`Dowenotallworkforgain？’Kimchangedhistonepromptlytomatchthatalteredvoice。`Ihaveheard’-thiswasabowdrawnataventure-`Ihaveheard——’
　　`Whathastthouheard？’shesnapped，rappingwiththefinger。
　　`NothingthatIwellremember，butsometalkinthebazars，whichisdoubtlessalie，thatevenRajahs-smallHillRajahs——’
　　`ButnonethelessofgoodRajputblood。’
　　`Assuredlyofgoodblood。Thattheseevensellthemorecomelyoftheirwomenfolkforgain。Downsouththeysellthem-tozemindarsandsuch-allofOudh。’
　　IftherebeonethingintheworldthatthesmallHillRajahsdenyitisjustthischarge；butithappenstobeonethingthatthebazarsbelieve，whentheydiscussthemysteriousslavetrafficsofIndia。TheoldladyexplainedtoKim，inatense，indignantwhisper，preciselywhatmannerandfashionofmalignantliarhewas。HadKimhintedthiswhenshewasagirl，hewouldhavebeenpommelledtodeaththatsameeveningbyanelephant。
　　Thiswasperfectlytrue。
　　`Ahai！Iamonlyabeggar’sbrat，astheEyeofBeautyhassaid，’
　　hewailedinextravagantterror。
　　`EyeofBeauty，forsooth！WhoamIthatthoushouldstflingbeggar-endearmentsatme？’Andyetshelaughedatthelong-forgottenword。`Fortyyearsagothatmighthavebeensaid，andnotwithouttruth。Ay，thirtyyearsago。
　　ButitisthefaultofthisgaddingupanddownHindthataking’swidowmustjostleallthescumoftheland，andbemadeamockbybeggars。’
　　`GreatQueen，’saidKimpromptly，forheheardhershakingwithindignation，`IamevenwhattheGreatQueensaysIam；butnonethelessismymasterholy。HehasnotyetheardtheGreatQueen’sorderthat——’
　　`Order？IorderaHolyOne-aTeacheroftheLaw-tocomeandspeaktoawoman？Never！’
　　`Pitymystupidity。Ithoughtitwasgivenasanorder——’
　　`Itwasnot。Itwasapetition。Doesthismakeallclear？’
　　Asilvercoinclickedontheedgeofthecart。Kimtookitandsalaamedprofoundly。Theoldladyrecognizedthat，astheeyesandtheearsofthelama，hewastobepropitiated。
　　`IambuttheHolyOne’sdisciple。Whenhehaseatenperhapshewillcome。’
　　`Oh，villainandshamelessrogue！’Thejewelledforefingershookitselfathimreprovingly；buthecouldheartheoldlady’schuckle。
　　`Nay，whatisit？’hesaid，droppingintohismostcaressingandconfidentialtone-theone，hewellknew，thatfewcouldresist。`Is-isthereanyneedofasoninthyfamily？Speakfreely，forwepriests——’ThatlastwasadirectplagiarismfromafakirbytheTaksaliGate。
　　`Wepriests！Thouartnotyetoldenoughto——’Shecheckedthejokewithanotherlaugh。`Believeme，nowandagain，wewomen，Opriest，thinkofothermattersthansons。Moreover，mydaughterhasborneherman-child。’
　　`Twoarrowsinthequiverarebetterthanone；andthreearebetterstill。’Kimquotedtheproverbwithameditativecough，lookingdiscreetlyearthward。
　　`True-oh，true。Butperhapsthatwillcome。Certainlythosedown-countryBrahminsareutterlyuseless。Isentgiftsandmoniesandgiftsagaintothem，andtheyprophesied。’
　　`Ah，’drawledKim，withinfinitecontempt，`theyprophesied！’Aprofessionalcouldhavedonenobetter。
　　`AnditwasnottillIrememberedmyownGodsthatmyprayerswereheard。
