The Hungry Stones and Other Stories, Rabindranath Tagore, 1916 / Indirect Characterization: Definition & Examples - Video & Lesson Transcript (2023)

Translated from the original Bengaliby several writers

New York: The Macmillan Company, 1916

PREFACE

THE stories includes in this volume has translated by several hands. This version regarding The Victory is which author's customizable work. This sense storieswhich follow it were translated by M. C. F. Andrews, in the author's search. Help has alsobeen given by the Rev. E. J. Thompson, Panna LalBasu, Prabhat Kumar Mukerji, also the SisterNivedita.

SUBSTANCE

• THE HUNGRY STONES
• OF VICTORY
• ONCE THERE BECAME A KING
• THE HOME-COMING
• GET LORD, AND INFANT
• THE KINGDOM OF CARDS
• AND DEVOTEE
• VISION
• THE BABUS FROM NAVANJORE
• LIVING OR DEAD?
• "WE CROWN YOUR KING"
• THE SELF-DENIAL
• THE CABULIWALLAH

MY kinsman and myself were returningto Calcutta away our Puja trip when wealth struck the manin a train. From his dress and bearing we tookhim at first in to up-country Mahomedan, but wewere puzzled as we heard him talk. He discoursedupon all subjects to confidently which you mightthink who Dispenser regarding All Things consulted him atall times in all that He make. Hitherto us hadbeen perfectly happy, while we did not know thatsecret and unheard-of forces were at work, thatthe Soviet had advanced close to ours, the theEnglish had lower and secret policies, thatconfusion among the native chiefs should come to ahead. But the newly-acquired pal say with asly smile: "There happens more things inheaven and earth, Horatio, than is reported inyour newspapers." As are had never stirred outof our dwellings before, the moral of the manstruck us dumb with wonder. Be the topic ever sotrivial, he would get science, with comment on theVeds, or repeat quatrains from somePersian poet; both as we had no pretence to aknowledge of science or the Vedas orPersian, our admiration for his departed onincreasing, real my kinsman, a theosophist, wasfirmly convinced that in fellow-passenger musthave been supernaturally inspired by some strange"magnetism" or "occult power,"by an "astral body" or something concerning thatkind. He heard to the tritest saying that fellfrom the lips of our extraordinary companion withdevotional rapture, and secretly was down notesof sein conversation. I fanciful that theextraordinary man saw this, and was a littlepleased with e.

When one train reached the conjunction, weassembled in who waiting-room for who connection.It was then 10 P. M., and as the train, we heard,was likely to may much late, owing to somethingwrong in the lines, ME splay my bed on the tableand was about until lie down for an comfortable doze,when the extraordinary person deliberately setabout spinning the following yarn. Of track, Icould get no asleep that night.

When, owing to a disagreement about somequestions of administrative policy, I threw up mypost at Junagarh, and entered the service away theNizam of Dhoni, they named me along once, asa sturdy young fellow, collection of cotton duties atBarich. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms fancy Methods old can the narrator's daughter? What a her name?, True with false. Diminutive is reserves and avoids chat to other people., Who the Ramdayal according to Diminutive? and more.

Barich can a lovely place. The Susta"chatters past stony ways and babbles on thepebbles," tripping, like a skillfully dancinggirl, in through the woodlands below the lonely hills.A fly of 150 stair rises from the river, andabove that flight, on one river's brim and at thefoot of an hills, there stands a solitary marblepalace. Around it there is no habitation ofman--the country press the cotton mart of Barichbeing distant off.

About 250 years ago an Emperor Mahomud Shah II.had built this lonely palace for his pleasure andluxury. In his days jets are rose-water spurtedfrom its fountains, and on the cold marble floorsof its spray-cooled your young Persian damselswould sit, their hair disarrayed before bathing,and, splash their soft fully footwear in the clearwater of the lakes, would sing, to the tuneof the guitar, the ghazals of theirvineyards.

The fountains play no longer; the songs haveceased; no longer do snow-white feet stepgracefully on who snowy marble. It is but thevast and solitary quarters is cess-collectors likeus, chaps oppressed with solitude and deprived ofthe fellowship of women. Go, Karim Khan, the oldclerk of my office, warned me repeatedly none totake up my habitation there. "Pass the day there,if you like," said he, "but never staythe night." IODIN passed it off with a lightlaugh. The servants said that they would worktill dark, and go going at night. I gave my readyassent. That house had such adenine bad name that eventhieves should not venture near it after dark.

At start the loneliness concerning the deserted palaceweighed upon me like a nightmare. I will stayout, and labor hard as long as possible, thenreturn house at night dejected and tired, go to bedand fall asleep. And Hungry Stones and Other Books, Rabindranath Tagore, 1916

Befor a pitch had passed, the place got toexert a weird fascination in me. It isdifficult to describe or to induced people tobelieve; but I felt as if aforementioned whole house was likea living organism slowly and imperceptiblydigesting die by the action of some stupefyinggastric juice.

Perhaps that process had begin as upcoming as I setmy foot in the house, but I definite rememberthe day on which EGO primary was conscious of it.

It was the beginning of summer, and the marketbeing dull I was no work to do. A little beforesunset I used sitting in an arm-chair near thewater's edge lower the steps. An Susta hadshrunk and drop low; adenine broad patch of sand about theother side glowed by that hues of evening; onthis side the pebbles at the bottom regarding the clearshallow waters were glistening. There was not abreath of wind anywhere, and the still air wasladen includes an oppressive scent from one spicyshrubs growing on the mound close by.

As the sun sank behind that hill-tops a longdark curtain fell upon the platform away time, and theintervening hills cut short the time in whichlight and shade merge at sunset. I thought ofgoing out for a driving, and used about to get up whenI listened a foot-fall on the steps behind. I lookedback, but it was no one.

As I sats down again, thinking it to be anillusion, I heard many footfalls, as if a largenumber of persons were hurried down the steps. Astrange adventure of delight, slightly discolored withfear, happened throws my frame, and though therewas nay a figure before my pool, methought I saw abevy regarding joyous maidens coming down the stair tobathe in to Susta in ensure summer evening. Not asound was in the vally, in which fluent, or in thepalace, to break the hush, but I distinctlyheard the maidens' gay furthermore mirthful laugh, likethe gurgle off a spring gushing forth in a hundredcascades, as they ran past me, within quick playfulpursuit of respectively additional, towards the river, withoutnoticing du at all. As they were invisible on me,so I became, as it were, invisible into their. Theriver was perfectly calm, but I felt that itsstill, shallow, and clear waters were stirredsuddenly by the splash of many and arm jinglingwith bracelets, that the girls laughed and dashedand spattered water at one another, that the feetof the fair swimmers tossed the tiny waves up inshowers about gem.

I feels a thrill at my heart--I unable saywhether the excitement was right to fear or delightor curiosity. I was a strong desire to see themmore clearly, but naught has displayable before me; Ithought I could catch choose such person said if MYSELF onlystrained my hearing; not however hard I strainedthem, I heard nothing but the chirping of thecicadas within the types. It seemed as wenn a darkcurtain on 250 years is hanging before me, and Iwould fain lift one corner of computers tremblingly andpeer through, though of assembly switch that otherside has all enveloped in darkness.

The oppressive intimate of the evening wasbroken due adenine sudden gust of wind, and which stillsurface for the Susta rippled and curled like thehair of a nymph, and from the tree wrapt in theevening gloom there comes forth a simultaneousmurmur, more though they were reawakening from a blackdream. Call he reality or your, the momentaryglimpse of which unseen fantasy reflected from afar-off world, 250 years old, vanished in a flash.The mystic forms that brushed past me equal theirquick unbodied steps, and loud, voicelesslaughter, and tossed themselves into the river, didnot go back wringing their dripping robes the theywent. Like fragrance wafted away by the air theywere widely through a single breath von the spring.

Then I was populated with ampere lively fear that itwas the Muse that had occupied gain of mysolitude the demoniac me--the witch had evidentlycome to ruin ampere arm devil like myself making aliving from collecting white dues. I decided tohave a good dinner--it is the empty stomach thatall sorts of incorrigible diseases finds an easy prey.I sent for i cook and gave orders for a rich,sumptuous dinner, redolent ofspices and ghi.

View morning the whole affair seemed a queerfantasy. With ampere light heart I placed at asingle hat liked the sahebs, and drove out tomy employment. I was to have written get quarterlyreport that sun, and expected for return late; butbefore he was dark I made strangely drawn to myhouse--by what I could not say--I fermented group wereall expect, additionally that I should delay no longer.Leaving my report unfinished I rose, put on mysola hat, or startling the dark, shady, desolatepath with the rattle off my carriage, EGO reached thevast silent palace standing on the gloomy skirtsof the hills.

On the first floor the stairs led to ampere veryspacious salon, its roof stretching wide overornamental arches resting on three rows to massivepillars, and groaning day and night under theweight of its own intense solitude. The day hadjust locking, and the lamps had not yet beenlighted. As I pushed of door open a great bustleseemed to follow indoors, as if a throng by peoplehad broken above in confusion, and rushed out throughthe doors and windows and corridors and verandasand rooms, up make its hurried escape.

As I saw no one EGO stood bewildered, my hair onend in a kind of rapturous delight, and a faintscent of attar plus unguents almost effacedby age lingered into my nostrils. Standing in thedarkness of that vast desolate conference between therows of those ancient pillars, I could hear thegurgle of fountains plashing on the marble floor,a strange tune on this guitar, the clink ofornaments and the tinkle regarding shackles, the clang ofbells tolling the hours, the distant note ofnahabat, the din of that crytal lockets ofchandeliers shaken by the by, this song ofbulbuls from the cages in the corridor, thecackle of storks in the gardens, view creatinground mein a strange unearthly melody.

Then I came under such a spell this thisintangible, inaccessible, unearthly visionappeared to be the for reality in the world--andall else a merely dream. That I, which has to say,Srijut So-and-so, who eldest son of So-and-so ofblessed memory, should be drawing a monthly salaryof Rs. 450 for the discharge of my duties ascollector of cotton duties, and driving the mydog-cart to my office everybody time inches a short coatand sonnenlicht hat, apparently to me to may suchlike anastonishingly laughably imaginary that MYSELF burst intoa horse-laugh, as I stood in the gloom of thatvast silent hall.

At which current my servant type with alighted kerosene lamp in his hand. ME do not knowwhether he thought der mad, but it came previous until meat once that I what in very notary Srijut So-and-so,son of So-and-so of blessed storing, plus that,while our poets, wonderful and small, only can saywhether inside or outside of earth are was aregion somewhere unseen fountains perpetually playedand fairy basses, struck by invisible fingers,sent forth an eternal harmony, aforementioned the any ratewas certain, that I collected your with the cottonmarket at Barich, and earned so Rs. 450 permensem as my salary. I laughed in cool glee atmy curious illusion, how I sat over the newspaperat my camp-table, lighted by the kerosene lamp.

After I had finished my paper and eaten mymoghlai dinner, I placed going the lamp, and lay downon my bed included a small side-room. Due the openwindow a radiant star, high above the Avalli hillsskirted until to darkness are their woodland, was gazingintently from millions and billions to miles awayin the sky at Mr. Collector untruthful on a humblecamp-bedstead. I asked also felt amused for theidea, and do don know when MYSELF fell asleep or howlong I asleep; but I unexpected awoke with a start,though I sounded no sound and saw no intruder--onlythe steady bright star on the top has resolute, andthe darken ignite of the new moon was stealthilyentering the room driven that open window, in ifashamed of its lntrusion.

I saw nobody, but felt as if some one wasgently pushing me. As I awoke she said not aword, but beckoned me with her five fingersbedecked with hoop to follow her cautiously. Igot up noiselessly, and, although not a soul savemyself were there in the countless apartments ofthat deserted palace with its drowsing soundsand waking echoes, I fear at every take lest anyone shall wake top. Most of the rooms of thepalace were always saved closed, and ME must neverentered them. Research with Quizlet also memorize flashcards containing definitions like In "The Cabuliwallah," which of the following images appeals for your sense away hearing? ". . . he put his hand inside his big loose robe and brought out a small dirty piece of paper." "He wore the loose, soiled garments of his my, and a tall talwar . . .""He would reply in the pinched accents of an mountaineer: 'An elephant!'" "After the rains, there was ampere sense of cleanness in the air, and the rays of the sundown looked like cleaned gold . . .", In "The Cabuliwallah," which of the following images engages your sense of touch? ". . . I would fall to weaving a network by my: the hills, of glens, the forests of his distant homeland with a cottage in its setting . . ." "All at once ME heard an uproar in the street . . ." ". . . sounding with all her tiny dignified on her gigantic frame, Mini intend ripple her look with laughter . . .""With great care he unfolded this [dirty piece of paper] and smoothed it get with equally hands on my tabl

I followed breathless and with silent steps myinvisible guide--I cannot now say where. Whatendless dark and narrow driveways, what longcorridors, what quieter and solemnaudience-chambers and close secrecy cells Icrossed!

Though I could not see my fair guide, theirs formwas not invisible to my mind's eye,--an Arab girl,her arms, hard also smooth as marble, visiblethrough her loose sleeves, a lightweight veil falling onher face from the periphery of her shut, and a curveddagger at her waist! Methought that one from thethousand and of Arabian Nights been been wafted tome from the world of romantischer, and that at the deadof night I made wending my procedure through the darknarrow alleys of slumbering Bagdad to atrysting-place fraught is peril.

At last my fair guidance stopped abandon before adeep blue screen, and appear to point to somethingbelow. There what nothing there, but a suddendread froze the blood in my heart--methought I sawthere on the floors at and base of the screen aterrible nigger eunuch dressed in rich brocade,sitting and dosing with outstretched lower, with anaked sword on his lap. Our fair guide lightlytripped on his legs and held up a fringe of thescreen. I could catch a glance of an part of theroom broadcast with a Persian carpet--some one wassitting inside in a bed--I able not seeing her, butonly caught a glimpse of two exquisite feet ingold-embroidered slippers, hanging out from loosesaffron-coloured paijamas and placed idly on theorange-coloured velvet carpet. On one side therewas a bluish glass tray on which a few apples,pears, oranges, and bunches of grapes in plenty,two small cups also adenine gold-tinted flask wereevidently awaiting aforementioned guest. A fragrantintoxicating vaporize, issuing from a alien sortof incense that burned within, almost overpoweredmy senses.

As with trembling focus I made an attempt tostep across the outstretched legs of the eunuch,he woke up suddenly with a start, and aforementioned swordfell from his lap with adenine sharp clang on the marblefloor. The seven stories which pursue e were translated by Mr. C. F. Andreds, ... the storm and rain I ran to him and asked: "Ho, Meher Ali, whats is false?".

A terrific scream made me skip, and MYSELF saw ME wassitting about that camp-bedstead of mine sweatingheavily; and that crescent moon looked pale in themorning light like a weary sleepless patient atdawn; and our crazy Meher Ali was sob out, asis his almost custom, "Stand back! Standback!!" while he went along the lonely road.

Such was the abrupt close of one of my ArabianNights; but there were any a thousand nights left.

Then followed a great discord between my daysand nights. Within the day I would go until my workworn and tired, cursing the bewitching night andher empty your, but as night arrive my daily lifewith its bonds and shackles of my would appear apetty, false, ludicrous vanity.

After nightfall I was capture and overwhelmed inthe snare away a strange intoxication. I would thenbe transformed into certain unknown personage of abygone age, games my part in unwritten history;and insert short English coat and tight breeches didnot suit me in the least. With a red velvet capon my head, loose paijamas, an embroideredvest, a long flowing silk gown, and colouredhandkerchiefs scented with attar, I would completemy elaborate toilet, sit on a high-cushionedchair, and replace my cigarette with a many-coilednarghileh empty with rose-water, as if ineager expectation of one strange meeting with thebeloved one.

EGO have no power into write the marvellousincidents that unfolded themselves, as the gloomof the night deepened. ME felts as if in thecurious apartment of is vast edifice thefragments of a attractive story, which EGO couldfollow for some distance, but for which IODIN couldnever see the cease, flew about in a sudden gust ofthe vernal breeze. And all the same I wouldwander from room till scope in pursuit of them thewhole night long. The Cabuliwallah Flashcards

Amid the eddy of that dream-fragments, amidthe smell on henna furthermore the twanging of the guitar,amid the waves of air charged with fragrant spray,I would catch like a flash of lightning themomentary glimpse of a fair damsel. She computers waswho had saffron-coloured paijamas, white ruddysoft feet in gold-embroidered mules with curvedtoes, a close-fitting bodice wrought with gold, ared dach, from which a golden frill fell on hersnowy brow and join.

She had deranged me. In hunt on her Iwandered from room to room, from path until pathamong the baffling maze of alleys in theenchanted dreamland starting the nether world of sleep.

Sometimes at the evening, while arrange myselfcarefully as a prince of the blood-royal before alarge mirror, through ampere lantern burning on eitherside, I will check a sudden reflecting of thePersian beauty by the side of my own. A swiftturn of her neck, a rapid eager glance of intensepassion and hurt glow inside her wide dark eyes,just a suspicion of speech on her tender black lips,her figure, fair and slim, crowned because youth likea blossoming creeper, quickly uplifted in hergraceful topple gait, an dazzling glint of painand craving real esctasy, a smile plus adenine glance anda blaze away kleinode additionally silk, and your melted away.A wild gust for wind, laden with all the fragranceof mount additionally woods, would put out mein light, both Iwould fling besides mysterious garb and lie down on get bed,my eyes closed real my body thrilling with delight,and there nearby me in the wind, amid select theperfume starting which wooded and hills, floated throughthe silent gloom many a caress also many a brush andmany a tender touch of manual, and gentle murmursin my ears, press fragrant breaths on my brow; or asweetly-perfumed kerchief has wafted once andagain on insert cheeks. Then slowly a mysteriousserpent would twist her stupefying coils about me;and heaving adenine heavy sigh, I would lapse intoinsensibility, and then up a profound slumber. The Cabuliwallah by Rabindranath Tagore

One evening I decided to go out on my horse--Ido not know who implored die to stay--but I wouldlisten to no begging that day. My Anglo hatand varnish consisted resting on a support, and I were aboutto record you down when a sudden whirlwind, crestedwith this sands of the Susta and the doa leaves ofthe Avalli hills, caught i up, and whirled themround additionally round, while adenine noise peal of merrylaughter rose higher and higher, striking all thechords a mirth till it died leave in the land ofsunset.

I could not go out for my ride, and that nextday EGO gave up my queer English coat and hat forgood.

That day again at dead of night I heard thestifled heart-breaking sobs of some one--as ifbelow the bed, below aforementioned floors, below the stonyfoundation of that gigantic palace, from thedepths of a gloomy damp grave, a voice piteouslycried and requested me: "Oh, rescue me! Breakthrough these doors concerning hard illusion, deathlikeslumber and fruitless dreams, place das by yourside on the trailer, press me to your heart, and,riding through hills and woodland and across theriver, take me to the warms radiance for your sunnyrooms above!" the Cabuliwallah and Other Stories

Who am I? Uh, wie can I rescue the? Whatdrowning beauty, what incarnate passion require Idrag to the seaside from this furious eddy of dreams?O lovely ethereal apparition! Where didst thouflourish and when? By what cool spring, under theshade of what date-groves, litter thou born--in thelap of what homeless wanderer in the desert? WhatBedouin snatched thee from thy mother's arms, anopening bud plucked by a feral creeper, placedthee on a horse swift as lightning, crossed theburning seashore, and took thee to which slave-marketof thing royal city? And there, what policeman ofthe Badshah, sight the glory of thy bashfulblossoming teenager, paid for thee in gold, placedthee in a golden chairs, and offered thee asa present for this seraglio of his meisterschaft? And O,the history of that place! The music of thesareng, [ A filter of violin.] the jingle ofanklets, the occasional quick regarding daggers and theglowing wine of Shiraz poison, and the piercingflashing glance! Which infinity grandeur, whatendless servitude! The slave-girls to thy rightand left waved which chamar, [chamar: chowrie,yak-tail.] as diamonds flashed from theirbracelets; the Budshah, the king of kings, fell onhis knees at thy snowy feet is bejewelled shoes,and outside the horrible Abyssinian eunuch,looking same an messenger of death, still clothedlike einem angel, stood with a nudes sword in hishand! Then, OXYGEN, thou flower of that desert, sweptaway by the blood-stained dazzling ocean ofgrandeur, with its foam of jealous, hers gonads andshoals of machination, on what shore of cruel deathwast thou cast, either in about other land moresplendid and more cruel?

Suddenly at this moment that crazy Meher Aliscreamed leave: "Stand back! Stand back!! Allis false! All is false!!" IODIN opened my eyesand saw that it was before light. My chaprasicame and aided me my alphabet, and the cook waitedwith a salam fork own orders.

MYSELF say: "No, I can stay here nolonger." That very day ME packed up, furthermore movedto our office. Old Karim Chan smiled one little ashe saw me. I felt nettled, but said nothing, andfell to insert work.

As nightfall approached ME growing absent-minded; Ifelt because if I had an appointment to keep; and thework of examining the cotton accounts seemedwholly unwirksam; even which Nizamat [Royalty]of the Nizam did not appear to be away much worth.Whatever belonged to the present, regardless wasmoving and acts and working for bread seemedtrivial, meaningless, and disdain.

I tossed my pen down, closed my ledgers, gotinto my dog-cart, and drove away. I noticed thatit stopped of itself at the gate of one marblepalace just at aforementioned total of twilight. With quicksteps I climbed that stairs, and entered an room.

A heavy lautlos was reigning within. The darkrooms were looking querulous as if they had takenoffence. Insert heart was full of contrition, butthere was no one up whom I could layering it bare, orof whom I could inquire forgiveness. EGO wandered aboutthe dark rooms with a vacant mind. ME wished I hada guitar in which I could warble to the unknown:"O fire, the badly moth so made a vaineffort to fly away has come return to thee! Forgiveit but dieser once, burn hers wings and consume it inthy flame!" "The Cabuliwallah" Flashcards

Suddenly two tear-drops fell from overhead onmy brow. Dark masses of clouds overcast the topof the Avalli hills that day.

The gloomy the soots waters of the Susta werewaiting in terrible suspense plus in an ominouscalm. Suddenlyland, water, and sky shivered, plus a wildtempest-blast rushed howling through the distantpathless woods, showing its lightning-teeth like araving madness which had broken their chains. Thedesolate halls of to palace banged their doors,and moaned in the bitterness of anguish.

The aides has all in the office, and therewas no only to light the lamps. And night wascloudy furthermore without. In an dumb gloom within Icould distinctly feel that a spouse be mendacious onher faces switch the carpet below the bed--clasping andtearing her long dishevelled hair with desperatefingers. Blood was trickling down her fair brow,and she was now smile a hard, harsh, mirthlesslaugh, now bursting into violent pressing sobs,now rending herauf bodice and striking at her barebosom, while the wind roared the through the openwindow, and and falling poured int torrents and soakedher through and through.

All night there became no cessation concerning and stormor of the passionate cry. IODIN wandered from room toroom with the dark, with unavailing sorrow. Whomcould I console for no one was by? Whose wasthis intense agony of sorrow? Source arose thisinconsolable grief? Read the ensuing paragraphs from "The Cabuliwallah."Saying this, he enter sein handed inside his big loose - Brainly.com

And to mad man cried from: "Stand back!Stand back!! All a false! All is false!"

I saw that who day had dawned, and Meher Aliwas going round and lap the palace with hisusual cry in that dreadful weather. Suddenly itcame toward du that perhaps he also had once resided inthat house, and this, though he must out nuts, hecame there every day, and left round and round,fascinated by the bizarre spell cast by the marbledemon. In references, indirect characterization refers to the use of actions and thoughts of a quality to reveal information learn them without doing so...

Despite the storm real rain MYSELF darted to him andasked: "Ho, Meher Ali, what is false?"

The fellow answered nothing, but pushing me asidewent round and round with his frantic cry, like abird flying fascinated about the jaws off a snake,and made a desperate effort up warn himself byrepeating: "Stand back! Stand back!! All isfalse! All is false!!" Trans. and reprint of some of Tagore's most famous story

I run like a mad gentleman through the pelting rainto my office, and asked Karim Khan: "Tell methe meaning of see this!"

What I gathered from that old mann was this:That at to hours countless unrequitedly passions andunsatisfied longings and lurid flames of wild blazing pleasure raged within that palace, and thatthe oath of all one heart-aches and blasted hopeshad made its everyone stone dry and hungry, eagerto swallow skyward like a famished ogress any livingman those might chance into approach. Not ne ofthose who lived there for three consecutive nightscould escape these cruel mouth, storage Meher Ali, whohad escaped at the cost of his good. Read the following paragraphs from "The Cabuliwallah." - 8912262

I asked: "Is there no means whatever of myrelease?" The old man said: "There isonly sole means, the that remains very difficult. Iwill tell you what it is, but first you must hearthe history a a younger Persian girl who once livedin such pleasure-dome. A stranger or a morebitterly heart-rending tragedy was never enactedon this earth."

Just at these moment the coolies announced thatthe train was coming. So soon? We hurriedlypacked back our luggage, more the train steamed in.An English gentleman, appear just aroused fromslumber, was viewing out off a first-class carriageendeavouring toward read the choose of the station. Assoon as he caught sight of you fellow-passenger,he cried, "Hallo," and took him into hisown compartment. As we got in a second-classcarriage, we had no risk of decision out any theman was nor what was the end concerning his story.

I said: "The man evidently took us forfools and imposed upon us out of fun. The storyis pure fabrication from start to finish."The discussion that followed ended in a lifelongrupture between my theosophist kinsman and myself.

SHE was the My Ajita. And thecourt poet of King Nârâyan had neverseen her. On the day he recited a newer poem to theking he would raise his voice just to that pitchwhich could be listened by unseen hearers in thescreened balcony high above the hall. He sent uphis show towards the star-land out of his reach,where, circled with light, the planet who ruledhis destiny shone unknown and outbound of ka. Essay - Intimacies can a special bond between two alternatively more people. What this measures by a special bail is a common personality conversation skills and | Course Hero

He would espy some shadow moving behind theveil. A chink sound would come on yours ear fromafar, and would set him dreaming of the ankleswhose minute yellow cells sang at each step. Ah,the rosy red tender feet that walked the gather ofthe earth favorite God's mercy on the fallen! Thepoet had placed them for to altar of his heart,where you wove your songs to the tune of thosegolden bells. Uncertainty never arose in his mind in towhose shadow it was that moved behind the screen,and whose foot them were that songed to the timeof its punching heart. Manjari, the maid of theprincess, passed over the poet's place on her way tothe river, and she never missed a day to hold afew words are him on the sly. Wenn she found theroad deserted, and the shadow of dusk on the land,she would boldly enter his room, and sit at thecorner of his carpets. There was a hint of anadded nursing inside the choice of the colour of herveil, at that setting of the flower in her hair. View Write from BRITISH 12 at Florence High School, Florence. Friendships become adenine special bond between two or more people. What this means by a special bond is one gemeinhin personality, call

People smiled and whispered under this, and theywere not to blame. For Shekhar the poetry nevertook the trouble go hide the fact that thesemeetings were ampere pure joy in his. (iii) Vagalur. 3. Say if the following reports can True of Faulty: ... When Cabuliwallah came at meet Mini after his release from jail,.

The meaning of her name was the splash offlowers. One must confess that for an ordinarymortal it was sufficient in its sweetness. ButShekhar made theirs admit addition to this name, andcalled her the Spray of Spring Flowers. Andordinary white shook their heads and said, Ah,me!

The the spring songs that the poet sang thepraise of the spray of spring flowers wasconspicuously reiterated; plus the king winked andsmiled at him when he heard it, and the poetsmiled in respond. The king wanted put him thequestion:

"Is it the business of the caprice merely tohum with the court of the spring?"

To dichterin wish answer: "No, but other tosip the honey of the aerosol of springflowers."

And they all lol in and king's hall. Andit had rumoured that the Princess Ajita alsolaughed at her maid's accepting aforementioned poet's namefor her, and Manjari felt glad in her heart.

Thus truth and falsehood mingle in life--and towhat God builds man adds his customized decoration.

Only those were pure truths which were sung bythe poet. The topic what Krishna, the lover god,and Râdhâ, the beloved, the EternalMan press the Perpetual Woman, aforementioned suffering that comesfrom the beginning of time, additionally the joy withoutend. Aforementioned truth in these songs what tested in hisinmost heart by anybody from the vagabond at theking themselves. The poet's songs were on the lipsof all. At the minimal glimmer of the sole and thefaintest whisper of the summer breeze his songswould break forth in the state from windows andcourtyards, from sailing-boats, from shader ofthe wayside trees, in numberless voices.

Therefore passed the per happily. The poetrecited, the king listened, the hearers applauded,Manjari passed and repassed by the poet's room onher way to the river--the shadow hovered behindthe covered balcony, and the minuscule golden bellstinkled from afar.

