RoundHimwasanadoringhierarchyofkings，elders，andold-timeBuddhas。
　　Belowwerelotus-coveredwaterswithfishesandwater-birds。Twobutterfly-wingeddewasheldawreathoverHishead；abovethemanotherpairsupportedanumbrellasurmountedbythejewelledheaddressoftheBodhisat。
　　`TheLord！TheLord！ItisSakyaMunihimself，’thelamahalfsobbed；
　　andunderhisbreathbeganthewonderfulBuddhistinvocation：
　　ToHimtheWay，theLaw，apart，WhomMaya，heldbeneathherheart，Ananda’sLord，theBodhisat。
　　`AndHeishere！TheMostExcellentLawisherealso。Mypilgrimageiswellbegun。Andwhatwork！Whatwork！’
　　`YonderistheSahib，’saidKim，anddodgedsidewaysamongthecasesoftheartsandmanufacturerswing。Awhite-beardedEnglishmanwaslookingatthelama，whogravelyturnedandsalutedhimandaftersomefumblingdrewforthanote-bookandascrapofpaper。
　　`Yes，thatismyname，’smilingattheclumsy，childishprint。
　　`OneofuswhohadmadepilgrimagetotheHolyPlaces-heisnowAbbotoftheLung-ChoMonastery-gaveitme，’stammeredthelama。`Hespokeofthese。’Hisleanhandmovedtremulouslyround。
　　`Welcome，then，OlamafromTibet。Herebetheimages，andIamhere’-
　　heglancedatthelama’sface-`togatherknowledge。Cometomyofficeawhile。’Theoldmanwastremblingwithexcitement。
　　Theofficewasbutalittlewoodencubiclepartitionedofffromthesculpture-linedgallery。Kimlaidhimselfdown，hisearagainstacrackintheheat-splitcedardoor，and，followinghisinstinct，stretchedouttolistenandwatch。
　　Mostofthetalkwasaltogetherabovehishead。Thelama，haltinglyatfirst，spoketotheCuratorofhisownlamassery，theSuch-zen，oppositethePaintedRocks，fourmonths’marchaway。TheCuratorbroughtoutahugebookofphotosandshowedhimthatveryplace，perchedonitscrag，overlookingthegiganticvalleyofmany-huedstrata。
　　`Ay，ay！’Thelamamountedapairofhorn-rimmedspectaclesofChinesework。`Hereisthelittledoorthroughwhichwebringwoodbeforewinter。
　　Andthou-theEnglishknowofthesethings？HewhoisnowAbbotofLung-Chotoldme，butIdidnotbelieve。TheLord-theExcellentOne-Hehashonourheretoo？AndHislifeisknown？’
　　`Itisallcarvenuponthestones。Comeandsee，ifthouartrested。’
　　Outshuffledthelamatothemainhall，and，theCuratorbesidehim，wentthroughthecollectionwiththereverenceofadevoteeandtheappreciativeinstinctofacraftsman。
　　Incidentbyincidentinthebeautifulstoryheidentifiedontheblurredstone，puzzledhereandtherebytheunfamiliarGreekconvention，butdelightedasachildateachnewtrove。Wherethesequencefailed，asintheAnnunciation，theCuratorsupplieditfromhismoundofbooks-FrenchandGerman，withphotographsandreproductions。
　　HerewasthedevoutAsita，thependantofSimeonintheChristianstory，holdingtheHolyChildonhiskneewhilemotherandfatherlistened；andherewereincidentsinthelegendofthecousinDevadatta。HerewasthewickedwomanwhoaccusedtheMasterofimpurity，allconfounded；herewastheteachingintheDeer-park；themiraclethatstunnedthefire-worshippers；
　　herewastheBodhisatinroyalstateasaprince；themiraculousbirth；
　　thedeathatKusinagara，wheretheweakdisciplefainted；whiletherewerealmostcountlessrepetitionsofthemeditationundertheBodhitree；andtheadorationofthealms-bowlwaseverywhere。InafewminutestheCuratorsawthathisguestwasnomerebead-tellingmendicant，butascholarofparts。Andtheywentatitalloveragain，thelamatakingsnuff，wipinghisspectacles，andtalkingatrailwayspeedinabewilderingmixtureofUrduandTibetan。HehadheardofthetravelsoftheChinesepilgrims，Fu-HiouenandHwen-Tsiang，andwasanxioustoknowiftherewasanytranslationoftheirrecord。HedrewinhisbreathasheturnedhelplesslyoverthepagesofBealandStanislasJulien。`’Tisallhere。Atreasurelocked。’
　　ThenhecomposedhimselfreverentlytolistentofragmentshastilyrenderedintoUrdu。ForthefirsttimeheheardofthelaboursofEuropeanscholars，whobythehelpoftheseandahundredotherdocumentshaveidentifiedtheHolyPlacesofBuddhism。Thenhewasshownamightymap，spottedandtracedwithyellow。ThebrownfingerfollowedtheCurator’spencilfrompointtopoint。HerewasKapilavastu，heretheMiddleKingdom，andhereMahabodhi，theMeccaofBuddhism；andherewasKusinagara，sadplaceoftheHolyOne’sdeath。Theoldmanbowedhisheadoverthesheetsinsilenceforawhile，andtheCuratorlitanotherpipe。Kimhadfallenasleep。Whenhewaked，thetalk，stillinspate，wasmorewithinhiscomprehension。
