"
"A son--your wife!--what, you, Karlee, _you_?"
"Please master's pardon, no,--Karlee wife, no; Karlee daughter, Karlee
ison-in-law, one man-child have catch this night, by Sahib's merciful
goodness."
"So! your daughter and her husband, the young kitmudgar,[8] they that
were married last year. Good! let us exalt our horn, let us glorify
ourselves; for is it not written, 'By a son a man shall obtain victory
over all people; by a son's son he shall enjoy immortality; and by a
son's son's son he shall reach the solar abodes'? Verily it is pleasant
to have a boy-butcha in the house,--the heir and lord. So we will even
make merry to-day; to-day we will take holiday. Let the buttons wait,
and the beard go awry; send the barber away, and tell the tailor to come
to-morrow; for one day Sahib, the master of earth, abdicates in favor of
_Puttro_, the 'Deliverer from Hell,' the true king for every pious
Hindoo. And here are some rupees to buy him a happy horoscope with, and
to pay the _gooroo_[9] for a good strong charm, warranted to avert the
Evil Eye."
"Ah! Master's bountiful favor too much compassion have,--too much
pitiful munif--"
"That's all right, old man. Salaam now; and good luck to the baby."
Now here, thought I, is a chance to observe my pagan at home, under the
most favorable circumstances.
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