking up the cushion on her way.
"They are without shame. Garud, who is king of all the birds, should
turn them into fish; then they could swim in water and be caught with
hooks. But first Blaine sahib should shoot them with a shotgun."

Having offered that wise solution of the problem Chamu stood with fat
hands folded on his stomach.

"The crows steal less than some people," Tess answered pointedly.

He preferred to ignore the remark.

"Or there might be poison added to some food, and the food left for
them to see," he suggested, whereat she astonished him, American
women being even more incomprehensible than their English cousins.

"If you talk to me about poison I'll send you back to Gungadhura in
disgrace. Take away the breakfast things at once."

"That is the hamal's business," he retorted pompously. "The maharajah
sahib is knowing me for most excellent butler. He himself has given
me already very high recommendation. Will he permit opinions of other
people to contradict him?"

The words "opinions of women" had trembled on his lips but intuition
saved that day. It flashed across even his obscene mentality that he
might suggest once too often contempt for Western folk who worked