　　Ichoseanauspicioushour，and-perhapsthyHolyOnehasheardoftheAbbotoftheLung-Cholamassery。ItwastohimIputthematter，andbeholdintheduetimeallcameaboutasIdesired。TheBrahmininthehouseofthefatherofmydaughter’ssonhassincesaidthatitwasthroughhisprayers-whichisalittleerrorthatIwillexplaintohimwhenwereachourjourney’send。AndsoafterwardsIgotoBuddhGaya，tomakeshraddhaforthefatherofmychildren。’
　　`Thithergowe。’
　　`Doublyauspicious，’chirrupedtheoldlady。`Asecondsonatleast！’
　　`OFriendofalltheWorld！’Thelamahadwaked，and，simplyasachildbewilderedinastrangebed，calledforKim。
　　`Icome！Icome，HolyOne！’Hedashedtothefire，wherehefoundthelamaalreadysurroundedbydishesoffood，thehillmenvisiblyadoringhimandtheSouthernerslookingsourly。
　　`Goback！Withdraw！’Kimcried。`Doweeatpubliclylikedogs？’Theyfinishedthemealinsilence，eachturnedalittlefromtheother，andKimtoppeditwithanative-madecigarette。
　　`HaveInotsaidanhundredtimesthattheSouthisagoodland？Hereisavirtuousandhigh-bornwidowofaHillRajahonpilgrimage，shesays，toBuddhGaya。Sheitissendsusthosedishes；andwhenthouartwellratedshewouldspeaktothee。’
　　`Isthisalsothywork？’Thelamadippeddeepintohissnuffgourd。
　　`Whoelsewatchedovertheesinceourwonderfuljourneybegan？’Kim’seyesdancedinhisheadasheblewtheranksmokethroughhisnostrilsandstretchedhimonthedustyground。`HaveIfailedtooverseethycomforts，HolyOne？’
　　`Ablessingonthee。’Thelamainclinedhissolemnhead。`Ihaveknownmanymeninmysolonglife，anddisciplesnotafew。Buttononeamongmen，ifsobethouartwoman-born，hasmyheartgoneoutasithastothee-thoughtful，wise，andcourteous；butsomethingofasmallimp。’
　　`AndIhaveneverseensuchapriestasthou。’Kimconsideredthebenevolentyellowfacewrinklebywrinkle。`Itislessthanthreedayssincewetooktheroadtogether，anditisasthoughitwereahundredyears。’
　　`PerhapsinaformerlifeitwaspermittedthatIshouldhaverendered_theesomeservice。Maybe’-hesmiled-`Ifreedtheefromatrap；or，havingcaughttheeonahookinthedayswhenIwasnotenlightened，casttheebackintotheriver。’
　　`Maybe，’saidKimquietly。Hehadheardthissortofspeculationagainandagain，fromthemouthsofmanywhomtheEnglishwouldnotconsiderimaginative。`Now，asregardsthatwomaninthebullock-cart，Ithinksheneedsasecondsonforherdaughter。’
　　`ThatisnopartoftheWay，’sighedthelama。`ButatleastsheisfromtheHills。Ah，theHills，andthesnowoftheHills！’
　　Heroseandstalkedtothecart。Kimwouldhavegivenhisearstocometoo，butthelamadidnotinvitehim；andthefewwordshecaughtwereinanunknowntongue，fortheyspokesomecommonspeechofthemountains。
　　Thewomanseemedtoaskquestionswhichthelamaturnedoverinhismindbeforeanswering。Nowandagainheheardthesing-songcadenceofaChinesequotation。ItwasastrangepicturethatKimwatchedbetweendroopedeyelids。
