Up ! Take up the palanquin . Let the hakim and the young priest settle between them whether charms or medicine most avail . Ho ! worthless people , fetch tobacco for the guests , and -- round the homestead go I ! ' The palanquin reeled off , followed by straggling torches and a horde of dogs . Twenty villages knew the Sahiba -- her failings , her tongue , and her large charity . Twenty villages cheated her after immemorial custom , but no man would have stolen or robbed within her jurisdiction for any gift under heaven . None the less , she made great parade of her formal inspections , the riot of which could be heard half-way to Mussoorie . Kim relaxed , as one augur must when he meets another . The hakim , still squatting , slid over his hookah with a friendly foot , and Kim pulled at the good weed . The hangers-on expected grave professional debate , and perhaps a little free doctoring . ` To discuss medicine before the ignorant is of one piece with teaching the peacock to sing , ' said the hakim . ` True courtesy , ' Kim echoed , ` is very often inattention . ' These , be it understood , were company-manners , designed to impress . ` Hi ! I have an ulcer on my leg , ' cried a scullion . ` Look at it ! ' ` Get hence ! Remove ! '
said the XXXXX .
Ho Mussoorie company-manners doctoring failings hakim inattention palanquin scullion ulcer