RoundHimwasanadoringhierarchyofkings，elders，andold-timeBuddhas。
Belowwerelotus-coveredwaterswithfishesandwater-birds。Twobutterfly-wingeddewasheldawreathoverHishead；abovethemanotherpairsupportedanumbrellasurmountedbythejewelledheaddressoftheBodhisat。
`TheLord！TheLord！ItisSakyaMunihimself，’thelamahalfsobbed；
andunderhisbreathbeganthewonderfulBuddhistinvocation：
ToHimtheWay，theLaw，apart，WhomMaya，heldbeneathherheart，Ananda’sLord，theBodhisat。
`AndHeishere！TheMostExcellentLawisherealso。Mypilgrimageiswellbegun。Andwhatwork！Whatwork！’
`YonderistheSahib，’saidKim，anddodgedsidewaysamongthecasesoftheartsandmanufacturerswing。Awhite-beardedEnglishmanwaslookingatthelama，whogravelyturnedandsalutedhimandaftersomefumblingdrewforthanote-bookandascrapofpaper。
`Yes，thatismyname，’smilingattheclumsy，childishprint。
`OneofuswhohadmadepilgrimagetotheHolyPlaces-heisnowAbbotoftheLung-ChoMonastery-gaveitme，’stammeredthelama。`Hespokeofthese。’Hisleanhandmovedtremulouslyround。
`Welcome，then，OlamafromTibet。Herebetheimages，andIamhere’-
heglancedatthelama’sface-`togatherknowledge。Cometomyofficeawhile。’Theoldmanwastremblingwithexcitement。
Theofficewasbutalittlewoodencubiclepartitionedofffromthesculpture-linedgallery。Kimlaidhimselfdown，hisearagainstacrackintheheat-splitcedardoor，and，followinghisinstinct，stretchedouttolistenandwatch。
Mostofthetalkwasaltogetherabovehishead。Thelama，haltinglyatfirst，spoketotheCuratorofhisownlamassery，theSuch-zen，oppositethePaintedRocks，fourmonths’marchaway。TheCuratorbroughtoutahugebookofphotosandshowedhimthatveryplace，perchedonitscrag，overlookingthegiganticvalleyofmany-huedstrata。
`Ay，ay！’Thelamamountedapairofhorn-rimmedspectaclesofChinesework。`Hereisthelittledoorthroughwhichwebringwoodbeforewinter。
Andthou-theEnglishknowofthesethings？HewhoisnowAbbotofLung-Chotoldme，butIdidnotbelieve。TheLord-theExcellentOne-Hehashonourheretoo？AndHislifeisknown？’
`Itisallcarvenuponthestones。Comeandsee，ifthouartrested。’
Outshuffledthelamatothemainhall，and，theCuratorbesidehim，wentthroughthecollectionwiththereverenceofadevoteeandtheappreciativeinstinctofacraftsman。
Incidentbyincidentinthebeautifulstoryheidentifiedontheblurredstone，puzzledhereandtherebytheunfamiliarGreekconvention，butdelightedasachildateachnewtrove。Wherethesequencefailed，asintheAnnunciation，theCuratorsupplieditfromhismoundofbooks-FrenchandGerman，withphotographsandreproductions。
HerewasthedevoutAsita，thependantofSimeonintheChristianstory，holdingtheHolyChildonhiskneewhilemotherandfatherlistened；andherewereincidentsinthelegendofthecousinDevadatta。HerewasthewickedwomanwhoaccusedtheMasterofimpurity，allconfounded；herewastheteachingintheDeer-park；themiraclethatstunnedthefire-worshippers；
herewastheBodhisatinroyalstateasaprince；themiraculousbirth；
thedeathatKusinagara，wheretheweakdisciplefainted；whiletherewerealmostcountlessrepetitionsofthemeditationundertheBodhitree；andtheadorationofthealms-bowlwaseverywhere。InafewminutestheCuratorsawthathisguestwasnomerebead-tellingmendicant，butascholarofparts。Andtheywentatitalloveragain，thelamatakingsnuff，wipinghisspectacles，andtalkingatrailwayspeedinabewilderingmixtureofUrduandTibetan。HehadheardofthetravelsoftheChinesepilgrims，Fu-HiouenandHwen-Tsiang，andwasanxioustoknowiftherewasanytranslationoftheirrecord。HedrewinhisbreathasheturnedhelplesslyoverthepagesofBealandStanislasJulien。`’Tisallhere。Atreasurelocked。’
ThenhecomposedhimselfreverentlytolistentofragmentshastilyrenderedintoUrdu。ForthefirsttimeheheardofthelaboursofEuropeanscholars，whobythehelpoftheseandahundredotherdocumentshaveidentifiedtheHolyPlacesofBuddhism。Thenhewasshownamightymap，spottedandtracedwithyellow。ThebrownfingerfollowedtheCurator’spencilfrompointtopoint。HerewasKapilavastu，heretheMiddleKingdom，andhereMahabodhi，theMeccaofBuddhism；andherewasKusinagara，sadplaceoftheHolyOne’sdeath。Theoldmanbowedhisheadoverthesheetsinsilenceforawhile，andtheCuratorlitanotherpipe。Kimhadfallenasleep。Whenhewaked，thetalk，stillinspate，wasmorewithinhiscomprehension。