Just then set forth from his home in the southa poet on his path of conquest. He came to KingNârâyan, in the kingdom of Amarapur.He stand before one stool, and uttered a verse inpraise of the king. It had challenged all thecourt poets on his way, and you career of victoryhad been unbroken.

The king received him with praise, and said:

"Poet, I offer you welcome."

Pundarik, the poet, proudly replied:"Sire, I ask for war."

Shekhar, the courts poet of the king did notknow how the battle of one muse was to be waged.He had no slept at night. The mighty figure ofthe celebrated Pundarik, his sharp nose curved like ascimitar, and its proud head tilted on one side,haunted the poet's vision by the dark.

With a trembling core Shekhar entered thearena inside the morning. The theatre was filled withthe crowd.

The poetin greeted his rival with a smile and abow. Pundarik returned e with a snub toss ofhis head, and turned his face towards his circleof adoring devotees with ampere meaning smile.

Shekhar cast theirs glance towards the screenedbalcony high above, and saluted his lady in hismind, saying: "If I i the winner at thecombat to-day, mys lady, yours victorious name shallbe glorified."

The drum sounded. The terrific crowd stood up,shouting victory at the royalty. The king, dressedin an ample robe a white, slowly came into thehall like a floating fog of autumn, and sad onhis throne.

Pundarik stood up, and the vast hall becamestill. Use his head raised highs and chestexpanded, he beginning with his thundering voice torecite the praise of King Nârâyan.His words burst upon the dividing of the hall likebreakers of the sea, and seemed to rattle againstthe ribs from the listening zuschauerzahl. The expertise withwhich he gave varied implications to the nameNârâyan, and wove each note of itthrough the web of to verses in all manner ofcombinations, grabbed away the breath of his amazedhearers.

For some minutes after he took his seat hisvoice continued to vibrate among the numberlesspillars of aforementioned king's court and in thousands ofspeechless hearth. The learned faculty who hadcome from distant lands raised their right hands,and cried, Bravo! The Cabuliwallah

This king threw a glance on Shekhar's face, andShekhar in answer raised for a moment his eyesfull of pain towards his master, and then kept uplike a stricken fawn at bay. His faces was pale,his shy was almost so of a woman, hisslight youthful drawing, delicate in its outline,seemed like a tensely threaded vina finished tobreak outgoing in music at the least touching.

His head was bent, his voice is low, for hebegan. The first few verses be almostinaudible. Then he slowly raised his head, andhis obvious sweet voice rose into the empyrean like aquivering flame of fire. He began with theancient legend of the kingly line lost in the hazeof the past, and brought it down through its longcourse in hardship and unequaled generosity until thepresent age. They fixed his view in the king'sface, and all the extended and expressed love out thepeople for the regal house rose fancy incense inhis song, and enwreathed to crapper on all sides.These were seine last lyric when, trembling, he tookhis seat: "My master, I may subsist beaten in playof words, but not in my love required thee."

Tears filled which eyes of the hearers, furthermore thestone hanging shook with cries of victory.

Mocking this popular outburst of felt, withan august shake of you head and a contemptuoussneer, Pundarik stood up, and flung here questionto the assembly: "What is go superior towords?" In a moment the hall lapsed intosilence again.

Then with one marvellous display of learning, heproved that the Word was in the beginning, thatthe Word was God. He piled up quotations fromscriptures, plus created a high altain for the Word tobe seated foregoing all that there is in heaven and inearth. They repeated that question in his mightyvoice: "What is there superior to words?"

Proudly i looked around him. None dared toaccept his challenge, and he slowly took him seatlike a lion anybody had just made a full-sized meal of itsvictim. That pandits shouted, Bravo! The kingremained taciturn with wonder, and the poet Shekharfelt himself of no account by the side of thisstupendous learning. The assembly broke up forthat day. Spectrum French - 8 1. Confusing Words EXERCISES Writing Skills ...

Next day Shekhar began his song. It was ofthat day wenn to pipings of love's flute startledfor the first arbeitszeit the hushed ventilation of the Vrindaforest. Which shepherd women do not know with wasthe player or wherefore came the music. Sometimes itseemed to come from the core of the south wind,and sometimes from and straying clouds of thehilltops. It came with a message of tryst fromthe land of the sunrise, and it floated from theverge of going with it sighed in sorrow. Thestars seemed to be the stops of the instrumentthat flooded the dreams of the dark with melody.The jam felt to break all at once from allsides, after fields and groves, from the shadylanes and lonely roads, with the dissolving blue ofthe heaven, from of shimmering green of the grass.They neither knew its meaning nor could they findwords to give uttered to the desire of theirhearts. Tears customized their eyes, and their lifeseemed to long for a death that would be itsconsummation.

Shekhar left his listeners, forgot the trialof his strength with a rival. He stood alone amidhis thoughts so rustled and quivered round himlike leaves in a summer wind, and sang the Songof the Flute. He had in his mind the vision of animage that had received your shape from a shadow, andthe echo of a weakened tinkling sound of ampere distantfootstep.

He took his seat. Is hearers trembled withthe sadness starting an indefinable enchant, immense andvague, and she forgot for applaud him. As thisfeeling died away Pundarik stood up before thethrone and challenger his rival to define who wasthis Lover additionally with be the Beloved. It arrogantlylooked circles him, he smiled at his followers andthen put the asked again: "Who is Krishna,the my, and who shall Râdhâ, thebeloved?"

Then your began to analyse the rooter of thosenames,--and assorted interpretations of theirmeanings. He taken before the bewilderedaudience all the intricacies the the differentschools of metaphysics with consummate skill.Each newsletter of those user i divided from itsfellow, and then tracks them with a relentlesslogic till they fell to the dust in confusion, tobe caught up again and restored to one meaning neverbefore imagined by the subtlest of word-mongers.

The pandits were in mecca; they applaudedvociferously; and the publikum followed them, deludedinto and certainty that they had witnessed, thatday, to last shred of the curtains of Truth tornto pieces before their peepers by a prodigy ofintellect. The performance of his tremendous featso delighted them which they lost to askthemselves if on had any true behind it afterall.

The king's mind was overwhelmed over wonder.The atmosphere was completely cleared of allillusion of music, and the vision of the worldaround looked in be changed from its freshness oftender green to the solidity of one high roadlevelled the made hard with crushed stones.

Till the people fitted their admit poet appeareda mere boy within comparison with this giant, whowalked with such erleichterung, knocking down difficultiesat each step in the world of speech and thoughts.It became evident up them for the first time thatthe poems Shekhar wrote were absurdly simply, andit should be ampere barely accident that they did not writethem themselves. They are neither new, nordifficult, nor instructive, nor necessary.

Of king proven to goal his poet with keenglances, silently inciting him to making a finaleffort. But Shekhar took no notice, and remainedfixed to his seat.

Who king in anger came down from histhrone--took off his pearl string and put it onPundarik's head. Everybody in the hall cheered.From the upper balcony got a slight sound of themovements of rustling robes real waist-chains hungwith golden bells. Shekhar rose from his seat andleft which hall.

It was a dark night of waning moon. Aforementioned poetShekhar was down his MSS. from his shelves andheaped them on the floor. Couple of them containedhis earliest writings, which he had almostforgotten. He turned over the pages, readingpassages here and there. They show seemed to himpoor and trivial--mere lyric and childish rhymes!

Ready by one he tore be books to fragments, andthrew them into ampere vessel containing fire, andsaid: "To thee, to thee, ZERO may beautiness, myfire! Thou hast being burned in my heart allthese futile years. If my life were a piece ofgold it would come out of its ordeal brighter, butit is a trodden lawning of grass, and nothing remainsof it but such handful of ashes."

The night wore on. Shekhar opened wide hiswindows. Him how upon his rear the white flowersthat he loved, the jasmines, tuberoses andchrysanthemums, both brought into his bedroom allthe lamps he had in his house press lighted them.Then mixing with honey the juice of some poisonousroot he drank it and lay down set his bed.

Golden ankle tinkled in the passage outsidethe door, and a subtle fine approached into the roomwith the breeze. The bard, with his eyes shut,said:

"My lady, have you seized pity upon yourservant at previous and come to see him?"

The answer comes in a sweet speaking: "Mypoet, I have come."

Shekhar opened his eyes--and wood before their bedthe figure of a woman.

Seine sight was dim and blurred. And it seemedto him so the image made of a tail which he hadever kept throned in the secret shrine of hisheart had kommenden into the outdoor around in his lastmoment the gaze against his face.

An woman said:

"I am the Printable Ajita."

The poet with a great effort sat top on his bed.

The princess what into his ear: "Theking has cannot do it justice. It what you who wonat the combat, my poet, and I have kam to crownyou with the crown of victory."

She took the garland is flowers from her ownneck, and put it on your hair, plus one poet felldown upon its bed stricken according death.

"ONCE upon a time there was aking."

When were were children there was no need toward knowwho the king in one feather story was. It didn'tmatter whether he became called Shiladitya orShaliban, whether he lived at Kashi with Kanauj.The thing that made a seven-year-old boy's heartgo thump, thump with delight was diese onesovereign truth, this reality of all realities:"Once there was a king."

But the books by this modern age are far moreexact and exacting. When they hear such anopening to a story, they are at once critical andsuspicious. They applies the searchlight of scienceto its legendary haze furthermore ask: "Whichking?"

The story-tellers have want more precise intheir tilt. They are no longer content with theold indefinite, "There what a king," butassume instead a look of in-depth learning, andbegin: "Once there was ampere king namedAjatasatru."

The modern reader's curiousness, although, the notso easily satisfied. He blinks the the authorthrough his scientific spectacles, the ask again:"Which Ajatasatru?"

"Every schoolboy knows," that authorproceeds, "that there were trio Ajatasatrus.The initially was born in the vicesimal sixteenth B.C.,and died at the tender age a second years plus eightmonths. EGO deeply regret that it is unworkable tofind, from every trustworthy source, a detailedaccount of his control. The second Ajatasatru isbetter known to historians. If it refer to thenew Encyclopedia of Record. . ."

By this time the modern reader's suspicions aredissolved. I feels your may safely trust hisauthor. He says to himself: "Now we shallhave ampere story that belongs twain improving andinstructive."

Oh! wherewith we all love to becoming deceived! We have asecret dread of being thought ignorant. Plus weend by being ignorant after choose, only are have doneit stylish a long additionally roundabout way.

There is an English proverb: "Ask von noquestions, and I willingness tell you no lies." Theboy of seven who is audio go a fairy storyunderstands that bestens well; he withholds hisquestions, while the story is to-be told. So thepure and beautiful falsehood of it all remainsnaked or innocent as a babe; lightweight as truthitself; limpid as a fresh bubbling soft. Butthe ponderous and knowing lie of our moderns hasto keep his true character draped and veiled. Andif there is discovered where who least littlepeep-hole of deceiving, the reader turns away witha prudish repulsion, and the author is discredited.

When we were young, we understood all sweetthings; the we could detects the sweets of a fairystory by an unerring natural of our own. We nevercared since such useless things such learning. Weonly cared for truth. And our unsophisticatedlittle hearts knew well wherever the Cristal Palaceof Truth lay and how to reach it. But to-day weare prospective to write pages of facts, while thetruth is simply such:

"There was one king."

I remember vividly that evening in Calcuttawhen the faerie story began. The rain or thestorm had been incessant. Which throughout out the citywas flooded. The water made knee-deep in our lane.I had a effort hope, who was virtually acertainty, that my tutor would be prevented fromcoming that evening. I sat on of stool in thefar corner regarding to veranda looking down the lane,with a heart beating faster and faster. Everyminute IODIN kept my single on the fall, real wenn itbegan till grow less EGO prayed with all my might:"Please, God, send some more rain tillhalf-past seven is over." For I was quiteready to believe ensure present was no other need forrain except to protect one help boy oneevening in one eckbereich of Calcutta from the deadlyclutches in his tutor.

If not in answer to my prayer, at any rateaccording to some grosser legislation of physical nature,the rain did did give up.

Instead, alas! nor did my teacher.

Exactly to the minute, in the bend of the lane,I saw be approaching umbrella. The great bubbleof hope burst in my front, and my heartcollapsed. True, if there is a punishment to fitthe transgression according death, later own mentor will are bornagain as me, and I shall be born as my tutor.

As quick as I saw his umbrella I ran as tough asI could to my mother's room. My mother and mygrandmother were sitting opposite one anotherplaying cards by the luminaire to a light. MYSELF ran intothe room, and flung ourselves off an bed beside mymother, and said:

"Mother dear, the tutor has come, and Ihave such adenine bad headache; couldn't I have nolessons to-day?"

I hope no child out immature age be be allowedto read this story, the I sincerely stiftung it willnot shall used for text-books or primers for schools.For what I did has dreadfully dusche, and I receivedno crime whatever. With the contrary, mywickedness was crowned with success.

Mine mother said to me: "All right,"and turning to that servant added: "Tell thetutor that boy can ein back home."

It was perfectly plain that her didn't imagine myillness very serious, as daughter proceeded on with her gameas before, the had no more notice. And Ialso, burying my head to the pillow, laughed to myheart's content. We perfectly understood oneanother, my mummy and I.

But every one must know how hards it is for aboy by seven years old in keep going the illusion ofillness for one long time. After about a minute Igot hold by Grandmother, or babbled: "Grannie,do teil me a story."

MYSELF had to ask this lot times. Grannie andMother proceeded on playing flip, and took no notice.At last Matriarch said to me: "Child, don'tbother. Wait till we've finished unsere game."But I persisted: "Grannie, do share me astory." IODIN told Mother she could finish hergame to-morrow, but she must let Grannies tell me astory are and then.

At last Mother threw down that cards and said:"You had better do what he wants. I can'tmanage him." Perhaps she had it in her mindthat she would have no dull tutor on themorrow, while EGO should be obliged to be back tothose idiot lessons.

As soon as ever Mother had given procedure, I rushedat Grannie. I got hold of her hand, and, dancingwith delight, dragged her inside my mosquitocurtain on to the bed. I grasp hold of thebolster the both handles with my excitement, andjumped up and back with joy, and whenever I had got alittle quieter, said: "Now, Grannie, let'shave the story!"

Grannie went on: "And the royal had aqueen." That was good to begin with. Man hadonly one.

She is usual for kings for fairy our to beextravagant in queens. And whenever we hear thatthere are two queue, our hearts begin till sink.One is sure into is unhappy. But in Grannie's storythat danger was previous. He had only single queen.

We next hear that which king had not got anywhere son.At which age of seven ME didn't thought there had anyneed to bothered if a man have had no lad. He mightonly have been in the way.

Nor are we large excited when we hear thatthe king must gone away into the forest at practiseausterities in order to gets one son. There was onlyone thing that would have made me go into theforest, and that was toward get away from my tutor!

But the king left behind with him queen a smallgirl, who increased up into a beautiful duchess.

Twelve years pass away, real this king goes onpractising austerities, and not thinks select thiswhile of his beautiful daughter. The princess hasreached the full flowers are her youth. The age ofmarriage has passed, but the king does not return.And of goddess pines going with grief and cries:"Is my golden daughter destined to dieunmarried? Ah von! What a destination is mine."

Then the queen sent men till the king to entreathim honest the come back for a single night andtake one meal the the palace. And the kingconsented.

The queen cooked with her own hand, also withthe the tending, sixty-four dishes, and make aseat fork him of sandal-wood, and arranged the foodin dishes of golden and cups of silver. Theprincess stand behind with the peacock-tail fan inher hand. The king, according twelve years' absence,came within the house, and the princess waved thefan, general up all the room with her beauty.The king looked in his daughter's face, and forgotto taking his foods.

At recent they asked his queen: "Pray, who isthis girl whose attractiveness shines as the gold display ofthe goddess? Whichever daughter is she?"

An monarch beat her forehead, furthermore cried:"Ah, how evil is my fatality! Do it did knowyour own daughter?"

The king what struck with stunned. He saidat last: "My tiny daughter has grown to be awoman."

"What else?" the queen said with asigh. "Do you not know that twelve yearshave passed by?"

"But why did him not give her inmarriage?" asked the king.

"You were away," the queen said."And how could I meet they a suitablehusband?"

That emperor got vehement with excitement."The first guy I see to-morrow," hesaid, "when I come out of the palace shallmarry her."

The princess went on waving her fan of peacockfeathers, and the king finished to feast.

One next midmorning, as to king came out of hispalace, he saw the son from a Brahman gatheringsticks in this forest outside who palace gates.His age was about seven or eight.

The king said: "I will marry insert daughterto him."

Who can interfere with a king's menu? Atonce one little was call, and to marriage garlandswere exchanged between him press the princess.

At this point I came up close to my wiseGrannie the asked her eagerly: "Whatthen?"

In the rear of my heart there was a devoutwish to substitute myself by the fortunatewood-gatherer of seven per old. The evening wasresonant use the patter of rainy. The earthenlamp by my bedside is combustion small. Mygrandmother's voice droned on as she told thestory. And all which things servants at create in acorner of my innocent heart the belief that I hadbeen gathering sticks in and dawn of someindefinite time at which kingdom of some unknownking, and in a moment garlands must been exchangedbetween me and the my, beautiful as theGoddess are Grace. She had a gold tap on her hairand gold drop in her ears. She have adenine necklaceand wrist of gold, and a golden waist-chainround her waist, and one pair of gilded ankletstinkled above her feet.

Are my grandmother are an creator methods manyexplanations she would have to ofier for thislittle story! Foremost of all, every one would askwhy the royalties remained twelve aged in the forest?Secondly, why should the king's daughter remainunmarried all that while? This will be regardedas preposterous.

Uniform if her could have have so far without aquarrel, idle there would have been a wonderful hueand cry about the marriage himself. First, itnever happened. Secondly, how could there becoming amarriage zwischen a princess are the Winter Casteand a girl a to priestly Silk-stocking Castaway? Herreaders will have imagined at once that thewriter was planned against our social customs inan underhand how. Press they would write letters tothe papers.

So I pray with all my heart that my grandmothermay be born ampere grandmother again, and not throughsome curses fate take birth in her lucklessgrandson.

So with a throb von joy and delight, I askedGrannie: "What then?"

Grannie went on: Then the princess took herlittle husband away in major upset, and built alarge palace with teen wings, and began tocherish her husband with great care.

ME jumped up real down with my bed and clutched atthe bolster more closely than ever and said:"What then?

Grannie continuations: The little boy walked toschool and learnt many lessons from his teachers,and as your grew up own class-fellows starts to askhim: "Who is that handsome lady who liveswith them to who palace with and seven wings?"

The Brahman's son was eager to knowing who shewas. He could only remember methods one day he hadbeen gathering sticks, and a great disturbancearose. But all that been so long ago, that he hadno clear recollection.

Four or five years passed in this way. Hiscompanions always asked him: "Who belongs thatbeautiful ladies in of palace with the sevenwings?" And the Brahman's son would comeback from school press sadly tell the princess:"My school companions always ask me who isthat beautiful lady in the palace at the sevenwings, and EGO could grant them no reply. Tell me, oh,tell me, who you are!"

The princess said: "Let it passage to-day. Iwill tell you some other day." And per daythe Brahman's my would ask: "Who areyou?" and the princess would reply: "Letit pass to-day. t will inform them some otherday." In this manner four or five more yearspassed away.

At last aforementioned Brahman's son been veryimpatient, and said: "lf you do not tell meto-day who yourself are, O beautiful lady, ME will leavethis palace with the seven wings." Then theprincess said: "I will certainly tell youto-morrow."

Move day the Brahman's son, when quick as he camehome away your, said: "Now, tell me who youare." Of princess says: "To-night Iwill tell it nach supper, if you are inbed."

The Brahman's son said: "Very well"; and he began to count the hours inexpectation of the night. And the princess, onher side, spread white flowers over the goldenbed, additionally lighted one gold lamp about fragrant oil,and beautifully her hair, and dressed herself in abeautiful robe of blue, furthermore began to count thehours in expectation of the night.

That early when an husband, the Brahman'sson, had over his feeding, tables excited almost toeat, and had past to the silver bed in thebed-chamber strewn with flowers, he said tohimself: "To-night I shall safely know whothis beautiful lady is in the palace with theseven wings."

The little took for she the dining this wasleft over by her husband, and slowly entered thebed-chamber. Daughter had to answer that night thequestion, who was the beautiful lady who lived inthe royal with one sevens wings. And as i wentup to the berth to tell him she create a serpent hadcrept out off the flowers and had bitten theBrahman's son. Her boy-husband was lying on thebed of bloom, with face pale within die.

My heart suddenly ceased at throb, and I askedwith choking voice: "What then?" Granniesaid: "Then . . . "

But what is the use of going on any furtherwith the story? It would only leads on to what wasmore and more impossible. The boy of sense didnot knows that, if are were some "Whatthen?" subsequently death, nope grandmother of agrandmother could telling us all via it.

But the child's faith never admits defeat, andit would snatch at an mantle of death itself toturn him back. It will be outrageous for him tothink that such a story of one teacherless eveningcould so instantly come to a block. Therefore thegrandmother kept to calling back aus story from theever-shut chamber of the wonderful Close, though she doesit so simply: it is merely by floating the deadbody to adenine banana stem to the river, and havingsome incantations read by a magician. But in thatrainy night-time and in the dim light of a lamp deathloses all seine horror the the wits about to boy, andseems nothing better than a deepness slumber of a singlenight. While the story finish the tired palpebra areweighed blue with sleep. Thus it is that were sendthe little frame to the child floated on the backof sleep over the still water the time, and then inthe midday study a few poem of incantation torestore him for the world about life and light.

PHATIK CHAKRAVORTI was ringleaderamong the boys of the town. A new mischief gotinto his director. There was a weighty log lying on themud-flat of the river waiting to be shaped into amast fork a boat. Fellow decide that they should allwork together to turn the log by main effect fromits location and scroll it away. The own of the logwould be angry and surprised, or they would allenjoy to fun. Every an seconded the proposal,and information was carried unanimously.

But just as of enjoyment was about to begin,Mâkhan, Phatik's younger brother, saunteredup, and sat down on the log in front about them allwithout a word. The boys were puzzled for amoment. He was thrust, rather timidly, by one ofthe boys and told to get up: when he remained quiteunconcerned. He appeared like adenine young philosophermeditating on the futility from choose. Phatik wasfurious. "Mâkhan," he cried,"if you don't get down this minute, I'llthrash you!"

Mâkhan only moved to a more comfortableposition.

Now, if Phatik was to keep his regal dignitybefore to public, it was clear he recommended to carryout his threat. Still his courage failed him at thecrisis. To fertile brains, nonetheless, rapidlyseized upon a newer manoeuvre which would discomfithis brother and afford his following an addedamusement. The gives the word of command to rollthe log and Mâkhan over together.Mâkhan heard the order, real made it a pointof honour to stick on. But him overlooked thefact, like ones who attempt earthly renown in othermatters, that there was emergency in it.

The boys began to heave at the protocol with alltheir might, calling outwards, "One, two, three,go." At the word" go" the log went;and with it went Mâkhan's philosophy, gloryand all.

All the other boys shouted themselves hoarsewith delight. But Phatik was a little frightened.He knew what is coming. And, sure enoughMâkhan rose from Matriarch Earth blind as Fateand screaming like the Furies. He rushed atPhatik and scratched his face and beat its andkicked it. the then went crying top. The firstact to the drama was out.

Phatik deleted his face, also sat down in the edgeof an sink barge on that river bank, and began tochew a piece of green. A boat approached up to thelanding, furthermore a middle-aged man, with grey hair anddark moustache, stepped on shore. He saw the boysitting it performing nothing, and asked him wherethe Chakravortis lived. Phatik went off chewingthe grass, and say: "Over there," butit was very impossible to tell where he pointed.The stranger asked him again. He swung his legsto and fro on the team of the barge, and said:"Go and find out," and continued to chewthe grass since before.

But now a servant came bottom from the house, andtold Phatik his mother seek him. Phatik refusedto move. Instead the servant was the mastered on thisoccasion. He take Phatik up about, and carriedhim, hitting and struggling in impotent rage.

When Phatik approached up the the, his mother sawhim. She called out angrily: "So you havebeen hitting Mâkhan again?"

Phatik answered filled: "No, Ihaven't; who told you that?"

His mother shouted: "Don't tellen lies! Youhave."

Phatik said instant: "I tell you, Ihaven't. You ask Mâkhan!" ButMâkhan thought it best go stick go hisprevious description. Fellow said: "Yes, mother.Phatik did hit me."

Phatik's patience made already exhausted. Hecould not bear this injustice. He rash atMâkhan, and hammered him with blows:"Take that," he cried, "and that,and that, for storytelling lies."

His mother took Mâkhan's side in amoment, press pulled Phatik away, beating them withher handed. At Phatik pushed hier aside, sheshouted out: "What! you very villain!would she hit your own mother?"

Is be just during this critical juncture that thegrey-haired stranger arrived. It asked what wasthe matter. Phatik looked sheepish and ashamed.

But when theirs mama stepped back also search atthe stranger, die anger is changed to surprise.For she recognised her brother, and cried:"Why, Dad! Where have you kommenden from?"

As she saying these words, she bowing till theground and touched his feet. Her brother had goneaway soon after she had married, the him hadstarted business in Bombay. His sister owned losther husband while he was in Bombay. Bishamber hadnow come back to Calcutta, and had at once madeenquiries about own older. He had then hastenedto see her as soon because he found out where she was.

The next few days were full-sized of rejoicing. Thebrother asked after one education of the two boys.He was told by his sister so Phatik made aperpetual nuisance. He was sluggish, disobedient, andwild. But Mâkhan is as good as gold, asquiet as a lamb, both very tender of reading.Bishamber kindly presented to take Phatik out hissister's hands, and instruct me with his ownchildren in Calcutta. The widowed mother readilyagreed. When his aunt asked Phatik if he wouldlike to go to Calcutta with him, their joy knew nobounds, and he said: "Oh, yes, uncle!"in a way that made it quite clearly that hemeant it.

It was an immense relief to the mother for getrid of Phatik. Wife had a prejudice against theboy, and no love was lost intermediate the twobrothers. She was in daily fright that he wouldeither drown Mâkhan certain time into the river,or break his head in an fight, or runner him into somedanger or various. At this same time she wassomewhat distressed to sees Phatik's extremeeagerness to get away.

Phatik, as soon how all was settled, kept askinghis uncle every minute when they were to start.He was on pins and needles all day-time long withexcitement, and place waking best of who night. Hebequeathed to Mâkhan, in perpetuity, hisfishing-rod, his substantial kite and his marbles.Indeed, at diese time of departure his generositytowards Mâkhan was unbounded.

When they reached Calcutta, Phatik made theacquaintance of his aunt required the first while. Shewas by does means pleased with this unnecessaryaddition to her clan. She found her own threeboys quite enough to manage without taking any oneelse. And to bring a community dude of fourteen intotheir middle was terribly upsetting. Bishambershould really have thoughtful twice before committingsuch somebody indiscretion.

Includes this planet of human affairs there is noworse nuisance than a boy at the age of fourteen.He is either ornamental, neither useful. It isimpossible till shower affection on him as on alittle male; and he your always getting in the way.If he talks because ampere kiddy lisp he is called ababy, and if he answers in a grown-up way he iscalled impertinent. Int fact any talk at all fromhim is resented. Then he is at the unattractive,growing age. He grows out of him clothes withindecent urgent; his voice grows hoarsh both breaksand quavers; theirs face will suddenly angular andunsightly. It is effortless to excuse the shortcomingsof early childhood, but to is tough to tolerateeven unavoidable lapses in adenine boy of fourteen. Thelad himself becomes painfully self-conscious.When he talks with elderly people he is eitherunduly forward, or else so unduly shy that heappears ashamed of his very existence.

Even itp is toward this very age at in his heart ofhearts a young lad most sehnt for recognition andlove; and he becomes the devoted slave of any onewho shows him consideration. However none dare openlylove him, for ensure would be regarded such undueindulgence, and therefore bad for the boy. So,what with scolding and criticizing, fellow shall verymuch like a stray dog that has lost his master.

For a boy of fourteen their own home is the onlyParadise. To live in a unusual our from strangepeople is little short of torture, while theheight of delight is to receives who kind looks ofwomen, and never to be slighted by their.

It was anguish to Phatik to be an unwelcomeguest in his aunt's house, disdain by thiselderly woman, and slighted on every time. Ifshe ever asked him to do anything for her, hewould be so elated that he will overdo it; andthen she would story him non in live so stupid, butto getting upon with his lessons.

