Thou art not yet old enough to -- ' She checked the joke with another laugh . ` Believe me , now and again , we women , O priest , think of other matters than sons . Moreover , my daughter has borne her man-child . ' ` Two arrows in the quiver are better than one ; and three are better still . ' Kim quoted the proverb with a meditative cough , looking discreetly earthward . ` True -- oh , true . But perhaps that will come . Certainly those down-country Brahmins are utterly useless . I sent gifts and monies and gifts again to them , and they prophesied . ' ` Ah , ' drawled Kim , with infinite contempt , ` they prophesied ! ' A professional could have done no better . ` And it was not till I remembered my own Gods that my prayers were heard . I chose an auspicious hour , and -- perhaps thy Holy One has heard of the Abbot of the Lung-Cho lamassery . It was to him I put the matter , and behold in the due time all came about as I desired . The Brahmin in the house of the father of my daughter 's son has since said that it was through his prayers -- which is a little error that I will explain to him when we reach our journey 's end . And so afterwards I go to Buddh Gaya , to make shraddha for the father of my children . ' ` Thither go we . ' ` Doubly auspicious , ' chirruped the old lady . ' A second son at least ! ' ' O Friend of all the World ! '
The lama had waked , and , simply as a child bewildered in a strange bed , called for XXXXX . '
Abbot Brahmin Brahmins Gaya Kim lamassery man-child quiver second shraddha