`Andthusitwas，OFountainofWisdom，thatIdecidedtogototheHolyPlaceswhichHisfoothadtrod-totheBirthplace，eventoKapila；
thentoMahabodhi，whichisBuddhGaya-totheMonastery-totheDeer-park-totheplaceofHisdeath。’
Thelamaloweredhisvoice。`AndIcomeherealone。Forfive-seven-eighteen-fortyyearsitwasinmymindthattheOldLawwasnotwellfollowed；beingoverlaid，asthouknowest，withdevildom，charms，andidolatry。
Evenasthechildoutsidesaidbutnow。Ay，evenasthechildsaid，withb&；umacron；t-parasti。’
`Soitcomeswithallfaiths。’
`Thinkestthou？ThebooksofmylamasseryIread，andtheyweredriedpith；andthelaterritualwithwhichweoftheReformedLawhavecumberedourselves-that，too，hadnoworthtotheseoldeyes。EventhefollowersoftheExcellentOneareatfeudonfeudwithoneanother。Itisallillusion。
Ay，maya，illusion。ButIhaveanotherdesire’-theseamedyellowfacedrewwithinthreeinchesoftheCurator，andthelongforefinger-nailtappedonthetable。`Yourscholars，bythesebooks，havefollowedtheBlessedFeetinalltheirwanderings；buttherearethingswhichtheyhavenotsoughtout。Iknownothing-nothingdoIknow-butIgotofreemyselffromtheWheelofThingsbyabroadandopenroad。’Hesmiledwithmostsimpletriumph。`AsapilgrimtotheHolyPlacesIacquiremerit。Butthereismore。Listentoatruething。WhenourgraciousLord，beingasyetayouth，soughtamate，mensaid，inHisfather’sCourt，thatHewastootenderformarriage。Thouknowest？’
TheCuratornodded，wonderingwhatwouldcomenext。
`Sotheymadethetripletrialofstrengthagainstallcomers。AndatthetestoftheBow，ourLordfirstbreakingthatwhichtheygaveHim，calledforsuchabowasnonemightbend。Thouknowest？’
`Itiswritten。Ihaveread。’
`And，overshootingallothermarks，thearrowpassedfarandfarbeyondsight。Atthelastitfell；and，whereittouchedearth，therebrokeoutastreamwhichpresentlybecameaRiver，whosenature，byourLord’sbeneficence，andthatmeritHeacquiredereHefreedhimself，isthatwhosobathesinitwashesawayalltaintandspeckleofsin。’
`Soitiswritten，’saidtheCuratorsadly。
Thelamadrewalongbreath。`WhereisthatRiver？FountainofWisdom，wherefellthearrow？’
`Alas，mybrother，Idonotknow，’saidtheCurator。
`Nay，ifitpleasetheetoforget-theonethingonlythatthouhastnottoldme。Surelythoumustknow？See，lamanoldman！Iaskwithmyheadbetweenthyfeet，OFountainofWisdom。WeknowHedrewthebow！Weknowthearrowfell！Weknowthestreamgushed！Where，then，istheRiver？Mydreamtoldmetofindit。SoIcame。Iamhere。
ButwhereistheRiver？’
`IfIknew，thinkyouIwouldnotcryitaloud？’
`ByitoneattainsfreedomfromtheWheelofThings，’thelamawenton，unheeding。`TheRiveroftheArrow！Thinkagain！Somelittlestream，maybe-driedintheheats？ButtheHolyOnewouldneversocheatanoldman。’
`Idonotknow。Idonotknow。’
Thelamabroughthisthousand-wrinkledfaceoncemoreahandsbreadthfromtheEnglishman’s。`Iseethoudostnotknow。NotbeingoftheLaw，thematterishidfromthee。’
`Ay-hidden-hidden。’
`Wearebothbound，thouandI，mybrother。ButI’-herosewithasweepofthesoftthickdrapery-`Igotocutmyselffree。Comealso！’
`Iambound，’saidtheCurator。`Butwhithergoestthou？’
`FirsttoKashi[Benares]：whereelse？ThereIshallmeetoneofthepurefaithinaJaintempleofthatcity。HealsoisaSeekerinsecret，andfromhimhaplyImaylearn。MaybehewillgowithmetoBuddhGaya。
ThencenorthandwesttoKapilavastu，andtherewillIseekfortheRiver。
Nay，IwillseekeverywhereasIgo-fortheplaceisnotknownwherethearrowfell。’
`Andhowwiltthougo？ItisafarcrytoDelhi，andfarthertoBenares。’
`Byroadandthetrains。FromPathî；nkot，havinglefttheHills，Icamehitherinate-rain。Itgoesswiftly。AtfirstIwasamazedtoseethosetallpolesbythesideoftheroadsnatchingupandsnatchinguptheirthreads，’-heillustratedthestoopand-whirlofatelegraph-poleflashingpastthetrain。`Butlater，Iwascrampedanddesiredtowalk，asIamused。’
`Andthouartsureofthyroad？’saidtheCurator。
`Oh，forthatonebutasksaquestionandpaysmoney，andtheappointedpersonsdespatchalltotheappointedplace。ThatmuchIknewinmylamasseryfromsurereport，’saidthelamaproudly。