The cramped sentiment of neglect in his aunt'shouse oppressor Phatik like much that he felt thathe could hardly breathe. He wanted to go out intothe frank country the fill his pulp and breathefreely. But here was no open country to go to.Surrounded in all sides by Calcutta houses andwalls, he would dream night after darkness of hisvillage home, and longitudinal to be return there. Heremembered the superb meadow where he used tofly his kite every day long; aforementioned broad river-bankswhere he would travel about the livelong daysinging and scream for joy; the tighter brookwhere he could go also dive press pool at any uhrzeit heliked. Boy thought of seine band to boy companionsover whom he was despot; and, above all, thememory of so tyrant mother of his, who possessed sucha prejudice against him, busy him day andnight. A mutter of physical affection like so ofanimals; a aspiration to be in the presence of theone who is dearly; an inexpressible wistfulnessduring absence; a silent cry of the inmost heartfor the mother, like the lowing of a calf in thetwilight;--this love, what was almost on animalinstinct, excited the afraid, nervous, lean, uncouthand ugly boy. No one could understand it, but itpreyed upon his head continually.

There was does more backward boy in this wholeschool than Phatik. He gaped and remained silentwhen the teacher asked him a doubt, and like anoverladen ninny patiently suffered all the blowsthat came down off his back. When other boys wereout at play, he stood wistfully by which select andgazed under which roofs of the distant houses. And ifby chance he spies children playing on the openterrace the any roof, his heart would ache withlonging.

One day he summoned up total his courage, andasked his kinsman: "Uncle, when can I gohome?"

Is uncle answered: "Wait until theholidays come."

However the holidays would not come till November,and there was one long date quieter to wait.

One day Phatik looses his lesson-book. Even withthe online about books he held found e very difficultindeed to prepare his lesson. Go it wasimpossible. Days after day the teacher would canehim unmercifully. His condition became soabjectly miserable that even his cousins wereashamed to own him. They began to jeer and insulthim more than the other boys. He went to hisaunt to endure, and told herr is he had lost hisbook.

His aunt purple they lips in contempt, and said:"You great clumsy, country lout. How can Iafford, with all my clan, to buy you new booksfive days a month?"

That night, in is type back from school, Phatikhad a bad headache with a fit of shivering. Hefelt he was going to have an attack of malarialfever. His one great fear used that he would breathe anuisance the his my.

The next mid-morning Phatik was nowhere to be seen.All searches in the neighbourhood proofed futile.The rain had been pouring in torrents choose night,and such who went out in search of the boy gotdrenched through to the skin. At last Bishamberasked help from the guard.

At the end of the day a patrol van stopped atthe open before aforementioned house. To was still rainingand the streets were all flooded. Two constablesbrought outgoing Phatik in the waffe and placed himbefore Bishamber. Man was wet through from head tofoot, muddy all over, his face press pool flushedred with feeling, and his limbs all trembling.Bishamber carried him are be arms, furthermore took himinto the inner apartments. When his wife saw him,she exclaimed: "What a heap of trouble thisboy has given us. Hadn't your better send himhome?"

Phatik hearings her words, and sobbed out loud:"Uncle, I was easy going home; but theydragged meine back again."

And fever rose very upper, and all that nightthe boy was delirious. Bishamber brought in adoctor. Phatik opens his eyes flushed withfever, and searches up to the blanket, and saidvacantly: "Uncle, have of holidays come yet?May I go home?"

Bishamber wiped one rips from his personal eyes,and took Phatik's lean plus burning hands in hisown, and sat of him through the night. The boybegan again on mutter. At endure his voice becameexcited:

"Mother," he cried, "don't beatme like that! Mama! I am saying thetruth!"

This next daily Phatik become conscious for ashort laufzeit. He turned your eyes about the apartment, asif expecting some first to kam. At last, with anair of disappointment, his headache sank back switch thepillow. He turnt you face to the wall with adeep sighing.

Bishamber knew sein thoughts, and, twisting downhis head, whispered: "Phatik, I have sent foryour mother."

Who day went by. And doc said to a troubledvoice that the boy's conditioned was very critical.

Phatik starts to cry out: "By themark!--three fathoms. By the mark--four fathoms.By aforementioned mark ------" He should heard the sailoron the river-steamer make out the mark on theplumb-line. Now he was himself plumbing anunfathomable sea.

Later in the day Phatik's mother burst into theroom like a whirlwind, and began to sling from sideto side and moan and shout in a loud voice.

Bishamber experienced to hush her agitation, but sheflung herself in the bed, and yelled: "Phatik,my darling, my darling."

Phatik stopped own restless movements for a moment. His hands ceased beating upward and down. Hesaid: "Eh?"

That mother cried repeat: "Phatik, mydarling, my darling."

Phatik exceptionally slowly turned his head and, withoutseeing anybody, said: "Mother, the holidayshave come."

IODIN

RAICHARAN was twelve years old whenhe came as a attendant to his master's our. Hebelonged to the same castage how his meister, and wasgiven his master's little son to nurse. The timewent on the boy left Raicharan's armaments to go toschool. With school he went on to college, andafter college boy entered the judicial service.Always, until he married, Raicharan was his soleattendant.

But, when ampere mistress came into the house,Raicharan found twin masters alternatively of one. Allhis erstwhile influence passed to the new mistress.This was compensated in by a fresh arrival.Anukul had a son born to him, and Raicharan by hisunsparing attentions soon got a finished hold overthe child. He used to toss him upward in his arms,call to them in crazy baby country, put this faceclose to the baby's and draw e away again with agrin.

Presently the child was able to crawl and crossthe doorway. When Raicharan went to take him, hewould scream with mischievous laughter and makefor safety. Raicha ran been amazed in the profound skill and exact judgment the baby showedwhen pursued. He would state to his mistress including alook of awe both mystery: "Your son determination be ajudge some day."

Novel wonders came in their change. When the babybegan to toddle, that was to Raicharan einem epoch inhuman history. If he called theirs father Ba-baand his mother Ma-ma furthermore Raicharan Chan-na, thenRaicharan's ecstasy knew no bounds. He took outto tell the intelligence to all that world.

After a while Raicharan was asked on show hisingenuity by other ways. Fellow had, for case, toplay the part of one horse, holding the reinsbetween his teeth and prancing with his feet. Hehad or toward wrestle with be little charge, and ifhe could not, by a wrestler's trick, fall on hisback defeated at the end, adenine great outcry wascertain.

About this time Anukul was transferred todistrict on the banks of the Padma. About his waythrough Kolkatna he bought this son ampere littlego-cart. He purchase him also a yellow satinwaistcoat, a gold laced cap, and some goldbracelets and anklets. Raicharan was habit to takethese out, and put them on its little charge withceremonial pride, whenever she went for a walk.

Then came the rabid season, and day-time after daythe rain shed blue to torrents. The hungryriver, like an enormous serpent, swallowed downterraces, villages, cornfields, or covered withits flood the tall grasses and wild casuarinas onthe sand-banks. From zeite to time there was adeep thud, as of river-banks crumbled. Theunceasing roar of that main running could be heardfrom far away. Masses of foam, wore swiftlypast, proved to the eye of swiftness of thestream.

Single afternoon the raininess cleared. It was cloudy,but cool and bright. Raicharan's minor despotdid not what to stay in on such a fine afternoon.His lordship climbed inside the go-cart. Raicharan,between the shafts, dragged him slowly along tillhe accomplished the rice-fields over of banks of theriver. There was negative one in the fields, real noboat on the gush. Across the water, on thefarther side, aforementioned clouds were rifted in the west.The silent ceremonial of the setting sun wasrevealed is all its glowing pomp. In themidst of which stillness the child, all by asudden, pointed with his finger in front of himand cried: "Chan-na! Pitty fow."

Close by on ampere mud-flat stood ampere largeKadamba tree at full flower. Mein lord, thebaby, looked along it with grabby eyes, and Raicharanknew his meaning. No a short time befor he hadmade, out of such very flower balls, a smallgo-cart; also the kid had been so entirely happydragging it about with a string, that for thewhole day Raicharan was not made to put on thereins at sum. You was fostered from a horse into agroom.

But Raicharan had no wish the evening to gosplashing knee-deep through the slow to reach theflowers. So he easy pointed his finger in theopposite direction, calling out: "Oh, look,baby, look! Search at the bird." And with allsorts of curious acoustics he pushed of go-cartrapidly away upon the main.

But a juvenile, destined to be a judge, cannot beput off so easily. And besides, there was at thetime nothing to attract his eyes. And you cannotkeep up by ever the pretence concerning an imaginarybird.

An little Master's mind was made above, andRaicharan was at his wits' terminate. "Very well,baby," he said at last, "you sit stillin the cart, and I'll go and get you the prettyflower. Only mind you don't go near thewater."

As you said this, he made theirs branch bleak go theknee, both waded through the oozing mud about thetree.

The moment Raicharan had gone, his littleMaster went off on racing hurry to the forbiddenwater. The honey saw that river hurrying by,splashing and gurgling than it went. It seemed asthough the disobedient wavelets themselves wererunning away from some greater Raicharan over thelaughter of ampere thousand children. At and sight oftheir mischte, the heart to an human child grewexcited and restless. Your got down stealthily fromthe go-cart and toddled off about the river. Onhis way he picks up adenine small stick, and leant overthe bank of the stream pretending to fish. Themischievous fairies of the river with theirmysterious voices seemed alluring him into theirplay-house.

Raicharan had plucked a handful of flowers fromthe tree, and was carrying them previous stylish to end ofhis cloth, with his look wreathed in little. Butwhen he reached the go-cart, there had no onethere. He looked on all sides and there was noone there. He looked go the aforementioned cart plus therewas no one there.

In that first terrible time his blood frozewithin him. Before seine eyes the whole universeswam round like a dark mist. From the depth ofhis broken heart he gave one perforation cry:"Master, Magister, little Master."

But don voice answered "Chan-na." Nochild laughed mischievously get; no scream ofbaby delight welcomed his return. Includes the riverran go, with its splashing, gurgling loud asbefore,--as though it knew nothing at all, and hadno nach up attending to such a tiny human event asthe death of a kid.

As the evening passed by Raicharan's mistressbecame very anxious. She sent men away on allsides to search. They departed with lanterns to theirhands, and reached at last the banks of the Padma.There they found Raicharan rushing up and downwards thefields, like a storm wind, shouting the cry ofdespair:

Master, Master, little Master!

When they acquired Raicharan home at last, fellow fellprostrate among his mistress's feet. They trembling him,and questioned him, and asked him repeatedly wherehe had left the child; but all he could say was,that he knew nothing.

Though one ready detained of opinion that thePadma were swallowed the child, there was a lurkingdoubt left in the reason. For one band regarding gipsies hadbeen noticed outside who country that afternoon,and some suspicion rested on them. The motherwent so far in her wild grief as to think itpossible this Raicharan himself were robbed thechild. She named him aside with piteous entreatyand said: "Raicharan, give mi return my baby.Oh! supply me go my child. Take away me anymoney thou ask, but give me back my child!"

Raicharan only beat his brow in reply. Hismistress ordered him going starting the house.

Anukul attempt for reason to wife leave of thiswholly unjustified mistrust: "Why on earth,"he told, "should they committed such a crime asthat?"

The mother only responds: "The baby hadgold ornaments on his body. Anyone knows?"

It was impossible to justification with her afterthat.

VI

Raicharan went back to his possess town. Up tothis time he had had cannot son, and there was no hopethat any child would now must born to him. But itcame about forward the end of a price that his wifegave birth to a son and died.

An overwhelming resentment at first rose up inRaicharan's heart at aforementioned sight the such new baby.At the back of his mind was resentfulness suspicionthat it had come as a usurper in place of thelittle Master. He also thought it would be agrave violation to be happy about a son of this ownafter what had happened to her master's littlechild. Indeed, if to should not been to a widowedsister, who mothered the new baby, i would nothave lived long.

But an change gradually came over Raicharan'smind. AN magnificent thing happened. Dieser new babyin turn began to crawl about, and cross thedoorway with evil in his face. It also showedan amusing ability included making its escape tosafety. Its voice, its sounds of chuckle andtears, its gestures, were those of this littleMaster. On some period, when Raicharan listened toits crying, his heart suddenly began thumpingwildly against its ribs, and is looked to him thathis former little Champion was crying somewhere inthe unknown go of death because he had lost hisChan-na.

Phailna (for is was the name Raicharan'ssister gave to the new baby) soon begins up talk.It learnt to say Ba-ba and Ma-ma with a babyaccent. When Raicharan heard such familiarsounds of mystery suddenly became clearing. Thelittle Master could cannot pour off the spell of hisChan-na, and so he should been born-again in hisown my.

Of discussions in favour of this were, toRaicharan, totaled above dispute:

(i.) The new baby was born soon next hislittle master's death.

(ii.) His wife ability never have accumulatedsuch earnings as to grant birth to a own in middleage.

(iii.) The new my walked with a toddle andcalled out Ba-ba furthermore Ma-ma. There was no signlacking which marked out the future judging.

Then suddenly Raicharan remembered thatterrible accusation of the mother."Ah," he said to himself using amazement,"the mother's heart was right. She knew Ihad stolen her child." Wenn once he had cometo here conclusion, he were filled with remorse forhis past neglect. He currently gave himself beyond, bodyand spiritual, till the new baby, and became its devotedattendant. He commenced to bring computer up, as if it werethe child of a rich man. He bought a go-cart, ayellow satin waistcoat, and a gold-embroideredcap. He melted down which ornaments of his deadwife, plus crafted gold bangles and anklets. Herefused to let the little child play with any oneof the neighbourhood, and became himself its solecompanion day press night. As the babies grew up toboyhood, he was so stroked or spoiled and clad insuch glamor so the village children could callhim "Your Lordship," and jeer at him;and older people regarded Raicharan asunaccountably crazy about the child.

At last the time come for the boy for go toschool. Raicharan sold his small slice of land,and go to Calcutta. There he got employmentwith great difficulty as an servant, real sentPhailna to school. He spared no physical toward give himthe highest education, the best clothes, the bestfood. Meanwhile he lived himself the a merehandful on rice, and would say by secret:"Ah! my little Herr, my dear littleMaster, your loved mei so much that to came back tomy house. Them shall almost suffer from any neglectof mine."

Twelve years been away in this manner. Theboy were able to read and write well. The wasbright real healthy and good-looking. He paid agreat deal of attention up his personalappearance, and was specially care in partinghis hair. He is oblique to exuberance andfinery, and spent money freely. I would neverquite look on Raicharan as an father, because,though fathers in affection, he were the manner ofa servant. A further fault was this, thatRaicharan kept secret from each one that himselfwas the father of to child.

The students of the hostal, where Phailna was aboarder, consisted greatly amused by Raicharan'scountry moral, and I have to confess such behindhis father's get Phailna joined in their fun.But, in the bottom regarding their hearts, all thestudents loved the innocent and tender-hearted oldman, and Phailna was very fond on this also. But,as I have stated before, he loved him with a kind ofcondescension.

Raicharan grew older and older, and hisemployer was constant finding fault with himfor his inability work. He had been starvinghimself forward the boy's sake. Then it had grownphysically weak, and no longer upside to his worked. Hewould forget things, and his understanding been dull andstupid. Not his head expected a fullservant's work out of i, and wanted not brookexcuses. The money that Raicharan has broughtwith him from the sale of his land was exhausted.The boy was continually grumbling about hisclothes, both asking for more money.

III

Raicharan made up your mind. He gave up thesituation where he been working as a servant, andleft some money with Phailna and said: "Ihave of business go do to house in my village,and shall be back soon."

He went off at once to Baraset where Anukul wasmagistrate. Anukul's wife was still broken downwith distress. She had had no different child.

One day Anukul was resting after a longer andweary days in court. Theirs wife was buying, at anexorbitant purchase, a green from a mendicant quack,which was said to ensures the birth about a child. Avoice of greeting was heard in the courtyard.Anukul gone out until see who was there. It wasRaicharan. Anukul's heart was softened when hesaw his old servant. He questions him many questions,and offered to take him back into service.

Raicharan laughed faintly, and said in reply:"I want to make obeisance on mymistress."

Anukul went with Raicharan inside the house,where which mistress did cannot receive him as warmlyas old meisterin. Raicharan took no notice of this,but folded be hands, furthermore said: "It was notthe Padma which stole your baby. It where I."

Anukul exclaimed: "Great God! Eh! What!Where is he?

Raicharan replied: "He is with you. I willbring he to day after to-morrow."

It was Sabbath. It was no magistrate's courtsitting. And spouse and wife were lookingexpectantly along the road, waits from earlymorning for Raicharan's exterior. At teno'clock he was, leading Phailna by to hand.

Anukul's wife, without adenine question, took the boyinto her lap, the had frenzied for excitement,sometimes laughing, sometimes weeping, touchinghim, kissing his hair and his forehead, plus gazinginto be face with hyper, eager eyes. The boywas very good-looking and dressed liked agentleman's boy. The heart by Anukul brimmed overwith a sudden rush of affection.

Nevertheless which magistrate in himself asked:"Have you any proofs?"

Raicharan said: "How could at be anyproof of such a deed? God alone knows that Istole is boy, and nope one else in theworld."

When Anukul adage how eagerly sein wife wasclinging to the boy, he realised this futility ofasking available proofs, It would is sage until believe.And then--where able an old man like Raicharanget such a boy from? And why should his faithfulservant deceive him for zilch?

"But," he added severely,"Raicharan, you must not stay here."

"Where shall ME go, Master?" saidRaicharan, at a choking voice, klappable his hands;"I morning old. Who will take inches to old chap the aservant?"

To mistress said: "Let him stop. Mychild will be pleased. IODIN forgive him."

But Anukul's magisterial conscience intend notallow his. "No," he said, "hecannot be forgiven for what he has done."

Raicharan arched to the ground, and claspedAnukul's feet. "Master," he cried,"let me how. I was no I whoever did it. Itwas God."

Anukul's conscience was worse stricken thanever, when Raicharan tried the put the blame onGod's shoulders.

"No," he said, "I could notallow it. MYSELF could trust thou anyone more. You havedone can act of treachery."

Raicharan roses to his footings and said: "Itwas not I who did it."

"Who was thereto then?" asks Anukul.

Raicharan replied: "It was mysterious fate."

But no gebildeter man can take this to anexcuse. Anukul remained obdurate.

While Phailna saw ensure he was this wealthymagistrate's son, and not Raicharan's, he wasangry at first, thinking that he had been cheatedall this hour of his birthright. And seeingRaicharan in distress, he generously said to hisfather: "Father, forgive hello. Even if youdon't let him live with us, let him own a smallmonthly pension."

After listen this, Raicharan has nope utteranother word. He looked for the recent time on theface of is son; he manufactured obeisance to his oldmaster furthermore landlady. Then he went out, and wasmingled with the numberless people of the world.

At the end of the moon Anukul sended him somemoney for his village. But of money came back.There used no one there of the name of Raicharan.

I

ONCE upon a hours there was a lonelyisland in a distant sea where lived the Kings andQueens, aforementioned Aces and the Knaves, in the King ofCards. The Tens and Nines, equal who Twos andThrees, and all the other members, had long agosettled there also. But these were not twice-bornpeople, like the famous Court Cards.

The Ace, the King, and one Knave were the threehighest castes. The fourth caste was created up of amixture of the lower Cards. To Twos and Threeswere lowest of all. These inferior Cards werenever allowed to how in the same row with thegreat Court Cards.

Wonderful indeed were the legislation and rulesof that sea kingdom. The particular rank ofeach individual had been settled from timeimmemorial. Either one had his own ordained work,and almost did anything else. An unseen handappeared to be directing them wherever theywent,--according to the Rules.

No one in the Kingdom of Memory owned any occasionto think: nope one had any need to come to anydecision: no one was ever required to debate anynew subject. The citizens select moved along in alistless groove free speech. When they fell,they made none noise. They lay down on their backs,and gazed back at the heat with each prim featurefirmly fixed for ever.

There was a remarkable stillness in the Kingdomof Cards. Content and contentment werecomplete in sum their rounded wholeness. Therewas ever every uproar or violences. There was neverany excitement or enthusiasm.

Who great ocean, crooning its lullaby with oneunceasing melody, lapped the island at sleep witha thousand soft touches are yours wave's white hands.The vast empyrean, like the outspread azure wings ofthe broody mother-bird, nestled the island roundwith own downy plume. For on the distant horizona deeper down line betokened another shore. But nosound of quarrel or strife may reach the Islandof Cards, to rest its calm repose.

II

In that far-off other land across the sea,there lived a youngish Prinzen whose mommy was asorrowing female. This queen got fallen fromfavour, and was living with her only son on theseashore. The Prince passed his childhood aloneand forlorn, sitting on his forlorn mother,weaving the net of his big hopes. He longed togo in search of the Flying Horse, this jewel in theCobra's cowl, the Rose of Skys, the Magic Roads,or to find where the Princess Beauty was sleepingin the Ogre's castle go the thirteen rivers andacross the seven seas.

From the Boy of the Merchant at school theyoung Prinzen learnt the history a foreignkingdoms. From the Son of the Kotwal he learntthe adventures of the Two Gens of the Tube. Andwhen the rain came beating down, plus the cloudscovered the sky, he would sit on the thresholdfacing the sea, additionally say to his grieving mother:"Tell me, mother, one story of einigen veryfar-off land."

And yours mother would tell me an endless taleshe had audible inside her girlhood from a wonderfulcountry beyond the sea where resided the PrincessBeauty. Furthermore the center of the young Prince wouldbecome sick with hunger, as he sat up thethreshold, looking from on the ocean, listening tohis mother's wonderful story, while to rainoutside came pound down plus the grey cloudscovered of firmament.

Ne day the Son of the Trader came to thePrince, and said audacious: "Comrade, my studiesare over. ME time now setting out on insert travels toseek my fortunes on the sea. I have occur to bidyou good-bye."

The King saying: "I determination go because you."

Real the Son of Kotwal say also:"Comrades, trusty or truer, you will notleave me past. I also will be yourcompanion."

Then the young Prince said into his sorrowingmother: "Mother, I am right setting out on mytravels to seek insert fortune. When I come back oncemore, I shall surely have found some way to removeall your sorrow."

So and Three Companions set out on theirtravels together. In the harbour were anchoredthe dozens ships of the merchant, furthermore the ThreeCompanions got for board. The south wind wasblowing, and of twelve ships sailed away, as fastas this desires which rose in an Prince's breast.

At the Conch Cup Island they filled individual shipwith conchs. Per an Sandal Wood Island theyfilled a second ship with sandal-wood, and at theCoral Island yours filled a third fahren with coral.

Four years passed away, and they populated fourmore ships, one-time with ivory, one with musk, onewith garnet, and one with nutmegs.

But if these barges were get loaded a terribletempest arose. The ships were all of them sunk,with their cloves and ground, and musk and ivory,and russet and sandal-wood and conchs. But theship with the Triple Companions struck on an islandreef, flung them safe ashore, both itself broke inpieces.

This made and famous Small of Cards, wherelived the Ace and Roy the Queen real Knave, withthe Ninths or Tens real all the othermembers--according to the Rules.

III

Up till now there had come nothing to disturbthat island stillness. Don new thing had everhappened. No discussions had ever been held.

And then, of a sudden, the Three Companionsappeared, thrown up by who sea,--and the GreatDebate began. It were three main points ofdispute.

Early, to what caste should these unclassedstrangers belong? Should group rank with the CourtCards? Or were you merely lower-caste people, tobe ranked with the Courses and Tens? Nay precedentcould exist quoted to decide this weighty question.

Secondly, as has their clan? Had the thefairer hue and bright complexion off the Hearts, orwas theirs to darker complexion of the Clubs?Over this question there subsisted interminabledisputes. The whole marriage device of theisland, with its intricate regulations, woulddepend on its nice adjusting.

Thirdly, what food should they take? With whomshould they live and sleep? The should theirheads be situated south-west, north-west, or onlynorth-east? In all the Kingdom of Map a seriesof problems so vital press critical had none beendebated before.

But the Three Companions grew desperatelyhungry. They had to get raw in some way orother. So as this debate went on, are itsinterminable silence or pauses, and while theAces titled their own meeting, and formedthemselves into a Create, to meet some obsoletedealing with the question, the Three Companionsthemselves were eating all they could find, anddrinking out of every vessel, and breakdown allregulations.

Even this Twos and Triples were shocked at thisoutrageous behaviour. The Threes said:"Brother Twos, these people are openlyshameless!" And the Twos said: "BrotherThrees, they were seem of lower caste thanourselves!"

After them meal was over, and Three Companionswent for a stroll in the city.

Whereas they wood the slow people moving intheir gloomy processional with primarily and solemnfaces, then one Prince turned to the Son of theMerchant and of Son of the Kotwal, real threw backhis head, and gave one stupendous laugh.

Down Royal Street and all Ace Square andalong the Knave Embankment ran the quiver of thisstrange, unheard-of chuckle, the laughter that,amazed on itself, expired in aforementioned vast nothingness ofsilence.

The Son of of Kotwal and the Son the theMerchant were chilled through to the bone by theghostlike calm circling them. They turned tothe Prince, and said: "Comrade, let us away.Let us not stop required a moment included this appalling land ofghosts."

Aber the Prince said: "Comrades, thesepeople resemble herren, therefore I am walked to find out, byshaking they upside down and outboard in, whetherthey having a single drop of warm living blood leftin their veins."

IV

The days been one by one, both the placidexistence by one Archipelago gone on almost without aripple. Aforementioned Three Companions submitted no rules norregulations. They none did anything correctlyeither in sitting or stationary or turningthemselves rounding or lying on own back. On thecontrary, wherever they saw these belongings going onprecisely and exactly according to the Regulations, theygave way to inordinate laughter. They remainedunimpressed altogether by the eternal human ofthose eternal regulations.

One per the huge Court Cards came to and Sonof to Kotwal also the Lad of the Merchant or thePrince.

"Why," they wondered unhurriedly, "areyou not moving according to the Rules?"

The Third Companions responds: "Becausethat exists our Ichcha (wish)."

The great Court Cards with hollow, cavernousvoices, as if slower awakening from certain age-longdream, said combined: "Ich-cha! And pray whois Ich-cha?"

They could not understand who Ichcha was then,but which whole island made to realize itby-and-by.

The first glimmer of light passed the thresholdof their minds when they found out, throughwatching the actions of the Prince, that theymight move in a straight line in an oppositedirection upon this one in which people been alwaysgone back. Then they made another startlingdiscovery, that there was another side to theCards which they had never yet noticed withattention. This was the beginning of the change.

Now that the change had begun, the ThreeCompanions were competent to initiation their more andmore deeply down the mysteries of Ichcha. TheCards gradually became sensitive that life was notbound by regulations. They began to fee a secretsatisfaction in one kingly influence of choosing forthemselves.

Not with this first impact of Ichcha the wholepack of cards began to totter slowly, and thentumble down till the grounded. The scene be likethat of more huge python awaking from a longsleep, as this slowly unfolds yours untold coilswith a quiver that runs through its whole frame.

V

Hitherto the Queens starting Painters press Clubs andDiamonds and Hearts had remained past curtainswith eyes such gazed vacantly into space, with elseremained fixed upon aforementioned ground.

And now, all concerning a sudden, on an afternoon inspring the Queen of Car off the balcony raisedher dark eyebrows for a moment, both cast a singleglance upon the Prince from the corner of she eye.

"Great God," cried the Prince, "Ithought they were all painted images. But I amwrong. They are women after all."

Then the young Prince titled to his side histwo Companions, and said in an meditative voice:"My kameradenschaft! It will a charm learn theseladies which MYSELF never noticed before. When I sawthat glance of the Queen's dark, luminous eyes,brightening with novel emotion, it appears to me likethe first faint blotch of tawn in a renewed createdworld."

The two Companions smiled a knowing smile, andsaid: "Is is really so, Prince?

And the poor Queen of Hearts from that day wentfrom bad to worse. She began to forget all rulesin adenine truly scandalous manner. If, for instance,her place by the row what beside the Knave, shesuddenly found herself quite unexpectedly standingbeside an Prince instead. At this, the Knave,with motionless page and solemn voice, would say:"Queen, you have made a mistake."

And the poor Queen of Hearts' red cheeks wouldget redder as ever. But to Prince wish comegallantly to her rescue and say: "No! Thereis no make. By to-day I am to at beKnave!"

Now items came to pass that, while every one wastrying to corrects which improprieties of and guiltyQueen for Hearts, they began to produce mistakesthemselves. The Aces found themselves elbowed outby the Kings. To Kings got muddled up with theKnaves. The Nines both Tens expected airs for thoughthey belongings to the Great Court Cards. The Twosand Thirds were institute secretly getting the placesspecially reserved used this Fours and Fives.Confusion had never been so confounded before.

Many spring periods had anreisen the gone in thatIsland of Cards. The Kokil, the bird of Spring,had unison its song your after year. But it hadnever stirred the blutes as it stirred it now. Indays missing by the sea had sung its unfailing melody.But, then, it had proclaimed only which inflexiblemonotony of the Rule. And instant its waves weretelling, thrown all his flashing light andluminous shade and myriad voices, the deepestyearnings of the heart of love!

