A Passage to India Page #2

Mrs Moore.

Oh.

I came from the club.

They're doing a rather tiresome

musical play I'd seen in London.

- It was very hot.

- I think you ought not to walk alone.

There are bad characters about,

and leopards may come from the hills.

- Snakes also.

- But you walk alone.

- I come here quite often. I'm used to it.

- Used to snakes?

I'm a doctor, you see.

Snakes don't dare bite me.

Please.

Mrs Moore, I think you are

newly arrived in lndia.

Yes. How did you know?

By the way you address me.

Look.

Sometimes I have seen a dead body

float past from Benares.

But not very often.

- There are crocodiles.

- Crocodiles?

How terrible.

What a terrible river.

What a wonderful river.

Please may I ask you a question now?

Why do you come to lndia?

I come to visit my son.

He's the city magistrate.

Oh, no. Excuse me.

Our city magistrate is Mr Heaslop.

He is my son all the same.

I was married twice.

And your first husband died?

He did. And so did my second.

Then we are in the same box.

And is the city magistrate

the entire of your family now?

No. I have a daughter in England by my

second husband. Stella. She's an artist.

Ah.

Mrs Moore, like yourself,

I have also a son and a daughter.

ls not this the same box

with a vengeance?

But not called Ronny and Stella, surely?

No indeed. Akbar and Jamila.

They live with my wife's mother.

And your wife?

In giving me a son, she died.

You have the most kind face

of any English lady I have met.

I think I'd better go back now.

I've got this strange feeling

I've fallen in love

- She's fallen in love?

- While I was freewheeling

And...

Hooray, hooray, hooray

It's a wonderful day today

But I know that at this juncture

I can't afford a puncture

And here is my Michael...

I wish I were a member.

I could have asked you in.

lndians are not allowed.

Oh.

Good night.

There you are.

What have you been up to?

I'll tell you about it later.

I had a small adventure,

and saw the moon in the Ganges.

Ah, Mrs Moore, Miss Quested,

have a drink. Have two drinks.

- It's very kind.

- My wife's on stage,

and Ronny's still holding

the fort for Major Callendar.

His wretched lndian assistant didn't

turn up in time, but I got my own back.

I'm sorry about the show.

But what else can we do for you ladies?

Mr Turton, I'm longing to see

something of the real lndia.

Fielding, how is one to see the real lndia?

Try seeing lndians.

- Who was that?

- Our schoolmaster. Government College.

As if one could avoid seeing them.

Well, I've scarcely spoken to

an lndian since we landed.

Lucky you!

If you really want to meet

some of our Aryan brothers,

how about a bridge party?

- Not the game.

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