The men sit down to dinner along with Mohammed Latif,
a poor, lazy relative of Hamidullah. Aziz recites poetry for the
men, and they listen happily, feeling momentarily that India is
one. Poetry in India is a public event.
     During dinner, Aziz receives a summons from his supe-
rior, Major Callendar, the civil surgeon. Annoyed, Aziz bicy-
cles away to Callendar's bungalow. When Aziz's bicycle tire
deflates, he hires a tonga (a small pony-drawn vehicle) and fi-
nally arrives at Callendar's house to find that the major has
gone and left no message. Furthermore, as Aziz is speaking
with a servant on the porch, Mrs. Callendar and her friend
Mrs. Lesley rudely take Aziz's hired tonga for their own use.
     Aziz decides to walk home. On the way, he stops at his
favorite mosque. To Aziz, the mosque, with its beautiful archi-
tecture, is a symbol of the truth of Islam and love. Aziz imag-
ines building his own mosque with an inscription for his tomb
addressing "those who have secretly understood my heart."
     Aziz suddenly notices an Englishwoman in the mosque
and yells at her angrily, for she is trespassing in a holy place
for Muslims. The woman is humble, however, and explains
that she removed her shoes upon entering and that she realizes
that God is present in the mosque. Aziz is impressed. The
woman introduces herself as Mrs. Moore. She is visiting her
 

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