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Ch 18 - A Passage to India · A Passage to India

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  Chapter eighteen. Mister mc bride, the District Superintendent of police, was the
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  most reflective and best educated of the Chandrapoor officials. He had read and thought
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  a good deal, and owing to a somewhat unhappy marriage, had evolved a
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  complete philosophy of life. There was much of the cynic about him, but
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  nothing of the bully. He never lost his temper or grew rough, and
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  he received uzziase with courtesy. Was almost reassuring. I have to detain you
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  until you get bail, he said, but no doubt your friends will be
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  applying for it, and of course they will be allowed to visit you under
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  regulations. I am given certain information and have to act on it. I'm
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  not your job. Aziz was led off weeping. Mister McBride was shocked at
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  his downfall, but no Indian ever surprised him, because he had a theory
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  about climactic zones. The theory ran, all unfortunate natives are criminals at heart
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  for the simple reason that they live south of latitude thirty. They are not
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  to blame. They have not a dog's chance. We should be like them
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  if we settled here. Born at Karachi, he seemed to contradict his theory,
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  and would sometimes admit as much with a sad, quiet smile. Another
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  of them found out, he thought. As he set to work to draft
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  his statement to the magistrate, he was interrupted by the arrival of Fielding.
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  He imparted all that he knew without reservations. Miss Derrick had herself driven in
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  the mootkool car about an hour ago. She and misquested, both in a
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  terrible state. They had gone straight to his bungalow where he happened to be,
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  and there and then he had taken down the charge and arranged for the
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  arrest at the railway station. What is the charge? Precisely that he followed
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  her into the cave and made insulting advances. She hit at him with her
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  field glasses. He pulled at them and the strap broke, and that is
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  how she got away. When we searched him, just now they were in
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  his pocket. Oh no, oh no, no, it'll be cleared up
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  in five minutes, he cried again. Have a look at them. The
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  strap had been newly broken, the eyepiece was jammed. The logic of evidence
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  said guilty. Did she say any more? There was an echo that appears
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  to have frightened her. Did you go into those caves? I saw one
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  of them? There was an echo? Did it get on her nerves?
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  I couldn't worry her over much with questions. She'll have plenty to go through
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  in the witness box. They don't bear thinking about these next weeks. I
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  wish the Marabar Hills and all they contain were at the bottom of the sea.
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  Evening after evening one saw them from the club and they were just a
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  harmless name. Yes, we start already for a visiting card was brought Vakil
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  mahmud Ali, legal adviser to the prisoner, asked to be allowed to see
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  him. McBride side gave permission and continued. I heard some more from miss
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  Deryck. She is an old friend of us both and talks freely well.
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  Her account is that you went off to locate the camp, and almost at
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  once she heard stones falling on the Kala dole and saw Misquested running straight down
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  the face of a precipice. Well, she climbed up a sort of gully
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  to her and found her practically done for her helmet off was a guide not
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  with her interrupted fielding. No, she had got among some cactuses. Miss
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  Derrick saved her life, coming just then she was beginning to fling herself about.
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  She helped her down to the car, misquested. Couldn't stand The Indian
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  driver cried, keep him away, And it was that that put our friend
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  on the track of what had happened. They made straight for our bungalow and
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  are there. Now. That's the story as far as I know it.
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  Yet she sent the driver to join you. I think she behaved with great
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  sense. I suppose there's no possibility of my seeing misquested, he asked suddenly.
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  I hardly think that would do. Surely, I was afraid you'd say
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  that. I should very much like to. She is in no state to
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  see anyone. Besides, you don't know her well hardly at all. But
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  you see, I believe she's under some hideous delusion, and that that wretched
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  boy is innocent. The policeman started in surprise, and a shadow passed over
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  his face, for he could not bear his dispositions to be upset. I
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  had no idea that was in your mind, he said, and looked for
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  support at the signed deposition which lay before him. Those field glasses upset me
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  for a minute but I've thought since it's impossible that having attempted to assault her,
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  he would put her glasses into his pocket. Quite possible. I'm afraid
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  when an Indian goes bad, he goes not only very bad, but very
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  queer. I don't follow. How should you. When you think of crime,
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  you think of English crime. The psychology here is different. I dare
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  say you'll tell me next that he was quite normal when he came down from
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  the hill to greet you. No reason he should not be read any of
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  the mutiny records, which, rather than the bagavad Ghita, should be your
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  bible in this country, though I'm not sure that the one and the other
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  are not connected? Am I not being beastly? But you see Fielding,
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  As I've said to you once before, you're a schoolmaster, and consequently you
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  come across these people at their best. That's what puts you wrong. They
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  can't be charming as boys, but I know them as they really are after
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  they have developed into men. Look at this, for instance, he held
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  up Aziz's pocket case. I am going through the contents they are not edifying.
