more than words could tell. The fact was that the Mulvaneys had been
out here too long, and had lost touch of England.

Mulvaney knew a contractor on one of the new Central India lines, and
wrote to him for some sort of work. The contractor said that if Mulvaney
could pay the passage he would give him command of a gang of coolies
for old sake's sake. The pay was eighty-five rupees a month, and Dinah
Shadd said that if Terence did not accept she would make his life a
'basted purgathory.' Therefore the Mulvaneys came out as 'civilians,'
which was a great and terrible fall; though Mulvaney tried to disguise
it, by saying that he was 'Ker'nel on the railway line, an' a
consequinshal man.'

He wrote me an invitation, on a tool-indent form, to visit him; and
I came down to the funny little 'construction' bungalow at the side
of the line. Dinah Shadd had planted peas about and about, and nature
had spread all manner of green stuff round the place. There was no
change in Mulvaney except the change of clothing, which was deplorable,
but could not be helped. He was standing upon his trolly, haranguing
a gangman, and his shoulders were as well drilled, and his big, thick
chin was as clean-shaven as ever.

'I'm a civilian now,' said Mulvaney. 'Cud you tell that I was iver a
martial man? Don't answer, Sorr, av you're strainin' betune a compliment
an' a lie. There's no houldin' Dinah Shadd now she's got a house av
her own. Go inside, an' dhrink tay out av chiny in the drrrrawin'-room,
an' thin we'll dhrink like Christians undher the tree here. Scutt, ye
naygur-folk! There's a Sahib come to call on me, an' that's more than
he'll iver do for you onless you run! Get out, an' go on pilin' up the
earth, quick, till sundown.'