And about all old friends and old times," added Pagett, detecting
with quick insight a look of disappointment in the mechanic's face.
Nodding briefly to Orde, Edwards mounted his dog-cart and drove off.
"It's very disappointing," said the Member to Orde, who, while his friend
discoursed with Edwards, had been looking over a bundle of sketches drawn on
grey paper in purple ink, brought to him by a Chuprassee.
"Don't let it trouble you, old chap," 'said Orde, sympathetically. "Look here
a moment, here are some sketches by the man who made the carved wood screen
you admired so much in the dining-room, and wanted a copy of, and the artist
himself is here too."
"A native?" said Pagett.
"Of course," was the reply, "Bishen Singh is his name, and he has two brothers
to help him. When there is an important job to do, the three go into
partnership, but they spend most of their time and all their money in
litigation over an inheritance, and I'm afraid they are getting involved,
Thoroughbred Sikhs of the old rock, obstinate, touchy, bigoted, and cunning,
but good men for all that. Here is Bishen Singh--shall we ask him about the
Congress?"
But Bishen Singh, who approached with a respectful salaam, had never heard of
it, and he listened with a puzzled face and obviously feigned interest to
Orde's account of its aims and objects, finally shaking his vast white turban
with great significance when he learned that it was promoted by certain
pleaders named by Orde, and by educated natives.
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