![]() ![]() ![]() He was standing with his plump white-clad behind balanced against the veranda rail, and sometimes gesticulating. The doctor grew agitated, as he always did when Flory criticized the Club members. ![]() He’s been saying the same thing ever since the Jubilee in ‘eighty-seven.’ It’s time that old havildar was put on the retired list. But when they got on to that story about the old havildar - you know, the dear old havildar who said that if the British left India there wouldn’t be a rupee or a virgin between - you know well, I couldn’t stand it any longer. Ellis with his “dirty nigger”, Westfield with his jokes, Macgregor with his Latin tags and please give the bearer fifteen lashes. I stood it as long as I could this morning. ‘You don’t have to listen to the honourable gentlemen talking, doctor. ![]() You must not say such things of honourable English gentlemen!’ ‘My friend, my friend, now come, come, please! That iss outrageous. Such a relief to be out of the stink of it for a little while.’ British prestige, the white man’s burden, the pukka sahib sans peur et sans reproche - you know. Such a glorious holiday from THEM’ - he motioned with one heel in the direction of the Club - ‘from my beloved fellow Empire-builders. When I come to your house I feel like a Nonconformist minister dodging up to town and going home with a tart. ‘Ah, doctor,’ said Flory, supine in the long chair, ‘what a joy to be here after that bloody Club. ![]()
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