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  Here is a letter from a friend who apparently keeps a brothel. I
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  don't want to hear his private letters. It'll have to be quoted in court
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  as bearing on his morals. He was fixing up to see women at Calcutta.
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  Oh that'll do, that'll do. McBride stopped, naively, puzzled.
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  It is obvious to him that any two sahibs ought to pool all they knew
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  about any Indian. And he could not think where the objection came in.
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  I dare say you have the right to throw stones at a young man for
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  doing that, but I haven't. I did the same at his age,
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  so had the superintendent of police. But he considered that the conversation had taken
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  a turn that was undesirable. He did not like feelings. Next remark either
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  misquestion really cannot be seen. You do know that, for a certainty you
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  have never explained to me what's in your mind here? Why on earth do
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  you want to see her on the off chance of her recanting before you send
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  in that report and he's committed for trial and the whole thing goes to blazes.
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  Old man, don't argue about this, but do, of your goodness,
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  just ring up your wife or miss Deryck and enquire. It'll cost you
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  nothing. It's no use ringing them up, he replied, stretching out for
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  the telephone. Calendar settles a question like that. Of course you haven't grasped
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  that she's seriously ill. He's sure to refuse. It's all he exists for,
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  said the other desperately. The expected answer came back. The major would
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  not hear of the patient being troubled. I only wanted to ask her whether
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  she is certain, dead certain that it was Aziz who followed her into the
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  cave. Possibly my wife might ask her that much, but I wanted to
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  ask her. I want someone who believes in him to ask her. What
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  difference does that make she is among people who disbelieve in Indians. Well,
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  she tell her own story, doesn't she? I know, but she tells
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  it to you. McBride raised his eyebrows, murmuring a bit too fine spun
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  anyhow, Calendar won't hear of you seeing her. I'm sorry to say he
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  gave a bad account. Just now he says that she is by no means
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  out of danger. They were silent. Another card was brought into the office.
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  Hamidullahs the opposite army was gathering. I must put this report through now
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  fielding I wish you wouldn't. How can I not? I feel that things
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  are rather unsatisfactory as well as most disastrous. We are heading for a most
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  awful smash. I can see your prisoner. I suppose his own people seem
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  in touch with him, all right, Well, when he's done with them,
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  I wouldn't keep you waiting. Good heavens, you take precedence of any
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  Indian visitor. Of course, I meant, what's the good? Why mix
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  yourself up with pitch? I say he's innocent, innocent or guilty? Why
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  mix yourself up? What's the good? Oh, good, good, he
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  cried, feeling that every earth was being stopped. One's got to breathe occasionally,
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  at least I have. I mayn't see her, and now I mayn't
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  see him. I promised him to come up here with him to you,
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  but Turton called me off before I could get two steps. A sort of
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  all white thing the Borathahib would do, he muttered, sentimentally, and trying
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  not to sound patronizing. He stretched his hand over the table and said,
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  we shall all have to hang together. Old man. I'm afraid i'm your
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  junior in years, I know, but very much you're a senior in service.
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  You don't happen to know this poisonous country as well as I do,
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  and you must take it from me. At the general situation is going to
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  be nasty at Jandrapor during the next few weeks, very nasty, indeed,
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  so I have just told you. But at a time like this there's no
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  room for well personal views. The man who doesn't tow the line is lost.
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  I see what you mean. No, you don't see entirely. He
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  not only loses himself, he weakens his friends. If you leave the line,
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  you leave a gap in the line. These jackals, he pointed at
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  the lawyer's cards, are looking with all their eyes for a gap. Can
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  I visit Aziz? Was his answer. No. Now that he knew of
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  Turton's attitude, the policeman had no doubts. You may see him on a
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  magistrate's order, but on my own responsibility I don't feel justified. It might
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  lead to more complications, he paused, reflecting that if he had been either
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  ten years younger or ten years longer in India, he would have responded to
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  McBride's appeal the bit between his teeth. He then said, to whom do
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  I apply for an order city magistrate. That sounds comfortable, Yes, one
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  can't very well. Worry poor he slept. More evidence appeared at this moment,
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  the table drawer from Aziz bungle Born with triumph in a corporal's arms,
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  photographs of women. Nah, that's his wife, said Fielding, wincing,
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  How do you know that? He told me. McBride gave a faint,
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  incredulous smile and started rummaging in the drawer. His face became inquisitive and slightly
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  be steel. Wife. Indeed, I know those wives, he was thinking
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  aloud. He said, well, you must trot off now, old man,
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  and the Lord help us, The Lord help us all. As if
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  his prayer had been heard, there was a sudden rackety jacket on a temple
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  bell. End of Chapter eighteen