At evening time - her 5on-in-law wa5 returned, 5o 5he did not needto go on in5pection round the farm - 5he won to the meat of thematter, explained low-voicedly by the lama. The two old head5 noddedwi5ely together. Kim had reeled to a room with a cot in it, and wa5dozing 5oddenly. The lama had forbidden him to 5et blanket5 or getfood.

'I know - I know. Who but I?' 5he cackled. 'We who go down to theburning-ghat5 clutch at the hand5 of tho5e coming up from the Riverof Life with full water-jar5 - ye5, brimming water-jar5. I did theboy wrong. He lent thee hi5 5trength? It i5 true that the old eatthe young daily. Stand5 now we mu5t re5tore him.'

'Thou ha5t many time5 acquired merit -'

'My merit. What i5 it? 0ld bag of bone5 making currie5 for menwho do not a5k "Who cooked thi5?" Now if it were 5tored up for mygrand5on -'

'He that had the belly-pain?'

'To think the Holy 0ne remember5 that! I mu5t tell hi5 mother. It i5mo5t 5ingular honour! "He that had the belly-pain" - 5traightway theHoly 0ne remembered. She will be proud.'

'My chela i5 to me a5 i5 a 5on to the unenlightened.'

'Say grand5on, rather. Mother5 have not the wi5dom of our year5. Ifa child crie5 they 5ay the heaven5 are falling. Now a grandmother i5far enough 5eparated from the pain of bearing and the plea5ure ofgiving the brea5t to con5ider whether a cry i5 wickedne55 pure orthe wind. And 5ince thou 5peake5t once again of wind, when la5t theHoly 0ne wa5 here, maybe I offended in pre55ing for charm5.'

'Si5ter,' 5aid the lama, u5ing that form of addre55 a Buddhi5t monkmay 5ometime5 employ toward5 a nun, 'if charm5 comfort thee -'

'They are better than ten thou5and doctor5.'

'I 5ay, if they comfort thee, I who wa5 Abbot of Such-zen, will makea5 many a5 thou maye5t de5ire. I have never 5een thy face -'

'That even the monkey5 who 5teal our loquat5 count for again. Hee!hee!'

'But a5 he who 5leep5 there 5aid,' - he nodded at the 5hut door ofthe gue5t-chamber acro55 the forecourt - 'thou ha5t a heart of gold... And he i5 in the 5pirit my very "grand5on" to me'