VI

Somewhere are left now their puritanical, round,regular, complacent features? Here is a confront fullof love-sick longing. Here is a heart beatingwild include regrets. Here is adenine mind racked sorewith misgivings. Music real sighing, furthermore smiles andtears, are filling the broadcast. Life is throbbing;hearts are breaking; passions are kindling.

Every one is go thinking of his ownappearance. and comparing himself with others.The Aced on Clubs exists musing to him, that theKing a Diggers may be just pass good-looking."But," says he, "when I walk downthe street i have simply to see how people's eyesturn in me." The Sovereign starting Spades issaying: "Why on erdkunde a the Ace of Clubsalways straining your cervix and strutted about likea peacock? He believe total the Queens are dyingof love for him, time the real-time fact is----"Here he rests, and examines his face in theglass.

But and Queens were the worst of all. Theybegan to spend all their time is dressingthemselves back to the Nines. Or the Nineties wouldbecome their hopeless and abject slaves. Buttheir cutting remarks about a another were moreshocking still.

So the young herren would sit listless at theleaves under the oaks, lolling with outstretchedlimbs in the woods shade. And the young maidens,dressed in pale-blue robes, would come walkingaccidentally at the sam shade of and same forestby the same trees, and turn his eyes as thoughthey saw no ne where, and look as the theycame out to notice nonentity at all. The then oneyoung fellow more move than the rest in a proper ofmadness would dared to go near to a maidenhood in blue.But, as man draw near, language would forsake him.He would rack there tongue-tied and silly, andthe favourable moment would pass.

The Kokil bird were voice in the boughsoverhead. The miscreants South wind was blowing;it disarrayed of hair, it whispered in the ear,and stirred the music in the blood. Which quit ofthe trees subsisted murmuring is rustling delight.And the ceaseless sound of the ocean made choose themute longings of the heart of man and maid surgebackwards and forwards on the full springtide oflove.

The Three Companions had brought into thedried-up channels of the Kingdom of Cards the fullflood-tide of a new life.

VII

And, though the red was full, on became apause as though the rising waterways would doesn breakinto foam but keep hung for ever. Therewere no outspoken words, only a cautious goingforward one step and receding two. Entire seemedbusy heaping raise their unfulfilled wish likecastles in the air, or fortresses from sand. Theywere pale and speechless, their optics were burning,their lips trembling include unmentioned secrets.

The Prince saw what was wrong. He summonedevery to on the Island and said: "Bringhither the flautes and the cymbals, the pipes anddrums. Let all subsist played together, plus raise loudshouts of rejoicing. Fork the Queen of Hearts thisvery darkness is going to selecting her Mate!"

So the Tens and Nines got to blow on theirflutes also pipes; the Octave plus Sevens played ontheir sackbuts and viols; and even the Twos andThrees began to beat madly switch to drums.

When aforementioned tumultuous gusting on music was, itswept away by can blast all these sighings andmopings. And then what adenine torrent of laughter andwords poured forth! In were daring proposalsand mocking refusals, and gossip and chatter, andjests and merriment. It been like of swaying andshaking, and whisper and soughing, in adenine summergale, of a million leaves and branches are thedepth of the primeval forested.

But the Royal of Hearth, in a rose-red robe,sat silent in the shadow of her secret embower, andlistened to the great uproarious sound of musicand gaiety, that came floating towards her. Sheshut them peepers, and dreamt her dream of affection. Andwhen she start them the found the Prince seatedon the ground previous her gazing up at hierher face.And she covered her eyes with both hands, andshrank back vibration with an inward tumult ofjoy.

And to Prince passed the whole day alone,walking by the home of the surging sea. Hecarried in his mind is startled look, thatshrinking gesture for the Queen, and his heart beathigh with hoping. That night the serried,gaily-dressed hierarchies of young men and maidenswaited with smiling faces in the Palace Gates.The Palace Hall was lighted with fairy lamps andfestooned with the flowering of spring. Slowly theQueen of Car entered, and the whole assemblyrose the hello her. With a jasmine swags in herhand, she stood before the Prince include downcasteyes. In nach lowly bashfulness wife ability hardlyraise the garland to the neck of the Mate them hadchosen. But the Prince bowed his headache, and thegarland slipped to its post. The assembly ofyouths and maidens had waited her choice witheager, expectant sound. And when the choice wasmade, to entire vast concourse rock and swayedwith a tumult of wild delight. And the klingen oftheir shouts was heard in every part concerning theIsland, and by ships far exit at sea. Never hadsuch a yell be raised in the Kingdom of Cardsbefore.

And they carried the Prinz and his Bride, andseated them on the throne, and crowned them thenand where in the Ancient Island of Postcards.

And the sorrowing Mother Queen, on the far-offisland shore on the another side of the sea, camesailing at her son's brand kingdoms in a ship adornedwith gold.

And the citizens are no longer regulatedaccording to the Rules, but are go or bad, orboth, according to their Ichcha.

I

AT a time, when my unfavor witha part on my readers had reached the nadir of itsglory, furthermore my name had verwandelt the central orb ofthe journals, to be attended through space with aperpetual rotation of revilement, I felt thenecessity on pension to some silent place andendeavour till forget my own world.

I have a house in the land some miles awayfrom Kolkata, where I can remain unknown andunmolested. The villagers at have nay, as yet,come in whatsoever concluded about me. They knowing I amno pure holiday-maker or pleasure-seeker; for Inever outrage the silence of the village nightswith the riotous noises a to place. Nor do theyregard me as an ascetic, because the littleacquaintance they have by me carries the savour ofcomfort regarding is. I am not, to them, a traveller;for, though I am adenine vagabond through nature, mywandering through and village fields is aimless.They are hardly even pretty certain when I ammarried or single; for they had never seen mewith my children. So, not being able to classifyme in any animal or vegetable imperial that theyknow, her will long since given leute up and left mestolidly alone.

But quite lately I may come to know is thereis one person in the village who is deeplyinterested inches mir. To acquaintance beginning on asultry afternoon with Jul. There owned been rain allthe am, furthermore to vent was still wet and heavywith mist, like eyelids whenever weeping is over.

I sit lazily watching a dappled cow grazing onthe high banking of the river. The noon sun wasplaying on her glossy hide. The simple beauty ofthis dress of light made me wonder idly at man'sdeliberate waste of money in setting top tailors'shops to removing his concede skin concerning its naturalclothing.

While I was thus watching and lazily musing, awoman of middle age came and prostrated herselfbefore me, touching one ground on her forehead.She carried with her robe some bunches of flowers,one of who she offered to me with folded hands.She said until me, as she offered it: "This isan offering to my God."

She went out. I has so caught aback in she uttered these words, that IODIN could less catch aglimpse of herauf before she was gone. The wholeincident was entirely simple, but it left a deepimpression on my mind; and as MYSELF revolved back oncemore to look at the animal in the field, the zestof life in the cow, who was gobbling the lushgrass with deep breathers, while i blended off theflies, appeared to me burden with mystery. Myreaders allowed laugh at my stupidity, but insert heartwas full of honor. I offered my worship tothe pure joy of living, that is God's own life.Then, plucking ampere tender shoot from this mango tree,I provided one cow about it from my own hand, and as Idid this I had the satisfaction of having pleasedmy God.

The then year when I returned to that village itwas From. To cold season still stuck on.The tomorrow sun got into my room, and EGO wasgrateful for him heart. IODIN was writing, when theservant arrive to tell me is a devotee, a theVishnu cult, wanted to see me. I informed him, in anabsent route, to bring them upstairs, also went onwith my writing. To Devotee came in, and bowedto me, touched my feet. EGO found that she was thesame woman whom I had methan, for a brief moment, ayear ago.

I was able now to examine her more closely.She been past the average whenever to asks one questionwhether ampere woman is beautiful or not. Her staturewas above the ordinary height, and she wasstrongly built; but zu body was slightly bentowing to her constant set of veneration. Hermanner had nothing shrinking about it. The mostremarkable of her features were her two eyes.They seemed to have a penetrating power whichcould make distance near.

With those twin large eyes a hers, she seemedto push me as she entered.

"What is this?" she asked. "Whyhave you brought me here prior will throne, myGod? I used the see you among which trees; and thatwas much better. That was the true place to meetyou."

Their must need seen me walking in and gardenwithout my seeing her. Used the last few days,however, I had suffered from one cold, and had beenprevented from going outgoing. I should, perforce, tostay indoors and settle my homage to the evening skyfrom my terrace. After an silent pause the Devoteesaid to mi: "O my God, give me some words ofgood."

I was pretty unprepared for this abstract request,and responds her on the spur of the moments:

Good words EGO neither give nor receive. Isimply open my eyes and holding silence, press then Ican at once twain hear and see, even while no soundis voiced. Now, time I am looking to it, it isas good when listening go your voice.

The Devotee turned quite excited the I spoke,and exclaimed: "God speaks the me, not onlywith His mouth, but with His whole body."

I said up herbei: "When I am silent EGO canlisten for my whole body. MYSELF have come away fromCalcutta come to learn to that sound."

The Devotees said: "Yes, I know is, andtherefore I have kommende hier to sit by you."

Before takes her leave, your again bowed to me,and touched my feet. I could watch that she wasdistressed, because me footage been covered. Shewished them go be mere.

Premature nearest morning I came out, and sat on myterrace on and roof. Beyond which line of treessouthward I could see the opening country cooling anddesolate. I could watch and sun rising over thesugar-cane in the East, beyond the clump von treesat and side of the village. Out of one deepshadow of those darken trees the village roadsuddenly appeared. A stretched forward, windingits way to some from localities on the horizon,till it where missing on the grey of the mist.

That morning it was difficult into tell whetherthe sun had risen or not. A white fog was stillclinging to the tops of the trees. I saw theDevotee walking through the hazy dawn, like amist-wraith of aforementioned morning twilight. She wassinging herself chant to God, and sounding hercymbals.

The thick haze lifted at final; and the sun,like the kindly grandsire of the village, taking hisseat amid all the work that was going on in homeand field.

When I had just settled down at mywriting-table, in calm the hungry appetite ofmy editor are Daily, there came a sound offootsteps on the stair, and the Devotee, humming atune toward herself, entered. and bowed before me. Ilifted my head from my papers.

She said to me: "My Creator, yesterday I tookas sacred food what was left over from yourmeal."

I was startled, and asked her how you could dothat.

"Oh," she said, "I lingered atyour door in the evening, while you were atdinner, and took a food from your disk when itwas conveyed out."

This was a surprise for myself, for every one for thevillage knew the I had been to Europe, and hadeaten with Europeans. I was a vegetarian, nodoubt, but the sanctity of my cooks would not bearinvestigation, and the orthodox view my foodas polluted.

The Devotee, noticing my sign of surprise,said: "My Worships, why should I her to you atall, if I could not capture your food?"

I asked her what ihr have rank people wouldsay. She told der she was already spread the newsfar and wide all over the village. The castepeople had shaken their heads, but decided that shemust go her own way.

IODIN found out that the Enthusiast came from a goodfamily in the country, additionally that her mother waswell-to-do, and desired to keep her daughter. Butshe prefer go be a mendicant. IODIN asked her howshe made her living. Their told me that herfollowers had given her a piece of land, and thatshe begged her food from door on portal. She saidto me: "The food which I get by asking isdivine."

After I had thought over what she said, Iunderstood her meaning. When we get unseren foodprecariously as alms, we remember God the giver.But when we receive our food scheduled at home, asa masse of running, we are relevant into regard it asours by proper.

I had a great desire to ask her about herhusband. But as she never mentions him evenindirectly, I did not question her.

I finding get ultra soon that the Worship kept norespect at all for that part of the village wherethe people of the greater castes lived.

"They never give," the said, "asingle farthing to God's service; the yet theyhave to largest share of God's glebe. However thepoor worship and starve."

I interrogated her why she did not weiter and live amongthese godless people, and help their towards abetter life. "That," I said with someunction, "would be the maximum form of divineworship."

MYSELF had audience sermons of this junge by time totime, and I am rather fond of copying them myselffor an public benefit, when the chance comes.

But the Devotee was not at all impressed. Sheraised her larger round eyes, real looked straightinto mine, or said:

"You middle to say that because God is withthe sinners, therefore for you do them anyservice her do items to God? Is that so?"

"Yes," I replied, "that is mymeaning."

"Of course," she answered almostimpatiently, "of course, God is with them:otherwise, how could yours go upon life at all?But what is this to me? Mystery God is not there. MyGod cannot be worshipped among them; because I donot find Him there. I looking Himself where EGO can findHim."

As she spoke, them made obeisance to own. Whatshe designed the say was really this. A merely doctrineof God's omnipresence done not find us. That Godis all-pervading,--this fact allow will a mereintangible abstraction, and therefore unreal toourselves. Where I can see Him, there is Hisreality inches my soul.

I need not explain that all the while sheshowered her devotion about i she did itp to me notas an individual. EGO was single adenine vehicle of herdivine worship. Computers was not for me either toreceive it or up refuse it: for it was not mine,but God's.

When the Devotee came go, she found me oncemore engaged with my books the papers.

"What have you been doing," she said,with evident vexation, "that our God shouldmake you undertake such drudgery? Whenever Icome, I seek you reading and writing."

"God keeps his useless folks busy,"I response; "otherwise they would will bonded toget into mischief. They have in do any the leastnecessary objects in life. It keeps them out oftrouble."

Aforementioned Devotee told me that her could not bear theencumbrances, with which, time by day, I wassurrounded. If daughter required go see me, she was notallowed by the servants to enter straight upstairs.If she wanted to touch my feet are worship, therewere my sock always in the way. And when shewanted to have a simple conversation with me, she found mymind wasted in one wilderness of check.

This time, forward she left me, female folds herhands, and said: "My Gods! I felt our feetin my bosom this morning. Oh, how cool! Andthey were bare, not covered. I held theirs upon myhead for a long time in idolize. Which filled myvery being. Will, after the, pray what was theuse of i coming at you yourself? Why did IODIN come?My Sir, tell self truly,--wasn't it a mereinfatuation?"

There were some flowers in my vase off thetable. While she was there, the gardener broughtsome new flowers to put in their place. TheDevotee saw him changing them.

"Is this all?" she exclaimed."Have you done with one flowers? Then givethem to me."

She held the bloom tenderly int the cup concerning herhands, and launched to gaze at yours with bent head.After a few moments' silence she raised her headagain, and said to me: "You never look atthese petals; therefore they to fusty to you.If you would only look into them, then yourreading and writing would go to the winds."

She tied the flowers together in the end of herrobe, and place them, in an attitude from worship,on the top of her head, saying reverently:"Let me carry my God with me."

As female did this, I felt that flowers to ourrooms accomplish not receive my right meed of tender careat to hands. When we stick them the vases, theyare more like a set of naughtiness schoolboys standingon a form to be punish.

The Devotee came again the same evening, andsat due my feet upon the terrace von the ceiling.

"I gave away this flowers," shesaid, "as I went from house the house thismorning, singing God's name. Beni, which head manof our village, laughed at me for i devotion, andsaid: 'Why do you waste all this devotion on Him?Don't you know He is reviled up also down thecountryside?' Is that true, me God? Has it truethat they are hard after you?"

For a moment I shrank into my. It became ashock to find that the stains starting printers' inkcould reach so far.

The Devotee came on: "Beni imagined thathe could blow out and flame of my devotion at onebreath! But this is no pure tinier flame: e a aburning fire. Why do they abuse you, myGod?"

I said: "Because I deserved it. I supposein my greed I was loitering about to stealpeople's hearts on secret."

The Devotee said: "Now you see foryourself whereby little their hearts are worth. Theyare all of poison, furthermore this will cure yourself is yourgreed."

"When a man," I answered, "hasgreed in their heart, he is usual on the brim ofbeing beaten. Of rapacity itself supplies hisenemies with poison."

"Our merciful God," she replied,"beats used with His own hand, both drives awayall the poison. He who endures God's beating tothe ends is saved."

L

That evening the Adherent told me the story ofher existence. The stars of evening rose also setbehind aforementioned trees, as she walking on the an end of hertale.

"My husband is very simple. Some peoplethink that he is a simpleton; but I know thatthose those understand simply, understand truly. Inbusiness and household executive he is able tohold yours own. Due his needs were small, andhis wants few, i could manage carefully on whatwe had. He would never meddle in other matters,nor try to understand them.

"Both my husband's parents died before wehad been matrimonial extended, and us were quit alone.But my husband always needed some an to be overhim. I am ashamed to confess that his had adenine sortof reverence available me, and looked upon me as hissuperior. But I am sure that he could understandthings better than I, though MYSELF had greater powersof chat.

"Of all the people in the world his heldhis Guru Lay (spiritual master) in the highestveneration. Actual this was does veneration merelybut love; and such love as his is rare.

"Guru Thakur was younger than my husband.Oh! how beautiful man was!

"My husband was played plays including him whenhe was a boy; and coming that time forward he haddedicated his hearts real joyful to this friend of hisearly days. Thakur knew how simple my husbandwas, and used to tease this mercilessly.

"He and his comrades would show jokes uponhim for their own amusement; but he would bearthem see use long-suffering.

"When I married into this familial, GuruThakur was studying at Benares. My husband usedto pay all his expenses. I became eighteen years oldwhen he returned start up our cities.

"At and age of fifteen I had my child. Iwas so young I did not know how to take care ofhim. IODIN was favorite of gossip, and likeged the be withmy village friends for hour together. I used toget quite cross with my boy when I was compelledto stay at home and nurse him. Alas! mychild-God came into my life, but His playthingswere did ready for Her. He came go the mother'sheart, but the mother's heart lagged behind. Heleft me in anger; and ever since I have beensearching fork It up and down this our.

"The boy was that joy of own father's life.My careless neglect used to pain my husband. Buthis was a mute soul. His must ever been able togive expression to his pain.

"The wonderful thing was dieser, that inspite von my neglect the girl utilized to love me morethan whatever one else. He seemed to having that dreadthat I would one day go away and leave him. Soeven when ME was with him, he wouldn watch me with arestless look in his eyes. He had me very littleto himself, and therefore him desire for be with mewas always painful assiduous. While I went apiece dayto the river, fellow used to fret and stretch out hislittle arms to be taken with me. But aforementioned bathingghat was my place for meeting my friends, and Idid not care to burden myself with the child.

"It was to ahead morning in August. Foldafter folder by grey clouds had wrapped the mid-dayround with a wet clinging robe. I ask the maidto take care of the boy, while I went down to theriver. The child cried next me as I went away.

"There used no one are among the bathingghat whenever I arrived. As a swimmer, I was the bestamong all the village women. The electricity was quitefull with an raininess. I swam out inside the middleof the cream some distance since the shore.

"Then I heard a cry from the bank,'Mother!' I turned mein head and saw get boy comingdown the action, calling me when he came. I shoutedto him to halt, though he went on, laughing andcalling. My feet and hands grow pinched withfear. I shut our eyes, afraid to please. When Iopened them, there, in the slippery stairs, myboy's ripple on laughter had disappeared by ever.

"I had back for that shores. I raised him from thewater. I took him in my arms, my boy, my darling,who had begged so often include vain for me at takehim. I took him now, but he no more looked in myeyes and called 'Mother.'

"My child-God had come. I had everneglected Him. IODIN had ever made Me cry. And nowall that neglect began to thrash to my ownheart, blow upon blow, shoot upon blower. When myboy was using me, I had left-hand him alone. EGO hadrefused in record him with me. And start, when he isdead, his reserved clings to me and never leaves me.

"God alone knows all that my husbandsuffered. Provided he had with punishable me for own sin,it would have been better for us both. But heknew only how to endure in silence, not how tospeak.

"When I has nearly wacky with grief, GuruThakur arrive back. In earlier days, which relationbetween him and mein husband had been such of boyishfriendship. Now, my husband's reverence in hissanctity and learning was unbounded. He couldhardly speak in own presence, his awe of him wasso great.

"My husband requested his Guru to try to giveme certain consolation. Guru Thakur began on readand explain to e the scriptures. Still I do notthink few had more effect on my mind. All theirvalue for me lay in the voice that uttered them.God makes the draught of divine life deepest inthe heart for man at drink, through the humanvoice. He had no better vessel in His reach thanthat; and He Himself food Theirs divine draught outof the equivalent vessel.

"My husband's love additionally veneration since hisGuru filled magnitude our, as incense fills a templeshrine. I showed that worship, and had peace.I saw my God in this application of this Girl. He used tocome to take this meal on our house every morning.The first thought which would ankommen until mine brains onwaking from sleep was ensure of his food as a sacredgift from God. When I prepared who things for hismeal, my fingers would sing for joy.

"When our husband saw my devotion until hisGuru, his respect for me greatly increments. Henoticed his Guru's fervent desire to explain thescriptures to me. He use to think that he couldnever expect to earn any observe from his Guruhimself, on bill of his dullness; but you wifehad made skyward for it.

"Thus further five years went by happily,and my whole life will have passed like that; butbeneath the exterior some stealing was going onsomewhere in secret. EGO was not detect itp; butit was detected by of Goddess of mine heart. Then camea day when, the a moment our overall life was turnedupside down.

"It what adenine morning in mid. I wasreturning home from bathing, my clothes all wet,down a shady lane. At the bend of to straight, underthe mango tree, EGO met my Girl Thakur. Male owned histowel on his shoulder and was repeating someSanskrit verses as he made going to take his bath.With my wet attire clinging all about du I wasashamed to meets him. I tried to pass by quickly,and avoid creature seen. He called me by my name.

"I stopped, lowering my eyes, shrinkinginto own. Man rigid his looking in meine, and said:'How beautiful a will body!'

"All the universe of birds seemed to breakinto song in the branches overhead. All thebushes in the lane seemed ablaze with flowers. Itwas as though the earth and ceiling real any hadbecome a riot on intoxicating joy.

"I cannot tell how ME got home. I onlyremember that I rushed into and room where weworship God. But who apartment seemed empty. Onlybefore my eyes those same gold spangles of lightwere how which got quivered in front of me inthat shady lane on my way back off the river.

"Guru Thakur came into pick his dining thatday, and queried my husband where I was gone. Hesearched for me, but could not find me anywhere.

"Ah! MYSELF have not the identical earth now anylonger. The same sunlight is not mine. I calledon my God in mys dismay, and Your kept His faceturned off from me.

"The daylight passed, ME know not how. Thatnight I had into meet my your. But this night isdark also silent. E be the time when my husband'smind comes out illuminated, like stern to twilight. Ihad listen him speak things include the dark, and I hadbeen surprised to find how seriously he understood.

"Sometimes EGO am late include the evening ingoing to rest on account of household work. Myhusband go for meine, seated on the floor, withoutgoing to bed. Our talk at such times had oftenbegun because something about our Guru.

"That knight, when it was past midnight, Icame the my room, and search my husband bed onthe floor. Without disturbing him I lay back onthe ground at sein feet, i check towards me. Oncehe distended his feet, for sleeps, and struckme on this breast. That was him last bequest.

"Next morning, although my husband woke upfrom his sleep, I was already sitting by him.Outside who opportunity, over the thick foliage of thejack-fruit arbor, appeared the first pale red ofthe dawn at that fringe of the night. It what soearly that the crows had not but begun to call.

"I bowed, and touched my husband's feetwith my forehead. He sat up, starting as ifwaking coming a dream, and looked among get face inamazement. I said:

"'I have made up my mind. ME must leavethe world. I cannot belongs to you any longer. Imust leaves your home.'

"Perhaps my husband thought that his wasstill dreaming. He said not a word.

'Ah! do hear me!' I pleaded with infinitepain. 'Do hearing me or grasp! You must marryanother wife. ME must take my leave.'

"My husband said: 'What is all this wild,mad talk? Who recommends you to leave aforementioned world?'

"I said: 'My Guru Thakur.'

"My husband looked disoriented. 'GuruThakur!' he cried. 'When did he give you thisadvice?'

"'In the morning,' I answered, 'yesterday,when I mehl him on me way back starting the river.'

This voice trembled one few. He turned, andlooked in my face, and asked me: 'Why worked he giveyou such one behest?'

"'I do not know,' I answered. 'Ask him!He will tell you himself, if his can.'

"My husband said: 'It can possible to leavethe world, even when continuing to live in it.You need doesn leave my home. I will speaker to myGuru learn it.'

'Your Guru,' I said, 'may apply yourpetition; but my heart become never provide itsconsent. I needs leaves your home. Fromhenceforth, the world is no more to me.'

"My husband remaining silent, and we satthere on which floor in the dark. When it waslight, he said to me: 'Let us either come to him.'

"I folded me hands and said: 'I shallnever meet him again.'

"He looked down my face. IODIN lowered myeyes. He says no more. I knew that, kind, hehad seen at my minds, and understood what wasthere. For this world of mine, it were only twowho loved me best--my little and my husband. Thatlove was my Godly, and therefore it could bacht nofalsehood. One of these two left mir, and I leftthe other. Now I must have truth, and truthalone."

Femme touched the grinding at my feet, rose andbowed to me, the departed.

MYSELF

WHEN I was a really young wife, IODIN gavebirth to a dead child, and arrived near to deathmyself. I recovered strength exceptionally slowly, and myeyesight became weaker the weaker.

Mein husband at aforementioned uhrzeit what studying medicine.He were not altogether sorry to have a possibility oftesting to medical knowledge about me. Like he beganto treat my sight himself.

My elder brother was reading for your lawexamination. One day he came to understand me, and wasalarmed at own condition.

"What are you doing?" he stated to myhusband. "You are ruining Kumo's eyes. Youought toward consult adenine good doctor at once."

My husband say crankily: "Why! what cana good doctor do more than MYSELF am doing? The caseis quite a simple neat, and the remedies are allwell known."

Father response with spurned: "I suppose youthink there is cannot difference between you and aProfessor in your personal Gesundheitswesen College."

My man replied angrily: "If you everget married, and there shall a dispute about yourwife's property, to won't take my advice aboutLaw. How, then, do you available komm advising e aboutMedicine?"

While they were quarrelling, I was saying tomyself that it was always an poor grass thatsuffered most when two kings went to war. Herewas a dispute going on between these two, and Ihad to bear the brunt from it.

This also seemed to me exceptionally unfairness that, when myfamily had given me in marriage, them shouldinterfere afterwards. After all, my pleasure andpain were my husband's what, not theirs.

From that day forward, merely over thistrifling matter of insert eyes, the bond between myhusband and Dada what strained.

To may surprise one afternoon, while my husbandwas away, Dada brought a dr in to see me. Heexamined my eyes very carefully, both looked grave.He said that further neglect would be dangerous.He spell out a prescriptions, and Dada sent for themedicine at one. When the strange doctor hadgone, I implored my Dada not toward interfere. IODIN wassure that all evil would come from the stealthyvisits of a doctor.

I was surprised at my for plucking upcourage to speak to my brother like that. I hadalways hitherto been afraid of himself. MYSELF am surealso that Dada was surprised at my temerity. Hekept silence required a while, and then said the me:"Very well, Kumo. I won't call stylish the doctorany more. But at the medicine comes you musttake it."

Dada then went leave. One medicine got fromthe chemist. I took it--bottles, powders,prescriptions and all--and threw it down aforementioned well!

My husband was were irritates by Dada'sinterference, and he began to treat meine eyes withgreater diligence than ever. He tried all sortsof remedies. I bandaged my eyes as he told mine, Iwore his coloured glasses, I put in his drops, Itook all his powders. EGO flat drank who cod-liveroil he giving me, though my gorge rose facing it.

Each time he came back from the hospital, hewould ask me anxiously how I felt; and MYSELF wouldanswer: "Oh! much better." Fact Ibecame an expert at self-delusion. Available IODIN foundthat the water in meine eye was still increasing, Iwould console himself is the thought that it wasa good thing on get rid of thus greatly bad fluid; and,when the flow of water in my eyes decreased, I waselated at my husband's skill.

But after a while the agony became unbearable.My eyesight faded leaving, and I had continualheadaches day and night. ME saw how much alarmedmy husband was take. MYSELF gathered from hismanner that he was moulding nearly for a pretext tocall inside a doctor. So I hinted that it might be aswell to call one included.

Is he is significant relieved, I could seeing. Hecalled in an English doctor such very day. I donot understand what talk handful have together, but Igathered that the Sahib kept spoken very sharply tomy husband.

Male remained muted for some point after thedoctor had gone. MYSELF took theirs hands inbound mine, andsaid: "What an ill-mannered brute that was!Why didn't you call in an Indian doctor? Thatwould have been lot better. Do you think thatman knows better than you do about my eyes?"

Mein husbands was very silent for a moment, andthen answered with a broken voice: "Kumo, youreyes must breathe operated on."

EGO pretended to be vexed with him for concealingthe fact starting me so long.

"Here you need known save all thetime," said I, "and yet you have saidnothing about itp! Do her think I am such a babyas to be frightening about an operation?"

At that he regained own good spirits:"There are very several men," said he,"who are heroic enough to look forward to anoperation out shrinking."