　　Thelama，verystraightanderect，thedeepfoldsofhisyellowclothingslashedwithblackinthelightoftheparaofirespreciselyasaknottedtree-trunkisslashedwiththeshadowsofthelowsun，addressedatinselandlacqueredruthwhichburnedlikeamany-colouredjewelinthesameuncertainlight。Thepatternsonthegold-workedcurtainsranupanddown，meltingandre-formingasthefoldsshookandquiveredtothenightwind；andwhenthetalkgrewmoreearnestthejewelledforefingersnappedoutlittlesparksoflightbetweentheembroideries。Behindthecartwasawallofuncertaindarknessspeckledwithlittleflamesandalivewithhalf-caughtformsandfacesandshadows。Thevoicesofearlyeveninghadsettleddowntoonesoothinghumwhosedeepestnotewasthesteadychumpingofthebullocksabovetheirchoppedstraw，andwhosehighestwasthetinkleofaBengalidancing-girl’ssitar。Mostmenhadeatenandpulleddeepattheirgurgling，gruntinghookahs，whichinfullblastsoundlikebull-frogs。
　　Atlastthelamareturned。Ahillmanwalkedbehindhimwithawaddedcotton-quiltandspreaditcarefullybythefire。
　　`Shedeservestenthousandgrandchildren，’thoughtKim。`Nonetheless，butforme，thosegiftswouldnothavecome。’
　　`Avirtuouswoman-andawiseone。’Thelamaslackenedoff，jointbyjoint，likeaslowcamel。`TheworldisfullofcharitytothosewhofollowtheWay。’HeflungafairhalfofthequiltoverKim。
　　`Andwhatsaidshe？’Kimrolledupinhisshareofit。
　　`Sheaskedmemanyquestionsandpropoundedmanyproblems-themostofwhichwereidletaleswhichshehadheardfromdevil-servingpriestswhopretendtofollowtheWay。SomeIanswered，andsomeIsaidwerefoolish。
　　ManyweartheRobe，butfewkeeptheWay。’
　　`True。Thatistrue。’Kimusedthethoughtful，conciliatorytoneofthosewhowishtodrawconfidences。
　　`Butbyherlightssheismostright-minded。ShedesiresgreatlythatweshouldgowithhertoBuddhGaya；herroadbeingours，asIunderstand，formanydays’journeytothesouthward。’
　　`And？’
　　`Patiencealittle。TothisIsaidthatmySearchcamebeforeallthings。
　　Shehadheardmanyfoolishlegends，butthisgreattruthofmyRivershehadneverheard。Sucharethepriestsofthelowerhills！SheknewtheAbbotofLung-Cho，butshedidnotknowofmyRiver-northetaleoftheArrow。’
　　`And？’
　　`IspokethereforeoftheSearch，andoftheWay，andofmattersthatwereprofitable；shedesiringonlythatIshouldaccompanyherandmakeprayerforasecondson。’
　　`Aha！`Wewomen’donotthinkofanythingsavechildren，’saidKimsleepily。
　　`Now，sinceourroadsruntogetherforawhile，IdonotseethatweinanywaydepartfromourSearchifsobeweaccompanyher-atleastasfaras-Ihaveforgottenthenameofthecity。’
　　`Ohé；！’saidKim，turningandspeakinginasharpwhispertooneoftheOoryasafewyardsaway。`Whereisyourmaster’shouse？’
　　`AlittlebehindSaharunpore，amongthefruitgardens。’Henamedthevillage。
　　`Thatwastheplace，’saidthelama。`Sofar，atleast，wecangowithher。’
　　`Fliesgotocarrion，’saidtheOorya，inanabstractedvoice。
　　`Forthesickcowacrow；forthesickmanaBrahmin。’Kimbreathedtheproverbimpersonallytotheshadow-topsofthetreesoverhead。
　　TheOoryagruntedandheldhispeace。
　　`Sothenwegowithher，HolyOne？’
　　`Isthereanyreasonagainst？Icanstillstepasideandtryalltheriversthattheroadoverpasses。ShedesiresthatIshouldcome。Sheverygreatlydesiresit。’
　　Kimstifledalaughinthequilt。Whenoncethatimperiousoldladyhadrecoveredfromhernaturalaweofalamahethoughtitprobablethatshewouldbeworthlisteningto。