In paragraph 9, what the phrase "drew him on by artful questions" means is that he questioned him to try to gain privileged information.
He had to find out some information that was very important to him, so he started questioning him furtively so as to get to the bottom of things.
Answer:
The sight of the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town, filled each time with a new set of passengers, was a source of unending joy for Valli.
Explanation:
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A comparison using like or as is a simile.