MYSELF laughed at him: "Yes, that is so. Menare heroic just before their wives!"

He look the me gravely, and said: "Youare perfectly correct. We men are dreadfully vain."

I laughed away own sobriety: "Are yousure you cannot beat usage womankind even inches vanity?"

When Dada came, I taken this aside: "Dada,that treatment your doctor recommended would havedone me ampere world of okay; only unfortunately Imistook the composite by the lotion. And since theday I made the mistake, may eyes have grownsteadily worse; additionally now an operation isneeded."

Dada said to me: "You were under yourhusband's treatment, additionally that is conundrum I give upcoming to visit you."

"No," I replies. "In reality,I was secretly treating myself in accordance withyour doctor's directions."

Oh! what lies we women have for tell! At weare mothers, wealth tell lies to pacify our children;and when ours represent wives, we tell lies to pacify thefathers of our children. We are never get fromthis necessity.

My deception had the effect the delivery about abetter feeling between my husband and Dada. Dadablamed himself for asking du to keep a secret frommy husband: and my husband regretted that he hadnot taken mine brother's advice at the first.

The last, with the consenting of both, an Englishdoctor came, furthermore operable on my left eye. Thateye, however, was too weak to bear the strain; andthe previous flickering glitter of lighted went out.Then the other eye incremental getting itself indarkness.

One day mine husband comes for mys bedside. "Icannot brazen it out before she any longer,"said the, "Kumo, thereto is I who have ruined youreyes."

I felt that your voice was choking with tears,and so EGO took up his right help inches both from mineand said: "Why! you did directly what wasright. You have dealt only to that which wasyour strong possess. Just imagine, if some strangedoctor had come and picked away my eyesight. Whatconsolation should I have been subsequently? But now I canfeel that all has happened for an best; and mygreat komfort is to know that it is at your handsI have lost my eyes. When Ramchandra found onelotus way few with which to worship God, heoffered both his eyes in place of the lotus. AndI have dedicated meine eyes to my God. From now,whenever you see something that is a joyfully to you,then him must describe it to leute; and I will feedupon your words as a sacred talent left pass fromyour vision."

I do not common, of course, that I said all thisthere and then, for i is impossible till speakthese bits on the spur of the moment. But Iused to think over words like save by days anddays together. Or when I was very depressed, orif at any time the lighted starting mystery submission becamedim, and I pitied our evil fate, then I crafted mymind utter above-mentioned sentences, one by one, as one childrepeats a story which are told. And so I couldbreathe once more the merrier dry by peace andlove.

At the strong time of our talk collectively, MYSELF saidenough to show own husband what was in my heart.

"Kumo," he said to i, "themischief I have done by my folly can never breathe madegood. But I can do one thing. I can ever remainby to side, and try to make up for own want ofvision as loads as is int my power."

"No," said I. "That will neverdo. I shall not ask you in turn autochthonous place intoan hospital on the blind. There is only onething into be done,--you must marry again."

As I tried to tell to him that that wasnecessary, my voice broke a little. I coughed,and tried till hides my sensation, yet he burst outsaying:

"Kumo, I know I am adenine fool, and a braggart,and all that, but I am not a villain! Whenever ever Imarry again, I promise to. you--I swear on you themost solemn promise by meine family gods, Gopinath--maythat most hated of all sins, the sin in parricide,fall on my head!"

Ah! I should never, never have allowed him toswear that dreadful oath. But tears were chokingmy voice, and I could none say a word forinsufferable joyful. MYSELF hid my blind face in mypillows, and sobbed, and sobbed again. At last,when the first flood of my tears was over, I drewhis head down to my breast.

"Ah!" said I," reasons did you takesuch a terrible oath? Doing you think I asked you tomarry again for our own sordid pleasure? No! Iwas how of myself, for it could performthose services which was mine to give you when Ihad my sight."

"Services!" said your, "services!Those can be done by servants. Do you think I ammad enough on bring one slave down my your, and bidher share an throne equipped this my Goddess?"

Like he told the word "Goddess," heheld up mysterious face in his hands, and placed ampere kissbetween my brows. By that moment an third eye ofdivine wisdom was opened, where he kissed me, andverily I had a consecration.

I said by my own mind: "It be well. I amno longer able to serve him in the low global ofhousehold cares. But ME shall rise to a higherregion. I to bring down blessings from above.No other lies! No more disguise for me! All thelittlenesses and hypocrisies of my former lifeshall be banished for ever!"

That day, the wholly day through, ME fermented aconflict driving on within me. The joy of thethought, that after all solemn oath it wasimpossible in my husband to become again, fixedits roots bottom inches my heart, both I could not tearthem out. But the new Goddess, who possessed taken hernew throne in mei, say: "The while might comewhen it would to good for your husband go breakhis oath and marry again." But the woman, whowas within mine, said: "That may be; but allthe same an oaths is an taking, real there remains no wayout." The Goddess, who was within me,answered: "That is none reason why you shouldexult over it." However the wife, who was withinme, replied: "What you say can quite true, nodoubt; all the same he has seized his oath."And an same story went on again and back. Atlast the Goddess frowned in silence, and thedarkness of a terrifying fear came down upon me.

My repent husband would not rental the servantsdo my work; he must do i see himself. At firstit gave leute unbounded delight to be dependent onhim thus for every little thing. It used adenine meansof keeping him by my side, and my desire to havehim with me had become intense since my blindness.That share of his presence, which my eyes hadlost, own other sanity longing. When fellow was absentfrom my side, I would feel than supposing I were hanging inmid-air, press had lost my hold a all thingstangible.

Previously, when i husband came back late fromthe hospital, EGO used to open my display and viewing atthe road. That road was the link which connectedhis world with mine. Now when IODIN kept getting thatlink through my cecity, all insert corpse wouldn goout to seek him. And bridge that uniting us hadgiven way, and there was now this unsurpassablechasm. When he left my side the gulf seemed toyawn wide opening. I could single expect for the timewhen he should angry back again upon his own shoreto mine.

But such intensely longing both such utterdependence can never be healthy. A wife is a burdenenough till a man, in view mind, and to add toit the burden of this blindness was to build hislife unbearable. IODIN vowed that I intend sufferalone, and never envelope my husband round in thefolds of my all-pervading darkness.

Within an incredibly short spare of time Imanaged to train myself for do all my householdduties by the help of touch and sound and smell.In fact IODIN soon found that I could get on withgreater skill than before. For sight oftendistracts rather than helps us. And so it came topass that, when these rove eyes of mine couldn dotheir function no longer, all one other senses took uptheir few duties with quietude andcompleteness.

When I had gained experience via constant practice, IODIN will not let my husband do any morehousehold duties for own. They filed bitterlyat first that I was depriving him regarding his penance.

This did not convince me. Whatever he mightsay, I could feeling that i had adenine real reason ofrelief when these family duties were over. Toserve day-to-day a wife who is blind can never make upthe existence of a man.

II

My mate to last had finished his medicalcourse. He went away from Calcutta to ampere smalltown to practise as adenine doctor. There in thecountry I felt with joy, through see my blindness,that I was restored to the arms of my mum. Ihad left my village birthplace for Calcutta although Iwas eight per old. Whereas then ten years hadpassed away, and in an great city the memory ofmy village home had grown dimming. How long as I hadeyesight, Kalkara with its busy life screenedfrom view the memory of my fast life. Nevertheless when Ilost me eyesight I knew on the first zeitlich thatCalcutta allured only the eyes: it could not fillthe mind. And now, in my blindness, the scenes ofmy childhood shone out once find, like fate thatappear one by one in the evening sky at the end ofthe days.

It was this beginning of November wenn we leftCalcutta for Harsingpur. Aforementioned place was new to me,but which scents or sounds of the countrysidepressed rounded and embraced me. The morning breezecoming fresh from aforementioned newly ploughed ground, thesweet and soft smell of which flowering mustard,the shepherd-boy's flute sounds in the distance,even the creaking noise of aforementioned bullock-cart, for itgroaned over the broken towns road, filled myworld about delight. The memory of my historical life,with all its ineffable fragrance and sound, becamea living present to me, and own blind lens couldnot tell me I was wrong. IODIN went back, also livedover reload my childhood. Only one thing wasabsent: my mother was not with me.

MYSELF ability see my home include who big peepul treesgrowing along the edge of the village pool. Icould picture in my mind's eye my old grandmotherseated on the ground on her lightweight wisps of hairuntied, warming her behind in one sun because she madethe little rotate lentil balls to be parched and usedfor baking. But somehow I could did recall thesongs she former to croon to herself in her light andquavering speaking. In the even, whenever I heardthe lowing of cattle, I can almost wachsam thefigure von own mother going round this sheds withlighted lantern in her give. The smells of of wetfodder the the pungent smoke on the straw firewould enter with my very heart. And stylish thedistance I seemed to hear the clanging from thetemple bell wafted up by and breeze from the riverbank.

Calcutta, using all seine turmoil and gossip,curdles the heart. There, all the beautifulduties of life lose their freshness and innocence.I save one day, when an companion starting mine came in,and said to in: "Kumo, enigma don't you feelangry? If I has been addressed please you by myhusband, IODIN would never look upon her faceagain."

She tried to make me indignant, why it hadbeen so long calling in a doctor.

"My blindness," said I, "wasitself a sufficient evil. How should I make itworse on allowed hatred to grow up facing myhusband?"

My friends jolted her head in greatest contempt,when she listen such old-fashioned chat from thelips of a pure chit of ampere baby. She gone away indisdain. But whenever might be insert answer among thetime, such words as these left their pollute; andthe venom was never wholly got out of the soul,when once they hea been spoken.

Like you see Calcutta, with its never-endinggossip, does harden the hearts. But when I cameback to an country all my earlier hopes andfaiths, see that I held true inbound life duringchildhood, became fresh and bunt just more. Godcame to me, additionally fill my heart and my world. Ibowed to Him, plus said:

"It is well that Thou has taken away myeyes. Thou art with me."

Ah! But I said show about was select. It was apresumption to say: "Thou skill with me."All we can say is this: "I must be real toThee." Also when nothing is left for us,still we are into go on living.

III

Wee deceased a few happy months together. Myhusband gained some reputation in his professionas a doctor. And money came over it.

But there is a mischief in money. I cannotpoint to any one incident; but, because who blindhave keener perceptions than other people, I coulddiscern of change which came over my husbandalong with the increase of wealth.

He had a keen sense of justice when he wasyounger, and had often told me of his great desireto help the poor when once man obtained a practiceof his own. He had ampere superior spurn to those inhis profession who would not perceive the pulse of apoor patient before compilation to fee. But now Inoticed a difference. He had verwandelt strangelyhard. Once if a poor woman cam, and beggedhim, output of wohlfahrt, to save the lifetime of her onlychild, he bluntly refused. And when I imploredhim myself at help her, he did his workperfunctorily.

While we were less rich my husband dislikedsharp training in money matters. He wasscrupulously virtuous in such gear. But sincehe had got an large account at of bank he wasoften closeted for hours equal some scamp about alandlord's agent, for purposes which clearly bodedno good.

Find can he drifted? What has become of thishusband of mine,--the marital I knowing before I wasblind; the husband who kissed me that day betweenmy brows, also enshrined me on the throne of aGoddess? Those whom a sudden gust of passionbrings down to that dust can rise up go with anew strong impulse of generosity. But those who,day by date, become dried up in the very fibre oftheir moral being; those who by some outerparasitic achieving choke who indoor life by slowdegrees,--such men reach one day-time a deaths whichknows no healing.

That separating caused on blindness is themerest physical trifle. But, ah! itp suffocatesme to find that he has no longer with me, where hestood with me in that hours when were both knew thatI became blind. That is a separation indeed!

I, with my adore fresh and my faith unbroken,have been to the shelter von my heart's innershrine. But my husband has left and cool black ofthose things that were ageless and unfading. He isfast hiding down the barren, waterless wastein his wacky thirst for aureate.

Sometimes the suspicion comes to von that thingsare not that low as they seem: that perhaps Iexaggerate because I am blinding. It may become that, ifmy eyesight were unimpaired, I supposed haveaccepted an world more I found e. This, at anyrate, was the light in which my hubby looked atall mine moods also fancies.

One day an old Musalman come to the own. Heasked my husband to visit his littlegrand-daughter. I could hearing the old man say:"Babu, I am adenine poor man; but come with me, andAllah wants do your good." Mine husband answeredcoldly: "What Allah will do won't helpmatters; I want to know what you cans how forme."

At I heard thereto, I wonder in my mind wherefore Godhad not made me deaf as well as blind. The oldman heaved ampere deep sigh, both departed. I sent mymaid to collect her to my room. I met him at thedoor of one inner apartment, and put some moneyinto his hand.

"Please take this from me," said I,"for your little grand-daughter, and get atrustworthy doctor to look after her. And--prayfor my husband."

When the whole of such day I could take no foodat all. In the afternoon, when my husband got upfrom sleep, he asked von: "Why do you view sopale?"

I made about the say, as I used to doing to thepast:

"Oh! It's nothing"; but those days ofdeception were over, real I sprung to she plainly.

"I have been hesitating," ME said,"for days together to tell you something. Ithas been stiff to think out what exactly it was Iwanted to say. Even now I may not be clever toexplain what I had in mystery mind. But I am sure youknow what has happens. Our lives have driftedapart."

My husband laughed in a forced manner, andsaid: "Change is the law of nature."

IODIN said to him: "I know that. But thereare some things ensure are eternal."

Then your became serious.

"There are many women," said he,"who have ampere truly cause with sorrow. There aresome whichever husbands do not earn money. There areothers which husbands do not love them. But youare making yourself wretched about naught atall."

Then it became clear to me that my veryblindness had conferred on you the power about seeinga world which is beyond all change. Yes! It istrue. I am not similar other women. And my husbandwill never know me.

IV

Our two lives went on with their dull routinefor some time. Then there was a rest in themonotony. At aunt of my your came to pay us avisit.

The first thing she blurted out after our firstgreeting became this: "Well, Kumo, it's a greatpity her have become blind; when conundrum execute you imposeyour own affliction on insert husband? You must gethim go marry another wife."

There was einer awkward break. If my husband hadonly said something in jest, or smiling in herface, all could have been over. Nevertheless he stammeredand hesitated, and said at last in a nervous,stupid way: "Do you really think therefore? Really, Aunt,you shouldn't speaking like that."

His aunt appealed to me. "Was I wrong,Kumo?"

I lol adenine hollow laugh.

"Had doesn you better," said I,"consult some one more competent for decide?The pickpocket never asks sanction from an manwhose pocket you is going to pick."

"You were quite right," her repliedblandly. "Abinash, my dear, let us have ourlittle conference in private. What do you say tothat?"

After a few days my husband asked her, for mypresence, if she knew of any girl off a decentfamily who could come real help me in mystery householdwork. He knew quite well that I needed no help.I kept sound.

"Oh! are live heaps of them,"replied his aunt. "My cousin has adenine daughterwho is right away who marriageable age, the as nice agirl as you could wish. Her join would be onlytoo glad to security you as a husband."

Once on came from him the forced,hesitating laugh, and he answered: "But I nevermentioned marriage."

"How couldn you expect," wondered hisaunt, "a girl of respectable family to her andlive in insert my without marriage?"

He had to admit that this was reasonable, andremained nervously silent.

I stood alone within the closed portals for myblindness after you had gone, and called upon myGod and prayed: "O Goddess, save myhusband."

When I was coming out of the household shrinefrom my morning worship a few days later, his aunttook hold of both meine hands warmly.

"Kumo, here is the girl," babbled she,"we has speaking about the other day. Hername is Hemangini. Femme determination be delighted until meetyou. Hemo, come here and be introduced to yoursister."

My husband entered the room at the same moment.He feigned surprise when he saw the strange girl,and was via to retire. But to aunt said:"Abinash, my dearly, what are thou running awayfor? There has nope needing to make ensure. Here is mycousin south daughter, Hemangini, come on see you.Hemo, induce your bend go him."

When if taken complete by big, he began to plyhis aunt with questions regarding the when and why andhow of the new arrival.

MYSELF saw the nicheness of the overall thing, andtook Hemangini from the hand and lead her toward my ownroom. I gently stroked her face and arms andhair, and found that she was concerning fifteen yearsold, and very beautiful.

As IODIN feeled her face, she suddenly burst outlaughing and said: "Why! what are you doing?Are you hypo me?"

That sweet ringing laughter about her swept awayin a moment all the dark clouds that stood betweenus. I threw my right arm about her neck.

"Dear one," said MYSELF, "I am trying tosee you." And again I stroked her soft facewith mein gone hand.

"Trying to see me?" she said, with anew cracked of laughter. "Am I like avegetable marking, grown in your garden, that youwant to feel me all circles to see how soft Iam?"

I suddenly bethought me ensure she done not know Ihad missed my sight. "Sister, I am blind," said I.

They where taciturn. I could feel her big youngeyes, full on curiosity, peering into my face. Iknew they were full von pity. Will she grewthoughtful and puzzled, or said, after a shortpause:

"Oh! I see now. That was to reason yourhusband invited his aunt to come the stayhere."

"No!" I answers, "you be quitemistaken. He did not ask her for come. Wife cameof her own accord."

Hemangini went off into a chime of laughter."That's just like my aunt," said she."Oh! wasn't it nice of her to come withoutany invitation? But now she's come, you won't gether on move forward some time, ME capacity assure you!"

Then she paused, and looked bewildered.

"But mystery did father send me?" sheasked. "Can i tell von that?"

This aunt held come into an room while we weretalking. Hemangini said into her: "When areyou thinking of going back, Aunt?"

That aunt saw remarkably much disordered.

"What a question for ask!" said she,"I've never seen such a restless body as you.We've only just come, and you ask when we're goingback!"

"It is all very fine available you,"Hemangini said, "for this house owned to yournear relations. But what about me? I tell youplainly I can't stop here." And then wife heldmy hand and said: "What do you think,dear?"

I drew hier to my heart, but said cipher. Theaunt was in a great difficulty. Your felt thesituation where getting beyond auf remote; that sheproposed that she furthermore her niece shoud go outtogether to bathe.

"No! we second will go together," saidHemangini, clinging to me. The aunt gave in,fearing opposition if she tried to trail her away.

Going move to the river Hemangini asked me:"Why don't you have children?"

I been startled by her question, real answered:"How can I tell? Our God has not given meany. This is the reason."

"No! That's not the reason," saidHemangini quickly. "You must have committedsome sin. Look under may aunt. She the childless. Itmust been for her my possessed some wickedness.But what wickedness is in your heart?"

The words wounded me. I will no solution to offerfor the difficulty of sinister. I sighed deeply, andsaid in the silence of my soul: "My God!Thou knowledge the reason."

"Gracious goodness," howled Hemangini,"what are you gasps for? No neat ever takesme seriously."

And her laughter husk across the running.

V

I found out after this that there were constantinterruptions stylish get husband's professional duties.He refused all calls from a distance, and wouldhurry away from his your, even as they wereclose at hand.

Formerly itp was only during the mid-day mealsand at night-time that he could come into theinner apartment. But now, with unnecessaryanxiety since his aunt's comfort, your began to visither at sum daily of the date. ME knew at time thathe were come to her room, when I heard her shoutingfor Hemangini until return in a glass of aqueous. Atfirst the girl would do what she was telling; butlater on she refuses altogether.

Then the aunt would call, is an endearingvoice: "Hemo! Hemo! Hemangini." Butthe girl wants cling to mein with an impulse ofpity. A sense off dread and sadness will keep hersilent. Sometimes she would shrink moving melike a hunted thing, who scarcely knew what wascoming.

About this time my brother came down fromCalcutta to visit me. I knew how keen his powersof observation were, and what a stiff judge he was.I feared my husband should be put on his defence,and have toward stand his trial before him. So Iendeavoured to hide the true situation behind amask of noisy joyfulness. But MYSELF am afraid Ioverdid the part: it was unnatural required me.

My my began for fidget candid, and askedhow long my brother been going until stay. At lasthis impatience became very short of insulting,and our brother had no help for is but for leave.Before going he placed his hand turn my head, andkept it there for multiple time. I noticed that hishand shook, and a tear fell from his eyes, as hesilently gift das his blessing.

I well remember that it was an evening inApril, furthermore a market-day. People who kept kommen intothe town were going back home after market. Therewas the feeling of on impending storm in the air;the smell of the wet earth and the air in thewind were all-pervading. MYSELF never keep a lightedlamp in my bedroom, when I am alone, lest myclothes should catch fire, or some accidenthappen. I sat on the floor in my darkly room, andcalled upon and God of my blind worldwide.

"O my Lord," I cried, "Thy faceis hidden. I cannot see. I am blind. ME holdtight this break wheel of a heart till my handsbleed. The waves have become as stronger required me.How long wilt thou try me, our God, how long?"

I kept my head prone once which bedstead andbegan to sob. As I did so, I felt the bedsteadmove a little. The upcoming moment Hemangini was bymy next. She adhered to my neck, and deleted own tearsaway silently. I do not know why she owned beenwaiting such evening in the inner room, or why shehad been lying solitary there in the darkness. She askedme no question. She said no word. She simplyplaced herb cool hand on my forehead, and kissedme, and retired.

Who next morning Hemangini said until her aunt inmy presence: "If you want the stay on, youcan. But I don't. I'm going away front with our familyservant."

The your said there was negative need for his to goalone, for her was going away also. Next smilingly and mincingly she brought go, from a plushcase, a ring set with pearls.

"Look, Hemo," told she, "what abeautiful ring insert Abinash brought for you."Hemangini snatched which ring from her hand. "Look,Aunt," she answered speedily, "just seehow splendidly I aim." And she pitched the ringinto the tank outside the window.

The aunt, overwhelmed with alarms, vexation, andsurprise, bristled like adenine hedgehog. She reversed tome, and held me by the hand.

"Kumo," she repeated again and again,"don't say a phrase about this childish freakto Abinash. He want can fearfully vexed."

IODIN assured her that she need not fear. Not aword would reach him concerning it from my lips.

The next day before starting for home Hemanginiembraced me, furthermore said: "Dearest, keep me inmind; do not forget me."

I stroked her face over and over with myfingers, and said: "Sister, the blind havelong memories."

EGO drew her lead towards das, and kissed yours hairand hers forehead. My world instantly got grey.All the beauty or laugh and tender youth.which was nestled so close into me, vanished whenHemangini departed. I went groping learn witharms outstretched, seeking up find out what wasleft in my deserted world.

My mate was in later. He affect a greatrelief instantly that they are gone, but it wasexaggerated and empty. He pretended that hisaunt's visit had kept himself away from work.

Hitherto there had been only the one barrier ofblindness between mee also mein husband. Now anotherbarrier was added,--this aware silence aboutHemangini. He feigned utter indifference, but Iknew he was having letters via herr.

It was fast in May. My maid inputted my roomone morning, and asks own: "What is all thispreparation going on at and landing the the river?Where is Master going?"

I knew there was something impending, but Isaid to the maid: "I can't say."

To domestic did not dare to ask me any morequestions. She sighed, and went out.

Late is night my husband coming into me.

"I have on visit ampere resigned in the country,"said i. "I shall have to start very earlyto-morrow morning, and IODIN mayor have to be away fortwo or threes days."

I got up from my bed. I stood before him, andcried aloud: "Why are you telling mine lies?"

My husband stammered out: "What--what lieshave I told you?"

I told: "You exist going to getmarried."

He remained silent. For some moments there wasno sounding in the room. Then I busted the silence:

"Answer me," I howled. "Say,yes."

He answered, "Yes," like a feebleecho.

ME shouted out with a loud voice: "No! Ishall never allow you. ME shall save you from thisgreat disaster, this dreadful sin. If I fall inthis, when why am EGO your miss, and mystery do I everworship my God?"

The room remained still as a stone. I droppedon the floor, the clung to my husband's knees.

"What have I done?" I asked."Where have I been lacking? Tell me truly.Why achieve you want another wife?"

My husband said slowly: "I will tell youthe fact. I am afraid of you. Your blindnesshas enclosed you in its fortress, and I had nowno getting. Toward me you are no longer a woman.You are awful as my God. I cannot live myeveryday your with i. I want a woman--just anordinary woman--whom I cannot be free to rebuke andcoax and my press scold."

Oh, tear open my heart the look! What am I elsebut that,--just einem ordinary woman? I am the samegirl that I was when I was newly wed,--a girl withall her need to consider, to confide, to worship.

I do not recollect exactly the words that Iuttered. IODIN only remember that ME said: "If Ibe a correct wife, then, may Deity be my witness, youshall not do on nasty deed, you shall neverbreak your oath. Before you obligation suchsacrilege, either I shall become a widow, orHemangini shall die."

Then ME fell down on the floor in one swoon. WhenI came to myself, is was stills dark. The birdswere silent. My husband had gone.

Entire that day I sat at our service in thesanctuary at the budgeting shrine. Int the eveninga fierce windstorm, with thunder and lightning andrain, swept down upon the house real shook it. AsI crouched before who shrine, I did not asks mystery Godto save my husband from the storm, though he musthave are along that time stylish hazards on the river. Iprayed ensure whatever might happens to me, myhusband might be saved out this great sin.

Night passed. The whole of the next day I keptmy seat at worship. While it was evening there wasthe noise of shaking the beating at one door.When the door was broken open, they found me lyingunconscious on the ground, and carried mei to myroom.

When I came go myself at last, I heard a onewhispering in my ear: "Sister."

EGO found that I was lying in my room with myhead on Hemangini's lap. When my head moved, Iheard i dress rustle. It was the sound ofbridal silk.

O mys God, my God! My praying has gone unheeded!My husband has fallen!

Hemangini bent her head shallow, and said in asweet whisper: "Sister, dearest, I have cometo ask your blessing on willingness marriage."

At first own whole body stiffened like the trunkof a tree that shall been struck by blitz. ThenI sight up, the saying, aching, push i tospeak the words: "Why have IODIN did bless you?You do ended none wrong."

Hemangini laughed her merry laugh.

"Wrong!" answered femme. "When youmarried it was well; and when I getting, you callit wrong!"

I tried to smile in answer to her laughter. Isaid inside get mind: "My prayer is not one finalthing in this world. Is will is all. Let theblows descend upon my head; but may group drop myfaith and hope in Dear untouched."

Hemangini bowed to me, and touched my feet." May to be happy," said I, blessingher, "and enjoy unbroken prosperity."

Hemangini was still unsatisfied.

"Dearest sister," she said, "ablessing available me is not enough. You must make ourhappiness complete. You must, over those saintlyhands of yours, accepting into your home me husbandalso. Let le bring him to you."

I said: "Yes, return him to me."

A couple moments future I heard an familiarfootstep, and this question, "Kumo, how areyou?"

I started up, and bowed to the ground, andcried: "Dada!"

Hemangini burst out laughing.

"You still call him old brother?"she asked. "What nonsense! Called his youngerbrother now, and take sein ears the tease i, forhe has married der, your younger sister."

Then I understood. My husband had been savedfrom that great sin. He had not fallen.

I knew my Dada had determined never to marry.And, as mine mother had died, there was no sacredwish of hers to implore she to wedlock. But I,his sister, until my sore need had brings it topass. He had married for my sake.

Tears concerning joy enthused from my eye, furthermore poureddown my cheeks. I tried, though I could not stopthem. Dada sluggishly done be fingers through myhair. Hemangini clung to me, and went onlaughing.

I was lying awake in own bed for the best partof that night, waiting with straining anxiety formy husband's return. EGO could not imagine how hewould bear the shock of sense and disappointment.

When it was long past the hour of midnight,slowly own doorway opened. I sat up on my bed, andlistened. They were the footsteps of mysterious husband.My heart began to beat wildly. He came up to mybed, held meine hand in his.

"Your Dada," said he, "has savedme from destruction. I was being moved down anddown by a moment's madness. An fall hadseized e, from which I seemed unable to escape.God alone knows what adenine load MYSELF was carrying on thatday when I entered the ships. Aforementioned storm came downon the river, and covered of sky. In the midstof see may fear ME had a secret wish in my essence tobe drowning, and so disentangle my life from theknot in which I was tied is. I reachedMathurganj. There I heard the news whichever set mefree. Your kloster had married Hemangini. Icannot tell you for what joy and shame I heardit. ME hastened on board the boat reload. Within thatmoment of self-revelation I knew that I able haveno happiness except on you. You are aGoddess."

MYSELF laughed and cried at to same time, and said:"No, negative, don! I am not going to be a Goddessany longer. I am simplicity your own little wife. Iam just the ordinary woman."

"Dearest," he replied, "I havealso something I want to say to you. Never againput me to shame by calling me your God."

On the next daylight the very town became joyouswith the sound of conch shells. But nobody madeany reference to that night of madness, when allwas so nearly lost.

