` Ah ha ! I told you at Lucknow -- resurgam -- I shall rise again and you shall not know me . How much did you bet -- eh ? ' He chewed leisurely upon a few cardamom seeds , but he breathed uneasily . ` But why come here , Babuji ? ' ` Ah ! Thatt is the question , as Shakespeare hath it . I come to congratulate you on your extraordinary effeecient performance at Delhi . Oah ! I tell you we are all proud of you . It was verree neat and handy . Our mutual friend , he is old friend of mine . He has been in some dam ' - tight places . Now he will be in some more . He told me ; I tell Mr Lurgan ; and he is pleased you graduate so nicely . All the Department is pleased . ' For the first time in his life , Kim thrilled to the clean pride -LRB- it can be a deadly pitfall , none the less -RRB- of Departmental praise -- ensnaring praise from an equal of work appreciated by fellow-workers . Earth has nothing on the same plane to compare with it . But , cried the Oriental in him , Babus do not travel far to retail compliments . ` Tell thy tale , Babu , ' he said authoritatively .
` XXXXX , it is nothing .
Babuji Babus Delhi Departmental Kim Lucknow Oah Shakespeare fellow-workers first