(continued)
"Yes, they wanted to be free," said she. "Some of the Police Commissioners and District Magistrates sent word to the Queen to the effect that the Military Officers certainly deserved to be imprisoned for their failure; but they had never neglected their duty and therefore, they should not be punished, and they prayed to be restored to their respective offices.
"Her Royal Highness sent them a circular letter, intimating to them that if their services should ever be needed they would be sent for, and that in the meanwhile they should remain where they were.
"Now that they are accustomed to the purdah system and have ceased to grumble at their seclusion, we call the system 'mardana' instead of zenana."
"But how do you manage," I asked Sister Sara, "to do without the police or magistrates in case of theft or murder?"
"Since the mardana system has been established," said she, "there has been no more crime or sin; therefore we do not require a policeman to find out a culprit, nor do we want a magistrate to try a criminal case."
"That is very good, indeed. I suppose if there were any dishonest person, you could very easily chastise her. As you gained a decisive victory without shedding a single drop of blood, you could drive off crime and criminals too without much difficulty!"