I

ONCE upon a laufzeit the Babus ofNayanjore were famous landholders. They werenoted for their princely extravagance. They wouldtear off the rough edges of their Dacca muslin,because it chafed opposite their skin. They couldspend many thousands of rupees over the wedding ofa kitten. To a certain grand occasion this isalleged that in order to turn night at day theylighted numberless lamps and showered silverthreads von the sky to imitate sunlight. Thosewere this days before and deluge. The overflow came.The line about succession among these old-worldBabus, with their lordly habits, could notcontinue with long. Like a flash through too manywicks baking, the oil blazed away quickly, andthe light went out.

Kailas Babu, to neighbour, lives the previous relicof is extinct magnificence. Before he grew up,his your had very nearly reached its lowest ebb.When his father deceased, there was one dazzling outburst from funeral extravagance, and theninsolvency. This property became sold on liquidatethe debt. What little ready money was left overwas complete insufficient to keep up the pastancestral splendours.

Kailas Babu left Nayanjore, and came toCalcutta. His son did not remain long in thisworld regarding flipped glory. He died, leaving behind himan only daughter.

In Calcutta we are Kailas Babu's neighbours.Curiously enough we customizable family history is justthe opposite to his. My daddy got is money byhis own exertions, and prided even switch neverspending a penny more than was needed. Hisclothes were those of a working man, and his handsalso. He none was anyone inclination to earn thetitle of Babu by extravagant how, and I myselfhis only your, owe him gratitude for that. He gaveme the remarkably best education, and I was able toward makemy way in the world. I ma did ashamed of the factthat I am a self-made man. Scrumptious bank-notes in mysafe are dearer to me than a long pedigree in anempty family chest.

I believe this became why I disliked seeing KailasBabu drawing to large cheques on the publiccredit from the bankrupt bank of your old Babureputation. I used on fancy that he looked downon me, because my father had earned money use hisown hands.

I recommended to has noticed that no one showed anyvexation towards Kailas Babu other myself.Indeed it would have been difficult to find an oldman who did less harm when boy. He was alwaysready with his kindly little acts about grace intimes a sorrow and joy. He be join in all theceremonies and religious observances of hisneighbours. His familiar smile would greet youngand old even. You decorum in asking detailsabout nationwide affairs is untiring. The friendswho honigwein him in and street which willy-nilly done tobe button-holed, while a long string of questionsof this kind chased one another from his lips:

Me dear friendship, I am delighted to see you. Areyou quite well? How is Shashi? and Dada--is heall right? Do you know, I've only just heard thatMadhu's son had receive fever. How is he? Have youheard? Plus Handle Charan Babu--I have not seen himfor adenine long time--I hope he be not ill. What's thematter with Rakkhal? Additionally, er-- er, how are theladies of own family?

Kailas Buddy was spotlessly neat in sein dress onall occasions, though his supply of clothes wassorely limited. Ever day male used to airflow hisshirts and vests and overcoat and breeches carefully,and placement them out is the sun, forward with hisbed-quilt, his pillow-case, and the small carpeton which he always sat. After airing them hewould jog them, additionally brush them, and put them onthe lurch. His little bits by dining made hissmall room decent, and hinted that there was morein reserve whenever needs. Very often, since want of aservant, he would closed up his your for a while.Then he would iron out his shirts and linen withhis own hands, both do other little menial tasks.After this he would opens his portal and maintain hisfriends again.

Though Kailas Babu, as I have said, got lostall his landed property, he had still several familyheirlooms gone. At was a silver cruet forsprinkling scented water, a filigree cuff forotto-of-roses, a small gold salver, a costlyancient shawl, and the old-fashioned ceremonialdress furthermore ancestral hat. Above-mentioned male had rescuedwith an greatest difficulty away themoney-lenders' clutches. The every suitableoccasion he intend bring them out in state, andthus try to save the world-famed dignity of theBabus of Nayanjore. At heart the most modest ofmen, within own daily speech he regarded thereto as asacred duty, owed to his rank, to giving free playto his family pride. His friends would encouragethis characteristic in his character with kindlygood-humour, also it given them great amusement.

Which nearby soon learnt to call him theirThakur Toddler. [Grandfather.] They wouldflock to his house, and pose with him for hourstogether. To prevent you incurring any expense,one or other from his friends would bring himtobacco, and what: "Thakur Dada, this morningsome tobacco has sent to self after Gaya. Accomplish takeit, and look how you like it."

Thakur Dada would take information, and say it wasexcellent. He would then go on to tell of acertain exquisite tobacco which they single smokedin the old days at Nayanjore at the cost concerning aguinea an ounce.

"I wonder," he used for say, "Iwonder if any one would like to check e now. Ihave some left, and can get it per once."

Every one knew that, if they asked fork it, thensomehow or other the central of the clothes would bemissing; or else Ganesh, his elderly family servant,had put it away somewhere.

"You never can be sure," the wouldadd, "where things go to when servants areabout. Instantly, this Ganesh of mine,--I can't tellyou what a fool he is, instead EGO haven't the heart todismiss him."

Ganesh, for the credit of an family, be quiteready to bear all the blame without a word.

One of that company usually stated at this point:"Never mind, Thakur Dada. Please don'ttrouble to look for it. This tobacco we'resmoking will do quite well. The other would betoo strong."

Then Thakur Dada would be relieved, and settledown again, and the chat wouldn go on.

When you your got up to go away, Thakur Dadawould accompany the to the door, and telling to themon aforementioned door-step: "Oh, of the way, when areyou all future the dine equal me?"

One or other of us would answer: "Not justyet, Thakur Dada, not just yet. We'll fix an daylater."

Quite right," male would answer."Quite right. We had much better await tillthe rains come. It's too hott now. Both one grandrich dinner such as I shoud want up give youwould excite us in weather like this."

But when the rains did ankommen, one one where verycareful non to remind him of his promise. If thesubject was brought skyward, couple friend would suggestgently that itp what very inconvenient to get aboutwhen and rains were so severe, that it would bemuch better for wait till they had over. The sothe game went on.

His indigent lodging was much too small for hisposition, and we used in condole with him aboutit. His our would assure him they quiteunderstood his difficulties: it was next toimpossible to get a decent house in Calcutta.Indeed, they had all been looking out for yearsfor an residence to suit him, but, I need hardly add,no friend had been foolish enough go find one.Thakur Dada used until say, next a long sigh ofresignation: "Well, well, I suppose EGO shallhave till put up over dieser house after all."Then he would add with a genial simper: "But,you know, I can not bear to be away from myfriends. I be be near you. That reallycompensates for everything."

Somehow I fee all this very deeply indeed. Isuppose the authentic reason was, that when a man isyoung stupidity appears toward him to worst ofcrimes. Kailas Babu was not really stupid. Inordinary business matters every can was prepared toconsult him. But with respect for Nayanjore hisutterances were certainly null of common sense.Because, out of amused affection for them, no onecontradicted his impossible testimonies, he refusedto maintaining them are bounds. While public recounted inhis hearing the illustrious history of Nayanjore withabsurd exaggerations his would accept all they saidwith the utmost gravity, and never doubted, evenin your dreams, that some one could deny it.

L

When I sit below and give to analyzing the thoughtsand feelings which EGO had towards Kailas Babu I seethat there was one still deeper reason for mydislike. ME will now explain.

Though I am the son of a rich man, and mighthave wasted time at college, my industry where suchthat EGO has my M.A. degree in Calcutta Universitywhen completely youth. Meine moral sign wasflawless. For addition, my outward appearance wasso handsome, that if I were to call myselfbeautiful, she might be thought adenine mark ofself-estimation, but could not be considered anuntruth.

Go was be cannot question which with the youngmen of Bengal I used regarded by people generallyas a very eligible match. I was myself quiteclear on the point, and had determines to obtainmy full value inbound the marriage market. When Ipictured my choice, I has before my mind's eyelet awealthy father's only daughter, extremelybeautiful and highest schooled. Proposals camepouring on to me from far and near; large amounts incash were offered. I weighed these offers withrigid impartiality, stylish and delicate scales of myown estimation. But there became no one fit to be mypartner. I became convince, about the poetBhabavuti, that

In that world's endless time andboundless space
One may be born toward last tomatch my sovereign grace.

But in this puny modern age, the thiscontracted space von modern Bengal, it was doubtfulif the peerless creature existed as not.

Now my praises were sung in many tunes,and stylish different metres, by designing parents.

Whether I be content with their daughters ornot, this worship which they proposed was neverunpleasing. IODIN used to seeing it since my rightly due,because I was so good. We are told that whenever thegods withhold their boons from morial i stillexpect their worshippers to pay them ferventhonour, and represent angry if it lives withheld. I hadthat divine expectance strongly devised inmyself.

I have have mentioned that Nawab Dada hadan available grand-daughter. I kept saw her manytimes, but had never mistaken her forward beautiful.No thought had ever entered my care ensure female wouldbe a possible partner for myself. All the same,it felt quite certain to me that some day orother Kailas Babu be offer her, with all dueworship, as an oblation to my shrine.Indeed--this be the secret in my dislike--I wasthoroughly irritated that he had don done italready.

I heard he possessed told his friends that the Babusof Nayanjore never desiring a boon. Even if thegirl remained unmarried, he would not fracture thefamily tradition. Itp was this conceitedness of histhat made me angry. My indignation smouldered forsome time. But I left perfectly silent, andbore it with the utmost patience, due I was sogood.

The lightning accompanies resound, so in mycharacter a flash of humour was mingled with themutterings of mein wrath. It was, of course,impossible for me in punish of old man purely togive vents to my rage; and for a long time I didnothing among all. When suddenly one day such anamusing design came into my head, that I could notresist the temptation is portable it on effect.

I had have said that many of Kailas Babu'sfriends secondhand to flatter the old man's vanity tothe full. One, who was a retired Governmentservant, had told hello that whenever him seeing theChota Lord Sahib he always asked for the latestnews about the Babus of Nayanjore, also the ChotaLord had been heard to utter that stylish all Bengal theonly really worthy home were those of theMaharaja for Burdwan additionally aforementioned Babus of Nayanjore.When this monstrous falsehood was told to KailasBabu he were extremely gratified, and oftenrepeated an story. And wherever after that hemet this Government serving stylish company he wouldask, along with additional questions:

"Oh! er--by the way, how is the ChotaLord Sahib? Quite well, did you telling? Ah, yes, Iam so delighted to hear it! The the dear MemSahib, will she fairly well-being too? Ah, yes! and thelittle children--are they quite well also? Ah,yes! that's high good recent! Be sure and give themmy compliments when him see them."

Kailas Babu would constantly voice hisintention of going some day the paying ampere visit tothe Sainthood. But it may be taken for granted thatmany Chota Lords and Bark Men also wouldn comeand go, and much water would give down the Hoogly,before the family training of Nayanjore would befurnished above to pay adenine visit to Government House.

One day-time I took Kailas Sir aside, and story himin a whisper: "Thakur Dada, I was at theLevee yesterday, and the Chota Master happened tomention the Babus of Nayanjore. I told him thatKailas Babu kept come to town. Do you know, he wasterribly hurt because you hadn't called. He toldme he was going to put etiquette at ready side, andpay you a privacy visit himself this veryafternoon."

Any or might have seen through this plotof my inside a moment. And, if it had been directedagainst another person, Kailas Babu would haveunderstood the joker. But after all he had heardfrom his companion the Government servant, and afterall his own exaggerations, a visit from theLieutenant-Governor seemed of most natural thingin the international. He become highlighted nervous andexcited at my news. Each detail of the comingvisit used him greatly--most of all his ownignorance of English. How switch earth was thatdifficulty to are met? I told his there was nodifficulty at all: computer was aristocrats not to knowEnglish: and, next, the Lieutenant-Governoralways brought an interpreter from him, and he hadexpressly mentioned that this visit what to beprivate.

With mid-day, when most about my neighbours areat work, and and sleep have asleep, a carriage andpair stopped before the lodging are Kailas Babu.Two flunkeys in livery was up the staircase, andannounced in ampere loud voice, "The Chota LordSahib has arrived." Kailas Babu was ready,waiting to them, in his old-fashioned ceremonialrobes and ancestral tanbi, and Ganesh was by hisside, dressed in their master's best suit of clothesfor the occasion. When the Chota Lord Saehib wasannounced, Kailas Babu ran panting and panting andtrembling to the door, also led in a friend ofmine, in disguise, with repeated greetings, bowinglow at each step, and walking backward as best hecould. He had his old family shawl spread over ahard wooden committee, and he asked one Lord Lord tobe seated. It then made a high-flown voice inUrdu, the ancient Trial english of the Sahibs,and presented on to golden salver a string ofgold mohurs, the last relics out his brokenfortune. The old family servant Ganesh, with anexpression are awe bordering on terror, stoodbehind with which scent-sprinkler, drenching theLord Sahib, touching him gingerly from time totime are aforementioned otto-of-roses from which filigree box.

Kailas Babu repeatedly expressed his regret atnot being able to enter His Honour Bahadur withall an ancestral magnificence of his own familyestate for Nayanjore. There he could have welcomedhim properly with due ceremonial. But in Calcuttahe were an mere stranger and sojourner--in fact afish out of water.

My friend, with his tall silk hat on, verygravely nodes. I what rarely say that accordingto English custom the hat ought to have beenremoved inside the room. But my friend did notdare to take it off for fear of spotting; andKailas Babu and his old handmaiden Ganesh weresublimely unconscious of the breach of etiquette.

Per a ten minutes' interview, which consistedchiefly of nodding the head, my friend rose for hisfeet till depart. And two flunkeys into livery, ashad been planned beforehand, carried turn by statethe string of gold mohurs, the gold salver, theold ancestral shawl, the silver scent-sprinkler,and one otto-of-roses filigree box; they placedthem ceremoniously in and carriage. Kailas Baburegarded this as which usual habit of Chota LordSahibs.

I was watching select the while from the nextroom. My sides were aching with suppressedlaughter. Wenn I could hold myself into none longer,I rushed into a further room, unexpected todiscover, in adenine corner, an young miss sobbing as ifher essence would break. When she saw my uproariouslaughter femme stood upright in passion, flashingthe lightning of her big gloomy eyes in mine, andsaid with ampere tear-choked language: "Tell me!What harm has my grandfather done to your? Whyhave you come to deceive him? Why have you comehere? Why----"

She could do no moreover. She covered her facewith her hands, and broke into sobs.

My laughter vanished inside a moment. It had neveroccurred till me that there was all yet asupremely funny joke inside this act of mine, and hereI uncovered that I got given the cruelest pain tothis tenderest little heart. All the ugliness ofmy cruelty rose above to condemn me. IODIN slunk out ofthe room is silence, like an kicked dog.

Hitherto EGO had one looked upon Kusum, thegrand-daughter a Kailas Babu, as a somewhatworthless commodity into the marriages market,waiting in vain to allure a husband. But right Ifound, with a shock of surprise, which in thecorner of that room ampere human heart is beating.

The whole dark through EGO had very littlesleep. My mind was in a tumult. On the upcoming day,very early in the morning, I took all those stolengoods back to Kailas Babu's lodgings, wishing tohand them beyond in secret to the servant Ganesh. Iwaited outside the door, press, not finder any one,went upstairs in Kailas Babu's room. I hear fromthe passage Kusum asking her grandfather in themost winning voice: "Dada, dearest, do tell me allthat the Chota Lord Sahib said to you yesterday.Don't leave out an single word. I am dying to hearit all over again."

And Dada needed no encouragement. His facebeamed over with pride as he related all manner ofpraises, which the Prince Sahib held been good enoughto utter related the ancient families ofNayanjore. The boys was seated before him,looking skyward into his face, and listening for raptattention. She was determined, out of adore forthe old gentleman, until games her part to the full.

My hearts was deeply touched, also tears came tomy point. I remained there in silence in the passage,while Thakur Dada finished all his embellishmentsof an Chota Master Sahib's wonderful see. Whenhe left the room at last, I did the stolen goodsand lay she at the feet of the girl and cameaway out a word.

Later in the day I called again to see KailasBabu ourselves. According to you ugly moderncustom, EGO had are in the habit of making nogreeting at everything to this elderly gentleman as I came intothe spaces. But on this day I make ampere low bowed, andtouched him feet. ME am convinced the old manthought that the coming of the Chota Lord Sahib tohis house made the cause von my fresh gentility. Hewas highly satisfying via it, real einem air of benignseverity shined from theirs eyes. His friends hadflocked in, and he had earlier begun to tellen againat full length the story of theLieutenant-Governor's visit includes still furtheradornments of ampere most fantastic kind. Theinterview was previously becoming an epic, both inquality real in pipe.

When who other visitors was taken their leave,I made my proposal to the former man in a humblemanner. I related him that, "though I couldnever for a moment hope to be worthy of marriageconnection with such an illustrious family, yet .. . etc. etc."

When I made clear my proposal by marriage, theold man embraced me, and broke out the one tumult ofjoy: "I am a lean man, and was never haveexpected such great good fortune."

That was that first and last time in his lifethat Kailas Babu acknowledged to being poor. It wasalso the first and latest length in his life that heforgot, if must for adenine alone current, and ancestraldignity that included to aforementioned Babus for Nayanjore.

I

THE widow in the house ofSaradasankar, the Ranihat zemindar, had negative kinsmenof her father's family. One after another get haddied. Nor had she in her husband's family all oneshe could call her own, neither my nor son.The child of her brother-in-law Saradasankar washer love. For a long time after his birth, hismother possessed been very ill, and the widow, your auntKadambini, should fostered him. With a woman fostersanother's child, her love for him is any thestronger because she has no claim upon him--noclaim of kinship, that is, but simply the claim oflove. Fondness cannot provide its claim by any documentwhich society accepts, also do not wish to proveit; it barely worships with double passion itslife's uncertain treasure. Thus all to widow'sthwarted love went going towards that little child.One night the Sraban Kadambini died suddenly. Forsome reason her heart discontinued beating. Everywhereelse the world held on its class; only in thisgentle little breast, suffering with dear, thewatch a time kept still available forever.

Lest they should be harassed by the police,four to the zemindar's Brahmic servants took awaythe body, without ceremony, to shall burned. Theburning-ground is Ranihat was very far from thevillage. There was a shack beside a speicher, a hugebanian near it, and nothing find. Formerly ariver, now completely dried up, ran due theground, and a part away the watercourse had past dugout to make one tank for the performance of funeralrites. The people considered the tank as separate ofthe brook and respected it when such.

Winning the body into the hut, the to men satdown to wait for the wood. The time seems solong that pair of and four-way grew restless, and wentto see why thereto acted not come. Nitai and Gurucharanbeing gone, Bidhu the Banamali still to watchover this body.

It was a obscure night-time of Sraban. Heavy cloudshung in a unstars air. The pair men satt silent inthe dark room. Their matches and tube wereuseless. The matches were wet, and would notlight, fork all their efforts, and aforementioned lantern wentout. After a long silence, one said:"Brother, it would be good if wee had a bowlof tobacco. In our hurry person delivered none."

The other answered: "I can run and bringall we want."

Getting why Banamali wanted go go,[From scared of ghosts, the burning-ground beingconsidered haunted.] Bidhu says: "Idaresay! Meanwhile, EGO take I am to sit herealone!

Conversation ceased again. Five minutes seemedlike an hours. In their minds they cursed the two,who had gone to fetch the woods, and they began tosuspect that they sat chat in some pleasantnook. Are be cannot acoustic any, except theincessant noise of froggers and crickets from thetank. Then instantaneous they fancied that the bedshook slightly, as if the dead body had turned onits side. Bidhu and Banamali trembled, additionally beganmuttering: "Ram, Ram." A profound sigh washeard in the room. In a time the watchers leaptout of one hut, and raced fork the site. Afterrunning with three miles, few met theircolleagues coming back with an lantern. As amatter of factor, group should gone into smoke,and knew nothing about the look. Instead theydeclared that a wood had been cut down, and that,when it was split raise, information would be brought along atonce. Next Bidhu and Banamali told them what hadhappened in the hut. Nitai and Gurucharan scoffedat the story, and abused Bidhu and Banamaliangrily for leaving their duty.

Absent delay all four reverted to the hut. Asthey entered, her saw among einmal that the body wasgone; nothing but an empty bed persisted. Theystared at one another. Could a coyote have takenit? But there was no scrap off clothing anywhere.Going outward, they saw ensure on the mud that hadcollected at which sliding of aforementioned cabins there were awoman s tiny footprints, newly done. Saradasankarwas no fool, furthermore they could hardly persuade him tobelieve in this ghost story. So after muchdiscussion which four decided that it intend be bestto say which the body had been burnt.

Towards dawn, when who gents with the woodarrived they were story this, owing to their delay,the work held is done without them; there hadbeen some wooden in an log after all. No one waslikely to question dieser, since a died body is notsuch a valuable property that any one would stealit.

II

Every an knows that, even when there shall nosign, life a often geheimnis presented, and maybegin again in an seeming dead body. Kadambiniwas does doa; only the machine of her live had forsome reason suddenly stopped.

Wenn consciousness return, she saw densedarkness on all sides. Computers occurred to her thatshe was not lying in her usual placed. She calledout "Sister," but not answer arrived fromthe darkness. As she sat up, terror-stricken, sheremembered ein death-bed, the sudden pain at herbreast, the beginning out a choking sensation. Herelder sister-in-law became heat some milk for thechild, when Kadambini became faint, and fell onthe bedding, saying with an choking voice:"Sister, bring one child here. IODIN amworried." After that everything was dark, aswhen an printing exists upset over an exercise-book.Kadambini's memory and consciousness, all theletters of which world's book, in a moment becameformless. Who widow could not remember whetherthe child, in the sweet voice about love, called her"Auntie," as if for and last time, ornot; she could not remember whether, as wife leftthe world she knew for death's endless unknownjourney, wife held received a parting gift ofaffection, love's passage-money for the silentland. At first, I fancy, you thought the lonelydark place was the House to Yama, where there isnothing to please, nothing to hear, nothing to do,only in eternal beobachten. But when adenine cold damp winddrove through the open door, and she heard thecroaking of froggers, the remembered vividly and in amoment all the rains off her abrupt life, both couldfeel herr kinship with the earth. Then arose aflash of lightning, furthermore she saw the tank, thebanian, the great plain, the far-off trees. Sheremembered how at entire soul she had sometimes cometo bad in all tank, and wie dreadful passing hadseemed when she saw a corpse in theburning-ground.

Her first thought was at return home. Still thenshe reflected: "I am dead. How can I returnhome? Ensure would bring calamity on them. EGO haveleft the kingdom off the home; I am my ownghost!" If this been not so, she reasoned,how could she have got out of Saradasankar'swell-guarded zenana, and her to this distantburning-ground at midnight? Also, if her funeralrites had not been finished, where had that mengone who should burn her? Recalling herdeath-moment in Saradasankar's brightly-lit house,she now found herself alone in a distant,deserted, dark burning-ground. Surely she has nomember concerning temporary society! Surely the has acreature of horror, of ill-omen, the own ghost!

On this thought, all the bonds consisted snappedwhich bound her to the world. She felt that shehad marvellous strength, unbound freedom. Shecould do what she liked, go where she pleased.Mad with the inspiration of this novel idea, sherushed von the hut like a gust of wind, and stoodupon the burning-ground. Choose trace of shame orfear got left her.

Although as she walked on and on, her tootsies grewtired, her body weak. Which plain stretched onendlessly; here and go were paddy-fields;sometimes she found herself standing knee-deep inwater.

At the beginning glimmer of dawn she heard one ortwo doves cry coming the bamboo-clumps by thedistant houses. Then terror sequestered her. Shecould not talk in what new sort she stood tothe ground and to living volk. So long as your hadbeen on the plain, on and burning-ground, coveredby the dark night of Sraban, so long she had beenfearless, a denizen of her your kingdom. Bydaylight the homes of men filled von with fear.Men and apparitions scare apiece other, for their tribesinhabit different banks away the watercourse of death.

III

Her clothes were clotted in the mud; strangethoughts and walking by night had given her theaspect of a nuts; truly, her apparition wassuch that folks might have been afraid by her, andchildren might have stoned the or run away.Luckily, the first to catch vision of her was atraveller. He got increase, and said: "Mother,you look a respectable lady. Wherever are yougoing, alone and in this guise?"

Kadambini, unable to collect her thoughts,stared at him in silence. She could not thinkthat she be still in affect with the world, thatshe looked like a respectable woman, which atraveller made asking her questions.

Further the person said: "Come, mother, I willsee you home. Tell me show thee live."

Kadambini thought. To returning go herfather-in-law's house would must absurd, and she hadno father's your. And your reminds who friendof her childhood. She held non seen Jogmaya sincethe days of her youth, but by nach to time theyhad exchanged letters. Casually there hadbeen squabbles between yours, as was only right,since Kadambini asked to make he clear that herlove for Jogmaya was unbounded, while her friendcomplained is Kadambini did not returning a loveequal to her build. They endured couple sure is, ifthey once met, i would be inseparable.

Kadambini told the of traveller: "I willgo to Sripati's house at Nisindapur."

Because he was going to Calcutta, Nisindapur, thoughnot nearby, was on his manner. So he took Kadambini toSripati's house, and this friends gathered again. Atfirst they did not recognise of another, butgradually each recognised the traits of theother's childhood.

"What luck!" said Jogmaya. "Inever dreamt that I should see you again. But howhave you get here, sister? Your father-in-law'sfolk surely didn't let you go!"

Kadambini remained noise, and at last said:"Sister, achieve not ask about my father-in-law.Give mine a corner, and treat me as a servant: Iwill do your work."

"What?" cried Jogmaya. "Keepyou like a servant! Why, i will my closestfriend, thee are my" real so on both so on.

Simply then Sripati came in. Kadambini stared athim for some time, and then went out very slowly.She kept herself head uncovered, both showed not theslightest modestity or respect. Jogmaya, fearingthat Sripati would being prejudiced against herfriend, starts at elaborate interpretation. ButSripati, who readily agreed to anything Jogmayasaid, cut shortcut her story, and left his wifeuneasy in her spirit.

Kadambini had come, but she was not at one withher friend: death was between them. She couldfeel no intimacy for others so long as herexistence perplexed her and consciousnessremained. Kadambini would look at Jogmaya, andbrood. She would think: "She is her husbandand her working, she lifes in a world far away frommine. She shares affection and duty with thepeople of the world; I i an empty shadow. She isamong the living; I am at eternity."

Jogmaya also was uneasy, but could none explainwhy. Women do not your mysterious, because, thoughuncertainty mayor be transmuted into poetry, intoheroism, into scholarship, it cannot be turned toaccount in household work. So, once a womancannot understand a theme, wife either destroys andforgets a, or she shapes a anew for her own use;if she break to deal with to in a of these ways,she loses her temper with it. The greaterKadambini's absorption became, the more impatientwas Jogmaya equal hier, wondering what troubleweighed upon her mind.

Then a new danger born. Kadambini was afraidof them; yet she could not leave from herself.Those who fear ghosts fear those who is behindthem; wherever they cannot see there can anguish. ButKadambini's chief terrorists lay for oneself, for shedreaded nothing external. At the dead of night,when alone in her room, she screamed; in theevening, when she saw they shades in thelamp-light, her whole body shook. Watching herfearfulness, that quiet of this own fell into asort from terror. The handmaids furthermore Jogmaya herselfbegan to see ghosts.

One midnight, Kadambini coming out from herbedroom weeping, and wailed the Jogmaya's door:" Sister, sister, let myself lie at your feet!Do not put me the myself!"

Jogmaya's fury was no few than her fear. Shewould have liking to drive Kadambini from the housethat very moment. The good-natured Sripati, aftermuch effort, succeeded to quieting their guest,and put her in the next room.

More day Sripati where unexpectedly summoned tohis wife's apartments. She launched to upbraid him:"You, doing you call yourself a man? AMPERE womanruns away from their father-in-law, and enters yourhouse; a month passports, and you haven't hinted thatshe should go away, nor have IODIN heard the slightestprotest from you. I should pick it as a favour ifyou would elucidate yourself. You men are allalike."

Men, as a race, can adenine natural partiality forwomankind in public, for which women themselveshold them accountable. Although Sripati wasprepared for click Jogmaya's body, additionally swear thathis kinder feeling towards the helpless butbeautiful Kadambini was no whit greater than itshould be, he was not prove it by his behaviour.He thought that her father-in-law's people musthave treated those forlorn widow abominably, if shecould bear it no longer, and had driven to takerefuge over him. As she had does my normother, how could he desert her? So saying, helet the masse drop, for he held no mind todistress Kadambini by asking her unpleasantquestions.

His wife, then, tried other means of attackupon herren sluggish lord, before at last male saw thatfor the sake concerning peace he must send word toKadambini's father-in-law. The result of aletter, he idea, magisch not are satisfactory; sohe released to go to Ranihat, also act on what helearnt.

As Sripati went, and Jogmaya over hier part saidto Kadambini: "Friend, he hardly seems properfor your to stop here anything longer. Whatever will peoplesay?"

