. Indian life in town and country . adopts the behaviour he exacts fromthose beneath him. Indeed, his humility is in-variably exaggerated towards those whose breathcan unmake as their breath has made. He is aconsummate actor and Machiavelian schemer,who seldom fails to worm himself into his roguery and backsliding, heis rarely dismissed from office, being far too cun-ning to run the risk of that. Moreover, he issupported in his hour of need by the clannishnessof the predatory tribe he belongs to. There ismuch of the jackal in Jack in Office, who onlyfights with his kind
. Indian life in town and country . adopts the behaviour he exacts fromthose beneath him. Indeed, his humility is in-variably exaggerated towards those whose breathcan unmake as their breath has made. He is aconsummate actor and Machiavelian schemer,who seldom fails to worm himself into his roguery and backsliding, heis rarely dismissed from office, being far too cun-ning to run the risk of that. Moreover, he issupported in his hour of need by the clannishnessof the predatory tribe he belongs to. There ismuch of the jackal in Jack in Office, who onlyfights with his kind when it comes to dividingthe spoil. If, however, disaster overtakes him,and he gets the order to go, in an instant thefierce light of rapine dies out of his eyes, the bulkof his turban is diminished, the ample starchedlinen robes give way to meagre soiled garments,his arrogance departs, and he passes over to themeek majority whose badge is sufferance. Secondonly to losing caste is the loss of employment inhe service of Jacks in Office 79 There are Jacks in Office outside Governmentemploy, for you may say that every native ofIndia who has it in his power to confer an obliga-tion is one in a minor degree. The favourite of arich man—and in the Bast favouritism is an al-most universal foible — who has the ear of hismaster can always put it to profitable Englishmans ** bearer, or valet, has numer-ous opportunities of turning a penny. The cook,who provisions the larder periodically, does notdo it for nothing. They all exact their quid proquo, and never a purchase made for you or yourhousehold but pays its recognised dustoorie, orcommission. Half an anna in the rupee is theestablished scale, which works out three per cent.,or double the ordinary rate of brokerage in com-mercial transactions. In a strange city, if youhire a gharrie, which is the Oriental equivalentof a cab, and tell the man to drive to a shopwhere you can purchase such-and-such a thing,that
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