surprise found Narayan Hemchandra. I was shocked. His face, however, showed nothing but his

usual smile.

'But did not the children in the street rag you?'

'Well, they ran after me, but I did not mind them and they were quiet.'

Narayan Hemchandra went to Paris after a few months' stay in London. He began studying
French and also translating French books. I knew enough French to revise his translation, so he

gave it to me to read. It was not a translation, it was the substance.

Finally he carried out his determination to visit America. It was with great difficulty that he
succeeded in securing a duck ticket. While in the United States he was prosecuted for 'being
indecently dressed', as he once went out in a shirt and dhoti. I have a recollection that he was
discharged.

Chapter 23

THE GREAT EXHIBITION

There was a great Exhibition at Paris in 1890. I had read about its elaborate preparations, and I

also had a keen desire to see Paris. So I thought I had better combine two things in one and go
there at this juncture. A particular attraction of the Exhibition was the Eiffel Tower, constructed
entirely of iron, and nearly 1,000 feet high. There were of course many other things of interest,
but the Tower was the chief one, inasmuch as it had been supposed till then that a structure of

that height could not safely stand.

I had heard of a vegetarian restaurant in Paris. I engaged a room there and stayed seven days. I
managed everything very economically, both the journey to Paris and the sight-seeing there. This
I did mostly on foot and with the help of a map of Paris, as also a map of the guide to the

Exhibition. These were enough to direct one to the main streets and chief places of interest.

I remember nothing of the Exhibition excepting its magnitude and variety. I have fair recollection
of the Eiffel Tower as I ascended it twice or thrice. There was a restaurant on the first platform,
and just for the satisfaction of being able to say that I had had my lunch at a great height, I threw

away seven shillings on it.

The ancient churches of Paris are still in my memory. Their grandeur and their peacefulness are
unforgettable. The wonderful construction of Notre Dame and the elaborate decoration of the
interior with its beautiful sculptures cannot be forgotten. I felt then that those who expended

millions on such divine cathedrals could not but have the love of God in their hearts.

I had read a lot about the fashions and frivolity of Paris. These were in evidence in every street,
but the churches stood noticeably apart from these scenes. A man would forget the outside noise
and bustle as soon as he entered one of these churches. His manner would change, he would
behave with dignity and reverence as he passed someone kneeling before the image of the
Virgin. The feeling I had then has since been growing on me, that all this kneeling and prayer
could not be mere superstition; the devout souls kneeling before the Virgin could not be