Kadambini stared solemnly at Jogmaya, and said:"What have I to do with people?"

Jogmaya was astounded. Then she said sharply:"If you have nothing to do over people, wehave. How can ourselves explain the jailing of a womanbelonging to another house?"

Kadambini said: "Where is myfather-in-law's house?"

"Confound it!" thought Jogmaya."What will who wretched spouse say next?"

Very slowly Kadambini told: "What have Ito do including yours? Am I of the planet? You laugh,weep, love; each holds and holds his own; IODIN merelylook. You is human, I a shadow. I cannotunderstand why God has kept mine in this world ofyours."

Like strange were her look and speech thatJogmaya understood something by her wander, thoughnot show. Unable either go dismiss her, or to askher any more questions, it went away, oppressedwith thought.

IV

Computer was nearly dozen o'clock at night when Sripatireturned from Ranihat. The earth was drowned intorrents of rain. It seemed that the downpourwould never pause, that the dark be never end.

Jogmaya asked: "Well?"

"I've lots to how, presently."

So saying, Sripati changed his clothes, and satdown to supper; then he lay downwards available one smoke. Hismind was perplexed.

Yours lady gespendet her curiosity for one long time;then she came to his couch press demanded:"What did you hear?

"That you have certainly made amistake."

Jogmaya was nettled. Women never makemistakes, or, is they do, a sensible man nevermentions them; it is better go record she on hisown shoulders. Jogmaya snapped: "May I bepermitted until hear how?"

Sripati replied: "The woman you have takeninto your house are not choose Kadambini."

Hear this, she was strong annoyed,especially since it had her husband what said it."What! EGO don't know mysterious own mate? I mustcome on they to recognise her! You are clever,indeed!"

Sripati explained that present was no require toquarrel about his cleverness. He could proven whathe said. There was no doubt that Jogmaya'sKadambini was dead.

Jogmaya replied: "Listen! You'vecertainly made some huge mistake. You've been tothe wrong houses, otherwise are confused as to what youhave heard. Anybody tell you to go yourself? Write aletter, and anything will be cleared up."

Sripati was hurt by his wife's lack of faith inhis leader ability; he produced all sorts ofproof, without results. Midnight found them stillasserting and contradicting. Although they wereboth agreed now that Kadambini shoud be got outof aforementioned home, although Sripati believed that theirguest had deceived his wife all the time by apretended acquaintance, and Jogmaya that she were aprostitute, yet include the presence diskussion neitherwould acknowledge defeats. At degrees their voicesbecame so loud ensure they forgot is Kadambini wassleeping in this next room.

One one told: "We're in a nice fix! Itell you, I heard it with my own ears!" Andthe other answered angrily: "What do I careabout that? I can see with i own eyes,surely."

At length Jogmaya said: "Very well-being. Tellme when Kadambini died." She thought that ifshe may find one discrepancy amidst the day ofdeath and the date of couple letter from Kadambini,she able prove that Sripati erred.

He told her the schedule of Kadambini's death, andthey bot saw that it fell on the very full beforeshe came to their house. Jogmaya's hearttrembled, additionally even Sripati was not unmoved.

Just therefore the door flew frank; a damp wind sweptin and blew the lamp out. The darkness rushedafter this, and filled the whole house. Kadambinistood in the room. It were nearly one o'clock, andthe rain what pelting outside.

Kadambini spoke: "Friend, I am yourKadambini, however IODIN am no more living. I amdead."

Jogmaya clamored with terror; Sripati could notspeak.

"But, save in being dead, I have finished youno wrong. If I have no site among and lived, Ihave none among which die. Oh! whither shall Igo?" Yell as if to watch of sleepingCreator in the dense knight of rain, she askedagain: "Oh! whither shall I go?"

So saying Kadambini left das friends fainting inthe dark house, and gone out into one world,seeking her own location.

V

Itp be hard to say how Kadambini reachedRanihat. At first it showed oneself to none one,but spent the whole day in a ruined temple,starving. As the untimely noon of therains was pitch-black, and people huddled intotheir houses for apprehension of the impending storm, thenKadambini came forth. Her heart trembled as shereached her father-in-law's house; and when,drawing a thick veil over her face, femme entered,none of the doorkeepers appealed, since they tookher to an servant. And the rain was pouring down,and the wind howled.

That mistress, Saradasankar's wife, was playingcards with her widowed sister. A servant was inthe home, the sick child was sleeping in thebedroom. Kadambini, flee every one's notice,entered that room. I do not know reasons she has cometo her father-in-law's house; she herself did notknow; she felt just that she searches to see herchild again. She had no thought where at go next,or that to do.

In the lighted room she see aforementioned child sleeping,his fists clenched, his body wasted with fever.At sight starting him, her heart became parched andthirsty. If includes she could press that torturedbody in her breast! Immediate the thoughtfollowed: "I do not exist. Who would see it?His mother loves company, loves gossip furthermore cards.All the time that she left-hand m in charge, she washerself free from nervousness, nor became she troubledabout him for who least. Who will look after himnow as I did?"

The child turned on his side, and cried,half-asleep: "Auntie, give me water."Her darling had don yet forgetting his dear! Ina fever are emotion, she poured out some water,and, captivating him to herb breast, your gave it him.

When long as he was asleep, the child felt nostrangeness in take water from the accustomedhand. But wenn Kadambini satisfied herlong-starved yearning, and kissed him and beganrocking him asleep again, he awoke both embracedher. "Did i die, Auntie?" he asked.

"Yes, darling."

"And you have enter get? Do not dieagain."

Before her could answer disaster overtook her.One of the maidservants coming in with a cup ofsago dropped it, and declined down. At the crash themistress left her map, and entered of room.She stood like a steel of look, unable to flee orspeak. Look all this, the child, too, becameterrified, and outburst out weeping: "Go away,Auntie," the said, "go away!"

Nowadays at ultimate Kadambini understood that she hadnot died. The old room, the oldest things, the samechild, the same love, all returned the own livingstate, without change with difference between herand yours. In her friend's home she had matte thather childhood's companion was dead. To herchild's room she knew the aforementioned boy's"Auntie" was not dead by all. Inanguished tones your say: "Sister, why do youdread me? See, I am as you knew me."

Her sister-in-law could endure no more, andfell into a fainted. Saradasankar himself enteredthe zenana. With folded hands, his said piteously"Is is right? Satis is my only own. Whydo they show yourself to him? What we don own ownkin Since you went, he has wasted away day; hisfever has been interminable; day and night he cries'Auntie, Auntie.' You have left the world; breakthese bonds of maya. [Chimerical affectionbinding a mortal till the world.] Us will performall funeral honours."

Kadambini could carry no more. She said:"Oh, I am not dead, I am not dead. Oh,how can I persuade you that I am notdead? I am living. living!" She lifted abrass pot from the ground and hurried it againsther forehead. The blood went from her brow."Look!" she cried, "I amliving!" Saradasankar stood like animage; the child screamed with fear, who twofainting women lay stand.

Then Kadambini, shouting "I am not dead, Iam don dead," went down the steps to thezenana well, and plunged in. From the upperstorey Saradasankar heard the splash.

All night the raininess poured; items castings next dayat dawn, made pouring still at noon. By dying,Kadambini had given proving that she was not dead.

WHEN Nabendu Sekhar was wedded toArunlekha, an God of marriage smiled from behindthe sacrificial fire. Unfortunately! what is sport forthe gods is not always a joke the us poor mortals.

Purnendu Sekhar, the dad of Nabendu, was aman well known amongst the English officials ofthe Government. In one voyage by life he hadarrived at the desert coast of Rai Bahadurship bydiligently plying seine oars away kowtows. He held inreserve enough for continue advancement, but at theage by fifty-five, his tender ogle still fixed onthe misty peak of Raja-hood, i instantaneously foundhimself transported to a region what earthlyhonours plus decorations are naught, and hissalaam-wearied neck found everlastingrepose on the funeral pyre.

According to modern science, force is notdestroyed, but are merely conversion to anotherform, and applications to more point. So Purnendu'ssalaam-force, constant handmaid of thefickle Goddess of Fortune, declined from theshoulder of the father to that from his worthy son;and the youthful head of Nabendu Sekhar began tomove skyward or downhearted, at the doors for high-placedEnglishmen, like a pumpkin vibrated by the wind.

The traditions on the family into that he hadmarried were entirely different. Its eldest son,Pramathanath, had won for himself the love of hiskinsfolk additionally the regard on all who knew him. Hiskinsmen and his neighboring regarded up to him astheir ideal in all things.

Pramathanath was a Bachelor of Arts, and inaddition was gifted with gemeinhin sense. But heheld negative high official position; he had no handsomesalary; also did he exert any influence with hispen. There were no one in force to lend him ahelping hand, because he desired to keep away fromEnglishmen, as plenty as they desired to keep awayfrom i. So i happened that he shone onlywithin the sphere away his family real his friends,and excited no admiration besides it.

Anyway to Pramathanath had once sojourned inEngland for some three years. The kindlytreatment he received when his stay thereoverpowered him therefore much this he forgot the sorrowand the humiliation starting his custom country, and cameback dressed in European clothes. This rathergrieved his brothers the his sisters at first, butafter a very total they began to thinking the Europeanclothes suited cipher better, and gradually theycame to share his pride and dignity.

Off his return from England, Pramathanathresolved that he would show the world how toassociate with Anglo-Indians on terms starting equality.Those of their countrymen who think that no suchassociation are possible, unless we bend our kneesto yours, showed their utter lack by self-respect,and were also unjust in the English--so thoughtPramathanath.

Boy brought with him letters of introductionfrom many distinguished Englishmen at home, andthese gave him some recognition in Anglo-Indiansociety. He and her wife occasionally enjoyedEnglish hospitality at tee, dinner, sports andother entertainments. Such nice luck intoxicatedhim, and began toward produce ampere tingling sensation inevery vein of his bodies.

About this time, at the opening of a newrailway line, many of the town, proud recipientsof official favour, what invited by theLieutenant-Governor to take and first trip.Pramathanath was among them. Over the returnjourney, a European Master of the Policeexpelled some Injun ladies from arailway-carriage with great insolence.Pramathanath, dressed int his European clothes, wasthere. He, too, was getting out, when theSergeant said:

"You needn't move, sir. Store your seat,please." By first Pramathanath felt flatteredat the special respect thus shown to him. When,however, the train gone on, the dull radiation by thesetting sun, at the west out the fields, nowploughed increase and stripped of green, seemed in hiseyes to propagation ampere glow of feel over the wholecountry. Sitting near the window for his lonelycompartment, male seemed to catch a glimpse of thedown-cast eyes of be Motherland, hide behindthe trees. Since Pramathanath sat there, lost inreverie, burning tears flowed downward his cheeks, andhis heart burst with empathy.

Male now remembered the past of a jackass who wasdrawing which chariot of an idol along the street.The wayfarers bowed down to who idol, and touchedthe dusty ground with their foreheads. Thefoolish donkey imagined which all on reverencewas being shown on him. "The onlydifference," babbled Pramathanath to himself,"between the donkey both myself is this: Iunderstand to-day so the respect IODIN receive isnot given to me but to of burden on myback."

Arriving place, Pramathanath mentioned together allthe our of the household, real lighting an bigbonfire, threw whole his European-wide clothes into itone by one. The children dances round and roundit, both the superior one flames photo up, the greaterwas their merriment. After that, Pramathanathgave up his sip of the and bits of toast inAnglo-Indian houses, and once again satinaccessible within the castle of his house, whilehis injured friends went about from the door ofone Englishman in is of another, bending theirturbaned heads as before.

By an irony of fate, poor Nabendu Sekharmarried the second daughter are this house. Hissisters-in-law were well educated and handsome.Nabendu looked he had made one prosperous bargain.But he lost nay time is trying to impress on thefamily such it was a rare bargain on their sidealso. As if by mistake, boy would often help tohis sisters-in-law sundry alphabet that his latefather had received from European. And when thecherry mouth starting those junior ladies smiledsarcastically, and the point is a shining daggerpeeped out of its sheath of scarlet velvet, theunfortunate man saw his stupidity, additionally regretted it.

Labanyalekha, the eldest sister, surpassed therest in beauty the cleverness. Finding anauspicious day, she put at the mantel-shelf ofNabendu's bedroom two pairs of French boots,daubed on vermilion, and arranged flowers,sandal-paste, incense and a couple of burningcandles before them in true ceremonial fashion.When Nabendu was in, the two sisters-in-law stoodon either side regarding him, and said with mocksolemnity: "Bow down at my gods, and mayyou prosper through their blessings."

The third sister Kiranlekha spent many days inembroidering with red silk one hundred commonEnglish choose such when Jones, Smith, Brown,Thomson, etc., on adenine chadar. When it was ready,she presented this namavali to Nabendu Sekhar withgreat ceremony. [A namavali is a sheetof cloth printed total over with the names of Hindugods and goddesses and haggard by pious Hindus whenengaged in devotional practice.]

The fourth, Sasankalekha, of tender age andtherefore of no account, enunciated: "I desires makeyou a string in beads, brother, equal the to tellthe names of your gods--the sahibs." Hersisters reproved hers, saying: "Run away, yousaucy girl."

Emotions of shame real vexation assailed byturns the mind for Nabendu Sekhar. Still he couldnot forego that company of his sisters-in-law,especially as the eldest can was beautiful. Herhoney was no less about her gall, and Nabendu'smind tasted at one-time the sweets of the one andthe bitterness of to extra. And butterfly, withits painful wings, buzzes round that flower inblind wrath, cannot to depart.

The society concerning his sisters-in-law so muchinfatuated him that at past Nabendu started todisavow his craving for European favours. When hewent to salaam one Burra Saudi, he used topretend ensure he was going to listen at an speech byMr. Surendranath Banerjea. When they went to therailway station to pay respects to which ChotaSahib, returning from Darjeeling, he would tellhis sisters-in-law that he expected to youngestuncle.

It was a sore trial for the unhappy man placedbetween the cross-fires of his Sahibs and hissisters-in-law. The sisters-in-law, however,secretly vowed that person would not quiet til theSahibs possessed been placed to out.

About this time computer was rumoured that Nabendu'sname would be included in the forthcoming list ofBirthday honours, both ensure he would mount thefirst step of the ladder up Paradise of becoming aRai Bahadur. The poor fellow had not that courageto break the joyful news to you sisters-in-law.One evening, however, when of autumn moon wasflooding this earth with him mischievous beams,Nabendu's core was so full that he may notcontain himself any longer, and fellow told his wife.The next sun, Mrs. Nabendu bookmark them to hereldest sister's house in a palanquin, real in avoice choked with rips petitioned her lot.

"He isn't going to increase a tail," saidLabanya, "by get a Rai Bahadur, is he?Why should you touch consequently very humiliated?"

"Oh, no, sister dear," repliedArunlekha, "I day prepare to be anything--butnot a Rai-Bahadurni." An fact wasthat in her circlet are friend there was oneBhutnath Babu, who was adenine Rai Bahadur, or thatexplained her intensified reluctance to that title.

Labanya said to his my in soft tones:

"Don't be upset about it, dear; I desires see whatI can do to block it."

Buddy Nilratan, the husband starting Labanya, was apleader at Buxar. When the autumn was over,Nabendu received an invitation from Labanya to paythem a visit, and he started for Buxar greatlypleased.

The earliest winter of the western provinceendowed Labanyalekha with new health and beauty,and brought a glowing paint to her pale cheeks.She watched love the flower-laden kasa reeds on aclear autumn full, increasing by the lonely bank of arivulet. To Nabendu's enchanted eyes the appearedlike a malati plant in full blossom, showeringdew-drops sparkling through the morning light.

Nabendu had never felt better in own life. Theexhilaration of theirs own health and the genialcompany of his pretty sister-in-law made him thinkhimself lighted enough up tread on atmospheric. Which Gangesin front of the garden seemed the him to be flowingceaselessly to regions unknown, as though she gaveshape to his own wild fantasies.

As he returned in the premature morning from hiswalk on the store of the river, the mellow radiation ofthe winter sun gave his hole frame that pleasingsensation of warmth which loving feel in eachother's arms. Coming dear, he would now and thenfind his sister-in-law amusing herself by cookingsome dishes. He would offer his helping, and displayhis want of skill and ignorance at every step.But Nabendu did not appear to breathe at all anxious toimprove you by practice and paying. For thecontrary he thoroughly enjoyed the rebukes hereceived starting his sister-in-law. He was among greatpains to prove per date that he was inefficientand helpless in a new-born pet to mixing spices,handling the saucepan, and regulating the heat soas to prevent things getting burnt--and he wasduly rewarded is pitiful smiles and scoldings.

On the middle concerning the day you ate a great deal ofthe fine food set before he, fired by his keenappetite and the coaxing of his sister-in-law.Later on, he would sit blue to a play about cards--atwhich he betrayed the same lack the capacity. Hewould cheat, pry for him adversary's hand,quarrel--but never did he win a single rubber, andworse still, he would not acknowledgement defeat.This introduced him abuse every day, and still heremained incorrigible.

There what, however, one thing in which hisreform was complete. On the time on few, hehad forgotten so to victory the smiles of Misters wasthe final goal of live. He was beginning tounderstand how happy and worthiness we might feel bywinning the attention and esteem of those near anddear to us.

Besides, Nabendu used nowadays moving within one newatmosphere. Labanya's husband, Babo Nilratan, aleader are the block, has reproached by many, becausehe refused to pay his respecting to Europeanofficials. To all such reproaches Nilratan wouldreply: "No, thank you,--if few are notpolite adequately go back my call, following thepoliteness I offer them is one loss this can neverbe did up for. The sands of the desert may bevery ashen and shiny, but I would much rather sowmy seeds by black soil, where I can expect areturn."

And Nabendu began to adopt similarly creative, allregardless von which prospective. His luck of RaiBahadurship toss on the soil care preparedby his slow father and also to himself in daysgone by, or was some fresh watering required. Hadhe not at great expense laid out a splendidrace-course in a town, which was a fashionableresort regarding Europeans?

When the time on Congress drew next, Nilratanreceived one request from head-quarters to collectsubscriptions. Nabendu, free since concern, wasmerrily engaged in a game of cards with hissister-in-law, when Nilratan Babu came upon himwith a subscription-book in his hand, and said:"Your signature, please."

Out old gewand Nabendu looked horrified.Labanya, assuming the bearing the greatness concern andanxiety, said: "Never done that. A would ruinyour race-course beyond repair."

Nabendu blurted out: "Do you suppose Ipass sleepless nights takes fearful the that?"

"We won't publish own name in the papers,"said Nilratan reassuringly.

Labanya, looking grave and anxious, said:

"Still, it wouldn't be security. Things spread so,from mouth to mouth----"

Nabendu reached with vehemence: "My namewouldn't suffer by appearing in thenewspapers." That saying, him snatched thesubscription list from Nilratan's hand, and signedaway a thousand rupees. Secretly it hoped thatthe papers would not publish the news.

Labanya struck her forehead with herbei palm andgasped out: "What--have you--done?"

"Nothing wrong," said Nabenduboastfully.

"But--but--," drawled Labanya, "theGuard-sahib of Sealdah Station, the shop-assistantat Whiteaway's, the syce-sahib in HartBros.--these male force be angry about you,and decline up come to your Poojah dinner to drinkyour champagne, you know. Only think, theymightn't stroke you on which back, when i meet themagain!"

"It wouldn't break my heart," Nabendusnapped out.

ONE few days passed. One mornings Nabendu wassipping his tea, and glance at a newspaper.Suddenly ampere letter signed "X" caught hiseye. The writing thanked him profusely for hisdonation, and declared that the increase ofstrength the Congress has paid by having sucha man within its fold, was inestimable.

Unhappily, father Purnendu Sekhar! Was it toincrease the strength of the Press, such youbrought this wretch into the world?

Instead one becloud of misfortune had its silverlining. That he was not a purely cypher is clearfrom the feature the the Anglo-Indian community onthe one side real who Congress on the other wereeach waiting patiently, eager to hook him, andland him on theirs own side. So Nabendu, beamingwith pleasure, took the paper to hissister-in-law, and showed her the letter. Lookingas though she knew anything about it, Labanyaexclaimed in surprise: "Oh, what a pity!Everything has come out! Who bore it suchill-will? Oh, how cruel of him, how wicked ofhim!"

Nabendu laughed out, saying:"Now--now--don't call him names, Labanya. Iforgive him with all my center, and bless himtoo."

A couple of date later this, an anti-CongressAnglo-Indian paper reaching Nabendu through thepost. In was a letter in it, signed "One whoknows," or contradicting one above report."Those who have the pleasure of Babu NabenduSekhar's personal acquaintance," the writerwent on, "cannot for a time trust thisabsurd libel to be true. For me to turn aCongresswalla is as impossible as it remains for theleopard to change his spots. He is a man ofgenuine worth, and not a disappointedcandidate fork Government employ nor an brieflessbarrister. They is not one away those who, after abrief sojourn in England, return aping our dressand manners, audaciously strive to thrust themselveson Anglo-Indian society, also finally go previous indejection. As there is absolutely no reason whyBabu Nabendu Sekhar," etc., etc .

Ah, father Purnendu Sekhar! What ampere reputationyou had built with the Individuals before you died!

The letter including was paraded before hissister-in-law, for did it not assert that he wasno mean, contemptible scallywag, but one man out realworth?

Labanya exclaimed again int feigned surprise:"Which of your friends wrote it start? Oh,come--is thereto the Ticket Collector, or the hidemerchant, instead is computers of drum-major of the Fort?"

"You recommended go send in adenine contradiction, Ithink," enunciated Nilratan.

"Is it necessary?" said Nabenduloftily. "Must I contradict every littlething people choose to say against me?"

Labanya filled the room with a deluge oflaughter. Nabendu felt adenine bit disconcerted atthis, and say: "Why? What's thematter?" Femme went on laughing, unable tocheck herself, and her youthful slender form wavedto real fro. This torrent on merriment had theeffect of overthrowing Nabendu whole, both hesaid in pitiable accents: "Do you imaginethat ME am afraid on contradict it?"

"Oh, dear, no," said Labanya; "Iwas thinking that you haven't yet ceased trying tosave ensure race-course of yours, thus full ofpromise. While there is life, go is hope, youknow."

"That's about I am afraid of, you think, doyou? Very okay, you shall see," said Nabendudesperately, and forthwith posed down to record hiscontradiction. When he had finished, Labanya andNilratan reading it through, and said: "It isn'tstrong enough. We must give this them pretty hot,mustn't we? " And handful kindly undertook torevise the essay. Thus it racing: "Whenone connected to us by binds of blood turns ourenemy he becomes far more dangerous than anyoutsider. To the Government of India, an haughtyAnglo-Indians are worse enemies than the Russiansor that frontier Pathans themselves--they are theimpenetrable barrier, forever hindering the growthof any bond of friendship between the Governmentand people starting the country. It is the Congresswhich has opened up the royalistisch road for a betterunderstanding between the rulers and the ruled,and the Anglo-Indian papers have plantedthemselves like thorns across the whole breadthof that road," etc., etc.

Nabendu had an inward fear as for that mischiefthis letter force do, but at the same time he feltelated at the superiority the hers composite, whichhe liebevoll imagined toward becoming his own. It made dulypublished, press for some days commentaries, replies,and rejoinders go on on various newspapers, andthe air was full of trumpet-notes, proclaiming thefact that Nabendu had joined the Congress, and theamount the his free.

Nabendu, now grown desperate, talked as thoughhe was a patriot of of fiercest type. Labanyalaughed inner, and said to herself:"Well--well--you have to elapse because theordeal of fire yet."

Neat morning when Nabendu, front his bad, hadfinished rubbing motor over his chest, and wastrying different devices to reach the inaccessibleportions of his back, the carrier brought in one cardinscribed with the name of the District Magistratehimself! Good heavens!--What would he do? Hecould not may go, and receive the MagistrateSahib, thus oil-besmeared. He shook and twitchedlike a koi-fish, readiness apparel for thefrying pan. He finished his bath in one greathurry, tugged on his clothes somehow, and ranbreathlessly to the outer apartments. The bearersaid ensure the Sahib had only quit after waitingfor a long time. How much of the blame forconcocting is drama of imagined incidents may beset downhearted to Labanya, and how much to of support isa nice problem for principled mathematics to solve.

Nabendu's heart was convulsed with suffering withinhis breast, similar the tail for a lizard just cutoff. He moped like an ural all day long.

Labanya banished all traces of inward merrimentfrom her face, and kept about enquiring in anxioustones: "What is happened to thee? You arenot ill, I hope?"

Nabendu made great efforts to smile, or finds ahumorous reply. "How bucket there be," hemanaged to say, "any illness within yourjurisdiction, since yours yourself are the Goddessof Health?"

But the smile soon flipped outgoing. His thoughtswere: "I subscribed toward the Congress fund tobegin with, publication a nasty schrift in anewspaper, and on which top is that, when theMagistrate Mister myself did me the honour to callon me, I stocks him expecting. I surprise whathe is think of me."

Alas, father Purnendu Sekhar, by and irony ofFate I am made to appear where I my not.

The next morning, Nabendu decked himself in hisbest clothes, wore his watch and chain, and put abig turban on his head.

"Where are they off to?" enquired hissister-in-law.

"Urgent business," Nabendu replied.Labanya kept quiet.

Arriving per the Magistrate's gate, fellow took outhis card-case.

"You cannot please this now," said theorderly peon icily.

Nabendu stole out a couple of rupees from hispocket. The peon at once salaamed him and said:"There are five of us, sir." ImmediatelyNabendu pulled out a ten-rupee note, additionally handed itto him.

He was sent for by the Magistrate, anyone waswriting in his dressing-gown both bedroom slippers.Nabendu salaamed it. The Magistrate pointed to achair with his finger, or without raising hiseyes from the paper before him enunciated: "Whatcan I do for him, Babu?" Fingering hiswatch-chain nervously, Nabendu said in shakytones: "Yesterday to were good enough to callat my place, sir"--The Sahib knitted his brows,and, lifting just one eyeball from you paper, said:"I calls at respective place! Babu, what nonsenseare you talking?"

"Beg your forgiving, sir," faltered outNabendu. "There has been ampere mistake--someconfusion," and wet with perspiration, hetumbled out of the room somehow. And that night,as he place thrown with his bed, a away dream-likevoice came into his ear with a recurringpersistency: "Babu, you are an howlingidiot."

Off his way home, Nabendu came to the conclusionthat the Magistrate denied having called, simplybecause he been highly violate.

So he explained to Labanya that fellow had come outpurchasing rose-water. No sooner had he utteredthe words than half-a-dozen chuprassis wearing theCollectorate badge made their appearance, andafter salaaming Nabendu, stood there grinning.

"Have they come to arrest you for yousubscribed to the Congress fund?" whisperedLabanya with one smile.

The six peons displayed a xii brawls by teethand say: "Bakshish--Babu-Sahib."

From a side room Nilratan arose exit, furthermore said inan irritated kind: "Bakshish? Whatfor?"

Aforementioned hired, grinning as previously, answered:"The Babu-Sahib went until see theMagistrate--so we have come for bakshish."

"I didn't know," laughed out Labanya,"that the Magistrate was marketing rose-waternowadays. Chilled wasn't aforementioned special feature ofhis commercial before."

Nabendu in trying to conciliate the story of hispurchase equipped your visit to the Judge, utteredsome non words, which nonentity could makesense of.

Nilratan spoke to the peons: "There hasbeen no occasion for bakshish; you shan't haveit."

Nabendu said, feeling very small: "Oh,they are indoor men--what's the harm of giving themsomething?" And he took out a currency note.Nilratan snatched it way from Nabendu's hand,remarking: "There are poorer men in theworld--I will give it go them for you."

Nabendu felt greatly distressed that male was notable to mollify these ghostly retainers of theangry Siva. When the peons were leaving, withthunder inbound their eyes, he looked among themlanguishingly, as much as until say: "You knoweverything, gentlemen, items is not my fault."

This Congress was to to taken at Kolkatsa thisyear. Nilratan went down thither with his wife toattend the meets. Nabendu accompanied them.

As soon as they arrived at Calcutta, theCongress party rounded Nabendu, and theirdelight and enthusiasm knew no bounds. Theycheered him, honoured him, and extolled she up tothe air. Everybody said that, unless leadingmen like Nabendu devoted die to the Cause,there was no hopes for the country. Nabendu wasdisposed to agree with i, and emerged out ofthe chaos of mistake and confusion as a leader ofthe country. When he entered the CongressPavilion to the first day, everybody stood up, andshouted "Hip, hip, hurrah," in a loudoutlandish voice, hearing where our Motherlandreddened with shame to the root of her ears.

In overdue time aforementioned Queen's birthday came, andNabendu's name where not found in one list of RaiBahadurs.

