From Marseilles my brother wired me "Happy, arriving Saturday 4 P.M." (Victoria Station, London.) Continuing his account:

"We found a very competent man to see to our luggage — loads of it, rolls of bedding — and as the afternoon train was very full the man had a special carriage put on for us (first class, although we had second class tickets). This led to our having to change trains at Lyons rather hurriedly, and in the rush we lost Baba's alphabet board. Meredith always sat next to or opposite Baba who squatted with his legs crossed beneath him on the seat. I, still shy of Baba, sat far away in the corner. I had only just left the hospital after a minor nose operation and the long journey, responsibility for the party's luggage, porters, and so forth gave me a severe headache. I was very tired but could not relax.

"At night I remember how I stretched out my arm between the seat and the back cushion, as if by touching the hem of his garment I might steal some virtue from him. Baba seemed to know that I was tired."

This was to happen over and over again. Baba uses one to almost the breaking point, not out of lack of consideration, but as a test to see if one is capable of serving him under all circumstances and yet not be in a bad mood, or if so, then not to show it. A "rock" — yes. Baba wants "rocks," but in the sense that they cannot be disturbed or uprooted easily, but at the same time, rocks with an ever-increasing awareness of his presence and wishes only.

My brother continues: "It was early morning, 5:30 A.M., and still dark when we crossed Paris to the Gare du Nord, had coffee in a coffee house outside and sat in the station waiting room. Enid Corfe met us here at 8:30 A.M. When we got to Calais we found the boats packed because Gandhi was on board. I went on the upper deck to see where Gandhi was. I could have touched him with my hand. For many years I had studied his work and writings and written him. Strange that my task now should be to arrange that he and Baba, at this moment, should not meet and that it should be my privilege shared with Meredith to bring the Master to the shores of England.

"We went down below into the second salon, had tea together as we were alone. It was fairly choppy and the boat rolled. Baba lay down to rest on the upper bunk, I lay on the bunk below, the others nearby. There in the depths of the ship we slept at Baba's feet as the disciples must often have slept with Jesus. A sweet sleep.

On arrival at Dover, we waited on board till the last, then took the second boat train at 1:50 P.M. due to arrive at Victoria Station at 3:30