` Son of an owl , where dost thou go ? ' This to the grinning carter . ` Ai ! Yai ! Yai ! That within there is the Queen of Delhi going to pray for a son , ' the man called back over his high load . ` Room for the Queen of Delhi and her Prime Minister the grey monkey climbing up his own sword ! ' Another cart loaded with bark for a down-country tannery followed close behind , and its driver added a few compliments as the ruth-bullocks backed and backed again . From behind the shaking curtains came one volley of invective . It did not last long , but in kind and quality , in blistering , biting appropriateness , it was beyond anything that even Kim had heard . He could see the carter 's bare chest collapse with amazement , as the man salaamed reverently to the voice , leaped from the pole , and helped the escort haul their volcano on to the main road . Here the voice told him truthfully what sort of wife he had wedded , and what she was doing in his absence . ` Oh , shabash ! ' murmured Kim , unable to contain himself , as the man slunk away . ` Well done , indeed ? It is a shame and a scandal that a poor woman may not go to make prayer to her Gods except she be jostled and insulted by all the refuse of Hindustan -- that she must eat gali -LSB- abuse -RSB- as men eat ghi . But I have yet a wag left to my tongue -- a word or two well spoken that serves the occasion . And still am I without my tobacco ! Who is the one-eyed and luckless son of shame that has not yet prepared my pipe ? ' It was hastily thrust in by a hillman , and a trickle of thick smoke from each corner of the curtains showed that peace was restored .
If XXXXX had walked proudly the day before , disciple of a holy man , today he paced with tenfold pride in the train of a semi-royal procession , with a recognized place under the patronage of an old lady of charming manners and infinite resource .
Delhi Kim Minister Yai gali ghi ruth-bullocks shabash tannery tobacco