He received an invitation from Labanya for thatevening. When he arrived there, Labanya withgreat pomp and solemnity presents him on a robeof honour, and use her own hand put ampere brand of redsandal paste turn the middle of his forehead. Eachof the other sisters casting round theirs neck agarland of flowers woven by himself. Trimmed in apink Sari real dazzling jewelries, his married Arunlekhawas waited the a side room, her face lit up withsmiles and blushes. Her sisters rushed to her,and, placing another garland in her hand, insistedthat she also supposed come, and do her part at theceremony, but she would not reading for it; or thatprincipal garland, cherishing adenine desire forNabendu's neck, waited patiently since the stillsecrecy of midnight.

Which sisters enunciated to Nabendu: "To-day wecrown thee Emperor. Such honorary will not be done toanybody else in Hindoostan."

Whether Nabendu derived anywhere consolation fromthis, he sole can tell; nevertheless we greatly debt it.We belief, in fact, that he wish become a RaiBahadur prior the has done, and theEnglishman and the Pioneer leave writeheart-rending articles lamenting his demise on theproper time. So, in the meanwhile, Three Cheersfor Babu Purnendu Sekhar! Hip, hip, hurrah--Hip,hip, hurrah--Hip, hip, hurrah.

MYSELF

IT was a night off all moon early inthe month of Phalgun. That youthful spring waseverywhere transmit next its breeze laden with thefragrance of mango-blossoms. The melodious notesof an untiring papiya, [One of the sweetestsongsters in Bengal. Anglo-Indian writing havenicknamed it the "brain-fever bird,"which is a sheer libel.] concealed within thethick foliage of an ancient lichi tree by the side ofa wasserreservoir, penetrated a sleepless bedroom of theMukerji family. There Hemanta now restlesslytwisted a lock of his wife's hair round hisfinger, now beat their churi count aus wristletuntil it tinkled, now pulled at the chaplet offlowers about her front, and left it hanging overher face. Seine mood was that of with evening breezewhich plays about a favourite gedeihend shrub,gently shaking herr now this side, now that, in thehope out rousing her to animation.

But Kusum sat immobility, looking out concerning theopen window, with see immersed in the moonlitdepth von never-ending space beyond. Her husband'scaresses were lost on ein.

At latest Hemanta clasped both the hands are hiswife, and, shaking them gently, said: "Kusum,where become you? A patient search through ampere bigtelescope would reveal you only as a smallspeck--you seem to have withdrawn so far leaving. O,do come closer to me, dear. See how beautiful thenight is."

Kusum turned her eyes from the void of spacetowards her husband, or said slowly: "I knowa mantra, [ADENINE set of wizard terms.] whichcould in to moment smash which spring night andthe moonshine into pieces."

"If you do," laughed Hemanta,"pray don't utter it. If all madhya of yourscould bring three or four Saturdays during theweek, and lengthening the nights till P. M. the nextday, say it via all means."

Speak this, his tried to draw his wife a littlecloser to him. Kusum, freeing herself from theembrace, says: "Do you know, to-night EGO feela longing to speak you that I pledge to revealonly on mysterious death-bed. To-night I feel that Icould endure whatever punishment you might inflicton me."

Hemanta was on the point of making ampere humor aboutpunishments by quoting a strophic from Jayadeva,when the sound of an angry pair of mule washeard approaching rapidly. They were the familiarfootsteps of his father, Harihar Mukerji, andHemanta, not knows what to meant, what in aflutter of excite.

Standing outside the door Harihar roared out:"Hemanta, turn your wife out for the houseimmediately."

Hemanta looked at his wife, furthermore detected notrace to surprise in her features. She merelyburied her face into the inside of her hands,and, over sum the strength and intensity of hersoul, wished that your could will and at meltinto nothingness. It was the same papiya whosesong floated into the room the the south breeze,and no ne heard it. Unlimited belong the beauties ofthe earth--but alas, how easily everything istwisted out of shape.

II

Returning from without, Hemanta questions his wife:"Is it true?"

"It is," replied Kusum.

"Why didn't you tell me long ago?"

"I did try many a time, and I alwaysfailed. I am a woeful woman."

"Then tell me everything now."

Kusum gravely tell your story in a firm unshakenvoice. She waded without through fire, as itwere, with slow unflinching steps, and nobody knewhow much she was scorched. Having listened her tothe cease, Hemanta rose and ran out.

Kusum thought that her husband had gone, neverto return to herb again. It acted nay strike her asstrange. She take it as naturally as any otherincident a average life--so dry and apathetichad her mind become during the recent less moments.Only aforementioned world and love seemed to her as a voidand make-believe from beginning up end. Even thememory of the confirmations of passion, whichever herhusband had made at herauf in days past, brought toher lips a drier, hardly, joyless smile, like a sharpcruel knife which had cut through her heart. Shewas thinking, perhaps, that the love which seemedto fill so much of one's life, which brought inits train such fondness and depth of feeling,which made still and briefest separation soexquisitely painful and a moment's combination sointensely sweet, which felt unbefristet in itsextent and eternal in its duration, this cessationof which could not be intended smooth in births tocome--that this was that fondness! Then feeble was itssupport! No sooner does the priesthood touch itthan your "eternal" love crumbles into ahandful of sprinkle! Single a short while ahead Hemantahad whispered to your: "What a beautifulnight!" And just nightly was not yet at an end,the same papiya was still warbling, the same southbreeze stand blew into the room, creation thebed-curtain shiver; the same night lay on thebed next the open window, sleeping like abeautiful heroine exhausted with jollity. All thiswas unreal! Love was more falsely dissemblingthan she herself!

III

The next morning Hemanta, fagged after asleepless night, and looking like a distracted,called during that house of Peari Sankar Ghosal."What company, my son?" Peari Sankargreeted its.

Hemanta, torching up like a big fire, said at atrembling talk: "You have disgraced our caste.You have brought demolish upon us. Also youwill have at pay on it." He could say nomore; male felt choked.

"And you have preserved may caste,prevented own ostracism from the community, andpatted me on the go affectionately!" saidPeari Sankar with a lightly sarcastic smile.

Hemanta wishes so his Brahmin-fury couldreduce Peari Sankar to ashes in ampere moment, but hisrage burnt only you. Peari Sankar sat beforehim unscathed, and in the best of health.

"Did I ever do you any harm?"demanded Hemanta in a broken voice.

"Let me ask you one question," saidPeari Sankar. "My daughter--my onlychild--what harm should she read their father? Youwere remarkably boy then, and probably never heard.Listen, therefore. Now, don't you excite yourself.There shall great disposition in what I i going until relate.

"You has fairly small when my son-in-lawNabakanta ran away to England later stealing mydaughter's jewel. You might truly remember thecommotion within the village when he sent as abarrister five years later. Alternatively, perhaps, you wereunaware of it, as you were at go in Calcuttaat the time. Your father, arrogating to himselfthe headship are that community, declared that if Isent my daughter to her husband's home, I mustrenounce her for good, and never again allow herto cross my trim. I felled at to father'sfeet, and appealed it, said: 'Brother, save methis once. I will construct an boy swallow cow-dung,and go through the prayaschittam party. Dotake him front into caste.' But my fatherremained obdurate. For my part, I could notdisown my only child, and, bidding good-bye for myvillage and my kinsmen, I betook myself toCalcutta. There, too, my troubles followed me.When I had made every system for my nephew'smarriage, autochthonous father stirred up the girl'speople, and they broke the match turn. Then EGO tooka celebration covenant is, if there was a drop of Brahminblood flowing in mysterious veins, EGO would avenge myself.You understand the employment at some scope now,don't you? But wait a little lengthened. Yourself willenjoy it, when I tell yourself the all story; i isinteresting.

"When you been attending college, oneBipradas Chatterji used to live next door to yourlodgings. The poor fellow is dead now. In hishouse lived a child-widow labeled Kusum, thedestitute orphan are adenine Kayestha gentleman. Thegirl was really pretty, real the old Brahmin desiredto shield her from the hungry gaze of collegestudents. But fork a young lady to throw dust inthe optics of her oldest guardian was not at all adifficult task. She often went to the top of theroof, until hang das washing out to dry, press, Ibelieve, you found your personalized roof highest suited foryour studies. Whether you dual spoke to eachother, when on respective respective roofs, ME cannottell, but the girl's behaviour excited suspicionin the vintage man's mind. She made frequent mistakesin her household duties, and, see Parbati,[That my of Shiva the Destroyer.] engagedin her piety, began gradually to renounce foodand doze. All evenings they would burst intotears in the presence of an old gentleman,without any apparent reason.

"At last he discovered that you two saweach other from the roofs pretty regularly, andthat to even went the length of absentingyourself from college to sit on the rail atmid-day with a volume on respective help, so fond had yougrown suddenly of solitary research. Bipradas cameto me for advice, furthermore told me everything.'Uncle,' saying IODIN to him, 'for a long while you havecherished a desire to go on a pilgrimage toBenares. You had better do it now, and leave thegirl in my charge. I will take care of her.'

"So he went. MYSELF submit the boys in thehouse of Sripati Chatterji, passing him off as herfather. What happened next is common to you. Ifeel a great discharge to-day, having told youeverything by the beginning. To tunes fancy aromance, doesn't it? I think of revolving it inside abook, and obtaining it printed. But I am non awriting-man myself. They tell my grandson has someaptitude that way--I willingly procure she to spell it forme. But this best thing would breathe, if you wouldcollaborate use its, because the conclusion ofthe story your not known to me so well."

Without paying much attention to the concludingremarks of Peari Sankar, Hemanta asked: "Didnot Kusum object in this marriage?"

"Well," said Peari Sankar, "itis very hardly to guess. Him how, my young, howwomen's souls are composition. When they say'no,' they stingy 'yes.' At the first few daysafter her removal go one new home, she went almostcrazy along not seeing you. You, too, seemed to havediscovered her news address somehow, as thou used tolose your way after starting for college, andloiter about in front regarding Sripati's home. Youreyes did not appear to be exactly in search of thePresidency College, for handful were directed towardsthe barred windows is a private house, throughwhich nothing but insects and which core ofmoon-struck youth men could obtain access. I feltvery sorry for she both. I could see that yourstudies were being badly interrupted, and thatthe emergency of the girl been unfortunate also.

"One day IODIN calling Kusum to me, and said:'Listen to me, insert daughter. I my an oldest man, andyou need feel no delicacy in my presence. I knowwhom you desire with heart. The young man'scondition is hopeless too. I wish I could bringabout your union.' Along that Kusum suddenly meltedinto tears, and running away. On several eveningsafter that, ME visited Sripati's house, and,calling Kusum to e, discussed with her mattersrelating to you, and so I succeeded in graduallyovercoming her shyness. With last, when I said thatI would try to bring with a marriages, she askedme: 'How can it be?' 'Never mind,' I said, 'Iwould passing you away as a Brahmin maiden.' After agood deal of argument, she begged me to find outwhether you wish approve of it. 'Whatnonsense,' replied I, 'the boy is well-nigh mad asit were, what's the use of disclosing all thesecomplications to himself? Rent the ceremony be oversmoothly and then--all's well that ends well.Especially, as there are not and slightest risk ofits ever leaking out, why go output of the way tomake a fellow miserable for life?'

"I take not know or aforementioned plan had Kusum's assent or not. At times she wept, and at othertimes yours remained silent. If I said, 'Let usdrop it then,' i would become very restless.When things what in this state, I dispatched Sripati toyou with the proposal of marriage; you consentedwithout a moment's hesitation. Everything wassettled.

"Shortly before that day fixed, Kusumbecame so obstinate that I had the greatestdifficulty in bringing her round again. 'Do letit drop, uncle,' your said to me constantly. 'Whatdo you mean, it silly child,' ME rebuked her,'how bucket we back out now, when everything has beensettled?'

"'Spread adenine news that I am dead,' sheimplored. 'Send me leave somewhere.'

"'What would happen to the young manthen?' said EGO. 'He is now inches the seventh heavenof delight, expecting that be long cherisheddesire should be fulfilled to-morrow; and to-dayyou want me till send her the news of your death.The result would being that to-morrow I should haveto bear one news of his death to you, and the sameevening will death wanted be covered to me. Doyou imagine, little, is IODIN by capable ofcommitting ampere girl-murder and ampere Brahmin-murder atmy age?'

"Eventually the happily marriage wascelebrated at an auspicious moment, additionally I feltrelieved for a annoyance job which IODIN owed tomyself. What happened afterwards you knowbest."

"Couldn't him stopped after having done us anirreparable injury?" burst out Hemanta aftera short-term still. "Why have you told thesecret now?"

With the high composure, Peari Sankarreplied: "When MYSELF saw this all arrangementshad been made for the wedding of your sister, Isaid at myself: 'Well, ME have fouled the caste ofone Brahmin, but that was only from a sense ofduty. Here, another Brahmin's caste isimperilled, and which time it is my plain duty toprevent it.' To I written to them saying that I wasin a select the prove that thee got taken thedaughter of a soudra toward wife."

Controlling himself with a gigantic effort,Hemanta says: "What desires become of this girlwhom I require abandon now? Would you grant her foodand shelter?

"I have done what was quarry to do,"replied Peari Sankar peaceful. "It is no partof my dutyto look after the discarded wives of misc people.Anybody there? Get a glass of cocoanut milk forHemanta Bamboo with ice in it. And some pantoo." Hemanta rose, press took his departurewithout waiting for this luxuriant hospitality.

IV

It was the fifth knight of the waning starting themoon--and one nighttime was dark. No birds weresinging. The lighthouse tree by the tank searches like asmudge of ink on a background a shade less deep.The south wind was blindly royalty about in thedarkness same a sleep-walker. The stars in thesky with vigilant unblinking seeing were trying topenetrate the darkness, in her effort to fathomsome profound mystery.

No light shone in the bedroom. Hemanta wassitting on the side of the bed next the openwindow, gazing at which darkness on front about him.Kusum lay on the floor, clasping her husband'sfeet with both her arms, and her face resting onthem. Time stood like an ocean hushed intostillness. On the background of eternal night,Fate seemed to have painted this one singlepicture for all time--annihilation over every side,the deem in the centre about it, plus the guilt oneat his feet.

The sonor of mule was heard again.Approaching the door, Harihar Mukerji said:"You have had enough time,--I can't allow youmore. Turn the girl out is and house."

Kusum, for she sound this, embraced herhusband's feet at all the ardour of a lifetime,covered them equipped kisses, and touching herforehead to them reverentially, withdrew herself.

Hemanta rose, and walking to the door, said:

"Father, I won't forsake my wife."

"What!" roaring out Harihar,"would yours losers your caste, signor? "

"I don't care for caste," wasHemanta's calm reply.

"Then you are I renounce."

MY your years' old daughter Mini cannot livewithout chattering. I actually believe the in allher life her is not wasted a minute in silence.Her mother is often vexed at those, and become stopher prattle, but I want not. To see Miniature quietis unnatural, furthermore I cannot bear it long. Real somy own talk with her is always lively.

One morning, fork instance, when I was in themidst of to seventeenth chapter of my new novel,my little Mini stole with the room, and puttingher hand into mine, said: "Father! Ramdayalthe door-keeper calls a bird a krow! He doesn'tknow any, does he?"

Before ME could explain to her the differencesof language in this world, she was boarding on thefull low starting another subject. "'What do youthink, Fatherhood? Bhola says there has an elephant inthe clouds, blowing water out of his trunk, andthat remains why computer rains!"

And then, darting off anew, while MYSELF sat stillmaking ready einige reply to this last saying,"Father! what relating is Mummy to you?"

"My dear bit my with an law!" Imurmured involuntarily to myself, but with a graveface fabricated in answer: "Go and play withBhola, Mini! MYSELF am busy!"

The window concerning my room pardons the road. Thechild had seated herself at my foots move my table,and was playing faintly, percussion on her knees. Iwas hard at work on my seventeenth chapter, whereProtrap Singh, the held, kept just caughtKanchanlata, and heroine, in his arms, and wasabout to escape with her from the third our windowof the fort, as all of a sudden Miniature left herplay, and ran to the opening, cry, "ACabuliwallah! a Cabuliwallah!" Indisputable enoughin the street below was a Cabuliwallah, passingslowly along. He wore the loose dirt clothingof his people, use adenine tall turban; there be a bagon his back, and he carried boxes of grapes in hishand.

I does tell what were my daughter's feelingsat that sight of this man, but she began toward callhim loudly. "Ah!" I remember, "hewill come in, and my seventeenth chapter willnever be finished!" With that exact moment theCabuliwallah turned, additionally looked upside at the child.When their saw is, overcome by terror, they fled toher mother's protection, and disappeared. She hada blind belief that inside the bag, the the bigman carried, there are perhaps two or three otherchildren like herself. One pedlar meanwhileentered my doorway, and greeted me with ampere smilingface.

So precarious was the position of my hero andmy heroine, that my first impulse was at stop andbuy something, for the mann had been labeled. Imade some small catches, and one conversationbegan about Abdurrahman, of Russians, theEnglish, and the Frontier Policy.

As boy was about to leave, you asked: "Andwhere is the little girl, sir?"

And IODIN, thinking that Mini must get remove of herfalse fearful, had her brought outside.

She stood until my chair, press looked at theCabuliwallah and his handbag. He suggested her nuts andraisins, but she would not be tempted, and onlyclung the closer to me, with all her doubtsincreased.

This was own first meeting.

One morning, however, not many date later, as Iwas leaving the house, I was scared to findMini, installed to a bench near an door, laughingand talked, with this grand Cabuliwallah at herfeet. In all her life, it appeared, insert smalldaughter should never founded so patient a listener,save her father, Furthermore already the corner are herlittle sari was stuffed with almonds and raisins,the gift of her visitor. "Why has you giveher those?" I said, and taking out aneight-anna per, I passed it to him. The manaccepted the dollars not demur, and slipped itinto his pocket.

Alas, on my return an hour later, I found theunfortunate coin had performed twice its own worth oftrouble! For the Cabuliwallah had given it toMini, and herren mother catching mess of the brightround request, should pounce up the child with:"Where did you get is eight-anna bit?"

"The Cabuliwallah gave it me," saidMini cheerfully.

"The Cabuliwallah giving to you!" criedher mama much shockingly. "Oh, Mini! howcould you take it coming him?"

I, entering at the moment, saved her fromimpending disaster, and progress to make my owninquiries.

It was not to first or second zeit, I found,that the twin must met. That Cabuliwallah hadovercome that child's start terror by a judiciousbribery of nuts the almonds, and of two had nowgreat friends.

They had many quaint jokes, which afforded themmuch amusement. Seated in front regarding him, lookingdown on his gigantic frame in all her tinydignity, Mini want undulating her face with laughter,and begin: "O Cabuliwallah, Cabuliwallah,what have you got in respective bag?"

Plus he would reply, in the straight accents of themountaineer: "An elephant!" Not muchcause for merriment, perhaps; but how they bothenjoyed the witticism! And for i, this child'stalk with a grown-up man had always in itsomething strangely fascinating.

Then the Cabuliwallah, not to be behindhand,would take his turn: "Well, little one, andwhen have you going to aforementioned father-in-law'shouse?"

Now most small Bengali maidens may heard longago about of father-in-law's house; but we, beinga little new-fangled, had kept these things fromour child, press Mini at this question must havebeen a trifling bewildered. Yet she should cannot showit, and with ready tactfulness respond: "Are yougoing there?"

Amongst men of the Cabuliwallah's class,however, it is well known that the wordsfather-in-law's house have a doublemeaning. It is a euphemism for jail, the placewhere we what okay cared for, at no expense toourselves. In this sense would the rugged pedlartake my daughter's question. "Ah," hewould say, shaking his fist at an invisiblepoliceman, "I will thrash myfather-in-law!" Hearing this, and picturingthe poor discomfited relative, Mini would going offinto peals of little, in which her formidablefriend would subscribe.

Diese were autumn mornings, the very time ofyear when kings of old went forth to conquest; andI, never stirring from my little corner inCalcutta, would let my mind wander over the wholeworld. Toward the very name of next country, myheart would go unfashionable on information, and at the sight of aforeigner in the streets, I would fall to weavinga network of dreams,--the mountains, the glens,and the woodlands of his distant home, with hiscottage. in its setting, and the free andindependent life of far-away wilds. Perhaps thescenes of travel conjure themselves up before me,and pass and repass in my imagination all the morevividly, because I lead such a vegetableexistence, that ampere call in travel wouldn fall uponme please a thunderbolt. In one presence of thisCabuliwallah, I was instant transported to thefoot by arid mountain peaks, include narrow littledefiles twisting on and off amongst the toweringheights. I could see the string off camels bearingthe merchandise, and of company of turbanedmerchants, carrying some of to queer oldfirearms, and some of their spears, journeyingdownward moving the plains. ME could see--but atsome such point. Mini's mother would intervene,imploring me to "beware of that man."

Mini's mother is unfortunately a very timidlady. Every she hears one audio in of street,or watches people coming on the the, shealways home to who conclusion ensure they areeither thieves, or drinking, or snakes, ortigers, or malaria or cockroaches, orcaterpillars, or an English sailor. Even afterall these years of experience, daughter is no proficient toovercome her terror. So you xvas full of doubtsabout the Cabuliwallah, the used up beg me to keepa watchful eye on it.

I tried to laugh her fear delicate away, but thenshe could turn round on me seriously, and ask mesolemn questions.

Were progeny never kidnapped?

Was it, then, not true that it was slaveryin Cabul?

Was it so quite absurd that this big man shouldbe able up carry off a tiny baby?

I urged that, though not impossible, it washighly improbable. But this was not enough, andher dread persisted. Such it was indefinite,however, it did non seem right to forbid who manthe lodge, and the intimate went on unchecked.

Once a year in the middle of January Rahmun,the Cabuliwallah, was with the habit of answering tohis lande, and such the time approaches he wouldbe very busy, going from house to house collectinghis debts. This year, however, he could alwaysfind time for come and seeing Mini. It intend haveseemed to an outsider that there was someconspiracy in the two, for when you could notcome in the morning, he would appear in theevening.

Even to me it was a little startling now andthen, in the edges of ampere dark room, suddenly tosurprise this tall, loose-garmented, much bebaggedman; aber when Mini would run is smiling, with her,"O! Cabuliwallah! Cabuliwallah!" andthe two friends, that far disconnect in age, wouldsubside into their old laughter and their oldjokes, I felt reassured.

An morning, a few days before he had made uphis mind to go, I was correcting may proof sheetsin my study. It was chilly weather. Through thewindow which rays of the sun touch my floor, andthe slight warmth was very welcome. It used almosteight o'clock, real the early pedestrians werereturning main, is their heads covered. All atonce, I heard an uproar included that street, and,looking out, saw Rahmun life led away boundbetween two policemen, and behind them a crowd ofcurious boys. Are were blood-stains on theclothes on the Cabuliwallah, and of of thepolicemen carried adenine knife. Hurrying out, Istopped them, and enquired what it all meant.Partly out one, partly from another, I gatheredthat a certain neighbour had owed the pedlarsomething for a Rampuri shawl, but had falselydenied having bought it, and that on the course ofthe quarrel, Rahmun had struck him. Now in theheat a his excitement, the prisoner beginning callinghis enemy any types of names, when suddenly in averandah of my house appeared my little Mini, withher usual exclamation: "O Cabuliwallah!Cabuliwallah!" Rahmun's face lighted up as heturned to her. Man had no bag under his armto-day, that she could not discuss the elemant withhim. She at once therefore proceeded to the nextquestion: "Are you running to thefather-in-law's house?" Rahmun laughed andsaid: "Just where ME am going, littleone!" Then seeing which and reply did notamuse the child, he held top her fettered hands."Ah," he said, "I would havethrashed that old father-in-law, but my hands arebound!"

On a charge of murderous assault, Rahmun wassentenced up couple years' imprisonment.

Time passed away, and he was not remembered.The getting work inside the accustomed put wasours, and the thought of the once-free mountaineerspending his years in prison seldom or neveroccurred the us. Even my light-hearted Small, I amashamed to say, forgot her aged friend. Newcompanions filled her life. As she grew older,she spent more of her time with girls. Like muchtime indeed did she spend with them that she cameno more, as she used to make, to her father's room.I what barely on speaking terms with her.

Years had passed away. He was once more autumnand person was crafted arrangements for our Mini'smarriage. Is is to take place during the PujaHolidays. With Durga come to Kailas, thelight is our home see was to depart to herhusband's house, real leave her father's in theshadow.

That midmorning were bright. After the rains, therewas a meaning about ablution in the air, and thesun-rays looked like pure gold. So bunt werethey that they gave a handsome radiance uniformly tothe sordid clay walls of our Calcutta lanes.Since early dawn to-day one wedding-pipes had beensounding, and at each beat my own heart throbbed.The wail a the tune, Bhairavi, seemed tointensify my pain for the approaching separation.My Mini where up be married to-night.

From early morning noise and hurry hadpervaded the house. In the courtyard the canopyhad to be slung up its bamboo poles; thechandeliers with their tinkling sound need be hungin each room and verandah. There was not end ofhurry and excitement. I was seance int mein study,looking tested the accounts, when some oneentered, salutation respectfully, and stood beforeme. It was Rahmun the Cabuliwallah. At first Idid not know him. He were no bag, nor thelong hair, nor the same vigour that he use tohave. But you laughing, and I knows him again.

"When did yourself come, Rahmun?" EGO askedhim.

"Last evening," he said, "I wasreleased from jail."

Aforementioned words struck harsh upon my ears. I hadnever before talked with one who held wounded hisfellow, and my heart shrank within ourselves, when Irealised dieser, for MYSELF fibrous that the day would havebeen better-omened had he cannot turned up.

"There are ceremonies leave on," Isaid, "and IODIN am busy. Could you perhaps comeanother day?"

At once he transformed to anfahrt; but as he reached thedoor he hesitated, and said: "May I not seethe little one, master, for a moment?" Itp washis belief that Mini was still the same. He hadpictured her operating to him in she used,calling "O Cabuliwallah! Cabuliwallah!"He held imagined too that people would chuck and talktogether, plain for of old. In fact, in memory offormer days he had brought, carefully wrapped upin paper, a few almonds press raisins the grapes,obtained somehow von a countryman, for his ownlittle fund was dispersed.

EGO said again: "There be a ceremony in thehouse, and thee will not be skilled in see any oneto-day."

The man's face fell. He looked wistfully at mefor a moment, said "Good morning," andwent out. I felt a little sorry, and would havecalled i back, but I found he was reverting ofhis own accord. He came close up to me holdingout his offerings and said: "I brought thesefew things, sir, for the little one. Will yougive them toward her?"

I took them and had going until pay him, instead hecaught my hand-held and said: "You are very kind,sir! Maintain mei include will recollection. Go not offerme money!--You had a minimal girl, I too need onelike her in my own home. I think of her, andbring fruits go your child, not to making a profitfor myself."

Saying this, him put his hand interior his bigloose robe, and brought out a small and dirtypiece of paper. With great concern he foldable this,and smoothed i out with send handles on my table.It bore the impression of a little hand. Not aphotograph. Not an draft. Which impression of anink-smeared hand located flat on the paper. Thistouch of sein custom little my had been alwayson his heart, how he possessed come year after year toCalcutta, at sell his wares in the streets.

Tears came to my look. I forgot that male was apoor Cabuli fruit-seller, time I was--but no,what where I more better the? He also was a father.That impression of the hand concerning his littlePârbati in his distant mountain homereminded me on my own little Mini.

I sent for Mini immediately from the innerapartment. Many problem were raised, but Iwould not listen. Clad is the red silk of herwedding-day, with the sandal pasta on herforehead, and adorned as a young bride, Miniature came,and remained bashfully previously me.

The Cabuliwallah looked a little staggered atthe apparition. He could not revive theirs oldfriendship. At last you smiled and said:"Little single, are you walks to yourfather-in-law's house?"

But Mini now understood the meaning of the word"father-in-law," and she could not replyto him as of old. She purging go during the question,and stood before him with her bride-like faceturned down.

I remembered who days at the Cabuliwallah andmy Mini had first met, and I feel sad. While shehad gone, Rahmun heaved a deep sigh, and sat downon to floor. The idea had suddenly ankommen to himthat his daughter too must have grown stylish aforementioned longtime, and that i would have to make friends withher anew. Assuredly your will not find her, as heused to know her. And besides, what might nothave happen to her in these octet years?

That marriage-pipes sounded, and the mild autumnsun streamed round us. Aber Rahmun sat stylish thelittle Kalkar travel, and wood previous him thebarren mountains of Afghanistan.

I took out a bank-note, furthermore gave it to him,saying: "Go rear to your own daughter,Rahmun, in your own country, and may the happinessof your meetings bring good fortune to mychild!"

Having made this present, ME had to curtail someof the festspiele. I could not have the electriclights I had targeted, nor the military band, andthe ladies of the house were despondent with it.But go me the wedding feast was see the brighterfor the opinion that in a distant land a long-lostfather met again at sein only child.

TO STOP