　　`Andthusitwas，OFountainofWisdom，thatIdecidedtogototheHolyPlaceswhichHisfoothadtrod-totheBirthplace，eventoKapila；
　　thentoMahabodhi，whichisBuddhGaya-totheMonastery-totheDeer-park-totheplaceofHisdeath。’
　　Thelamaloweredhisvoice。`AndIcomeherealone。Forfive-seven-eighteen-fortyyearsitwasinmymindthattheOldLawwasnotwellfollowed；beingoverlaid，asthouknowest，withdevildom，charms，andidolatry。
　　Evenasthechildoutsidesaidbutnow。Ay，evenasthechildsaid，withb&；umacron；t-parasti。’
　　`Soitcomeswithallfaiths。’
　　`Thinkestthou？ThebooksofmylamasseryIread，andtheyweredriedpith；andthelaterritualwithwhichweoftheReformedLawhavecumberedourselves-that，too，hadnoworthtotheseoldeyes。EventhefollowersoftheExcellentOneareatfeudonfeudwithoneanother。Itisallillusion。
　　Ay，maya，illusion。ButIhaveanotherdesire’-theseamedyellowfacedrewwithinthreeinchesoftheCurator，andthelongforefinger-nailtappedonthetable。`Yourscholars，bythesebooks，havefollowedtheBlessedFeetinalltheirwanderings；buttherearethingswhichtheyhavenotsoughtout。Iknownothing-nothingdoIknow-butIgotofreemyselffromtheWheelofThingsbyabroadandopenroad。’Hesmiledwithmostsimpletriumph。`AsapilgrimtotheHolyPlacesIacquiremerit。Butthereismore。Listentoatruething。WhenourgraciousLord，beingasyetayouth，soughtamate，mensaid，inHisfather’sCourt，thatHewastootenderformarriage。Thouknowest？’
　　TheCuratornodded，wonderingwhatwouldcomenext。
　　`Sotheymadethetripletrialofstrengthagainstallcomers。AndatthetestoftheBow，ourLordfirstbreakingthatwhichtheygaveHim，calledforsuchabowasnonemightbend。Thouknowest？’
　　`Itiswritten。Ihaveread。’
　　`And，overshootingallothermarks，thearrowpassedfarandfarbeyondsight。Atthelastitfell；and，whereittouchedearth，therebrokeoutastreamwhichpresentlybecameaRiver，whosenature，byourLord’sbeneficence，andthatmeritHeacquiredereHefreedhimself，isthatwhosobathesinitwashesawayalltaintandspeckleofsin。’
　　`Soitiswritten，’saidtheCuratorsadly。
　　Thelamadrewalongbreath。`WhereisthatRiver？FountainofWisdom，wherefellthearrow？’
　　`Alas，mybrother，Idonotknow，’saidtheCurator。
　　`Nay，ifitpleasetheetoforget-theonethingonlythatthouhastnottoldme。Surelythoumustknow？See，lamanoldman！Iaskwithmyheadbetweenthyfeet，OFountainofWisdom。WeknowHedrewthebow！Weknowthearrowfell！Weknowthestreamgushed！Where，then，istheRiver？Mydreamtoldmetofindit。SoIcame。Iamhere。
　　ButwhereistheRiver？’
　　`IfIknew，thinkyouIwouldnotcryitaloud？’
　　`ByitoneattainsfreedomfromtheWheelofThings，’thelamawenton，unheeding。`TheRiveroftheArrow！Thinkagain！Somelittlestream，maybe-driedintheheats？ButtheHolyOnewouldneversocheatanoldman。’
　　`Idonotknow。Idonotknow。’
　　Thelamabroughthisthousand-wrinkledfaceoncemoreahandsbreadthfromtheEnglishman’s。`Iseethoudostnotknow。NotbeingoftheLaw，thematterishidfromthee。’
　　`Ay-hidden-hidden。’
　　`Wearebothbound，thouandI，mybrother。ButI’-herosewithasweepofthesoftthickdrapery-`Igotocutmyselffree。Comealso！’
　　`Iambound，’saidtheCurator。`Butwhithergoestthou？’
　　`FirsttoKashi[Benares]：whereelse？ThereIshallmeetoneofthepurefaithinaJaintempleofthatcity。HealsoisaSeekerinsecret，andfromhimhaplyImaylearn。MaybehewillgowithmetoBuddhGaya。
　　ThencenorthandwesttoKapilavastu，andtherewillIseekfortheRiver。
　　Nay，IwillseekeverywhereasIgo-fortheplaceisnotknownwherethearrowfell。’
　　`Andhowwiltthougo？ItisafarcrytoDelhi，andfarthertoBenares。’
　　`Byroadandthetrains。FromPathî；nkot，havinglefttheHills，Icamehitherinate-rain。Itgoesswiftly。AtfirstIwasamazedtoseethosetallpolesbythesideoftheroadsnatchingupandsnatchinguptheirthreads，’-heillustratedthestoopand-whirlofatelegraph-poleflashingpastthetrain。`Butlater，Iwascrampedanddesiredtowalk，asIamused。’
　　`Andthouartsureofthyroad？’saidtheCurator。
　　`Oh，forthatonebutasksaquestionandpaysmoney，andtheappointedpersonsdespatchalltotheappointedplace。ThatmuchIknewinmylamasseryfromsurereport，’saidthelamaproudly。