Talbot Mundy

Name: The Marriage of Meldrum Strange — 12. "Is everything ready?"
Author: Talbot Mundy

The Marriage of Meldrum Strange… (1923)

Summary

“The Marriage of Meldrum Strange — 12. "Is everything ready?"”, published in 1923, is a work by Talbot Mundy. It explores elements such as babu, priests and Molyneux.

Quotes from The Marriage of Meldrum Strange… (Talbot Mundy)

Talbot Mundy, The Marriage of Meldrum Strange… (1923)

“ To the babu again, not to Ommony; as if the babu were his keeper. The babu began to speak, but checked himself. The other priest had a word to say:
“It is for suppliants to promise. We have ears, and we remember.”
“What does he mean?” demanded Ommony, trying to turn the tables by directing his question at the babu instead of at them. But he gained nothing by it; the priests’ indifference was that of graven marble.
“Sahib, it is as this babu said. They make no promises to any one. They make stipulation, and await sahib’s promise, same not having yet been made.” ”

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Source: Wikisource

Talbot Mundy, The Marriage of Meldrum Strange… (1923)

“ Ommony sighed silently, relieved beyond expression, and went off for another interview with the priests, who he knew might not be trusted, but whom he felt he could manage none the less. Molyneux was dynamite. If he exploded, nothing invented could contain or hold him. The priests were mercury, elusive and dangerous, but likely to flow down-hill along the line of least resistance. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Talbot Mundy, The Marriage of Meldrum Strange… (1923)

“ He had to keep good-tempered and apparently serene, which in itself was difficult enough; to think in two languages, which was easy; to divine the thought of Hindu priests and a Bengali babu, in which practise had made him proficient; to foresee chance, which is impossible; and to be everywhere at once, which is mainly metaphysics. He accomplished marvels; but all men have their limitations.
His opinion of Strange by that time was much lower than any man may safely entertain about any other man. The trunk arrived by elephant, and he sent it to the Panch Mahal. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Talbot Mundy, The Marriage of Meldrum Strange… (1923)

“ As a machine-gun man will test the mechanism that he knows is perfect on the eve of action; as a hunter tests a trap-fall; as a doctor feels a convalescing patient’s pulse, he could not keep himself from testing what seemed to him the one uncertain link. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Talbot Mundy, The Marriage of Meldrum Strange… (1923)

“ He fretted for the future of his forest like a woman with one child and, being a man of action, it occurred to him that the only way to prevent one of those unforeseen slips that send men’s plans agley was to keep every one else busy. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Talbot Mundy, The Marriage of Meldrum Strange… (1923)

“ It does not take long for priests of that religion to exchange glances and a nod. They made no move to let him out, and he turned on them again. One of the priests said something in a low voice to Chullunder Ghose.
“Their excellencies say,” said the babu, “that the Panch Mahal is theirs by right. No white man will be allowed to occupy it.” ”

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Source: Wikisource

Talbot Mundy, The Marriage of Meldrum Strange… (1923)

“ No statement ever was more true, but it had no effect on the priests. They were as interested as anglers might be in the protests of a dying fish. Ommony could not afford to let proceedings hang fire. Strange might cut loose any minute. Molyneux might change his mind and decide the Central Government should interfere. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Talbot Mundy, The Marriage of Meldrum Strange… (1923)

“ That might stop the whole proceedings.
“Tell you what,” he said to Molyneux. “You don’t want to appear in this officially, I suppose?”
“——, sir, no!”
“Strange might jib at that, too. He’d hate to be made a fool of in front of a uniformed British official.
“I don’t blame him.”
“The raja won’t be there, of course. The priests and he don’t hit it off. Why don’t you borrow an outfit from the raja. You’ll look splendid in it, and Strange won’t know you’re not an Indian prince. He doesn’t care in the least what Indians think of him.” ”

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Source: Wikisource

Talbot Mundy, The Marriage of Meldrum Strange… (1923)

“ Besides, Chullunder Ghose would have to serve as go-between; almost as master of ceremonies. Some one who knew English and could interpret the priests’ requirements would have to be in attendance, and none except the babu was available. Ommony himself could hardly put in an appearance. He intended to witness the initiation, but from hiding, along with Charley Mears; and it was likely anyhow that Strange would object to having any white man, except his own friend Jeff, to witness rites that he felt sure Strange hoped would be outrageous. ”

Talbot Mundy

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