Burmese Days

It is now the beginning of June, but the rains have not yet begun. The day of the club meeting, Flory arrives early, finding only Westfield there. Flory asks about the rebellion, but Westfield says that the natives have caved in and that he doesn’t expect any more trouble in the region. The rest of the men arrive and the meeting begins. While Macgregor goes over the accounts of the last six months, Flory thinks about the row that will begin once he proposes the doctor’s name for membership, wondering how Elizabeth, who is sitting in the adjoining room, will react. Macgregor explains that the Government has declared that all clubs must admit at least one native member. However, anticipating Ellis’s reaction, Macgregor tells the group that they do not need to elect a native member if they unanimously agree.

The other men speak up against electing a native member. This relieves Macgregor, who knows that if they did admit one, it would have to be Veraswami, whom he has been suspicious of since the jailbreak. However, Flory stands up, heart pounding, and proposes Veraswami as a new member of the club. Immediately Ellis angrily insults Flory, demanding he retract his nomination.