Remember
he does not know that he knows.
Kipling - Poems
Be quick; he will not last long. "
"How do you mean? "
"What I say. He has never, so far, thought about a woman. "
"Hasn't he though! " I remembered some of Charlie's confidences.
"I mean no woman has thought about him. When that comes; bushogya--all
up' I know. There are millions of women here. Housemaids, for instance. "
I winced at the thought of my story being ruined by a housemaid.
And yet nothing was more probable.
Grish Chunder grinned.
"Yes--also pretty girls--cousins of his house, and perhaps not of his
house. One kiss that he gives back again and remembers will cure all
this nonsense or else"--
"Or else what?
Remember he does not know that he knows. "
"I know that. Or else, if nothing happens he will become immersed in the
trade and the financial speculations like the rest. It must be so. You
can see that it must be so. But the woman will come first, I think. "
There was a rap at the door, and Charlie charged in impetuously. He had
been released from office, and by the look in his eyes I could see
that he had come over for a long talk; most probably with poems in his
pockets. Charlie's poems were very wearying, but sometimes they led him
to talk about the galley.
Grish Chunder looked at him keenly for a minute.
"I beg your pardon," Charlie said, uneasily; "I didn't know you had any
one with you. "
"I am going," said Grish Chunder.
He drew me into the lobby as he departed.
"That is your man," he said, quickly. "I tell you he will never speak
all you wish. That is rot--bosh.
