Haran tossed bis head. “ I never discuss anything excitedly,” he said. “ I always have a due sense of responsi¬ bility for whatever I may say; so you need have no qualms on that score. What I said was not meant personally. I spoke on behalf of the Brahmo Samaj, and because it would have been wrong for me to remain silent. Unless you had been blind, you would have seen, from the one circumstance of Lolita travelling alone with Binoy Babu, that your family is beginning to drift away from its former safe anchorage. It is not only that it will give you cause to repent, but what is more, it will bring discredit on the Samaj.”
“ If censure be your object, such outside view is enough; but if you would judge, you must enter into the matter more deeply. The happening of an event is not enough to prove the guilt of a particular person.”
“ But what happens docs not happen of itself,” replied Haran. “ Something has gone wrong within you people which is making these things possible. You have boon bringing outsiders into the family circle, who are seeking to drag it away from its traditions. Can’t you see for yourself how far they have actually made you drift away? ” “ I am afraid, Panu Babu, we do not see eye to eye in these matters.” There wa9 a shade of annoyance in Paresh Babu’s tone.
“ You may refuse to see, but I ask Sucharita herself to bear witness. Let her tell us whether Binoy’s relationship with Lolita is only an external circumstance. Has it not rctrated deeply into their lives? — No, Sucharita, it won’t for you to go away; you must answer me first. The matter is a serious one.”
“ No matter how serious it may be, it is none of your business! " answered Sucharita sternly. • “ Had that been so,” said Haran, “ I would not have given the matter a thought, much less insisted on talking about it. You may not care for the Samaj, but so long as you are members, the Samaj cannot help passing its judgement on you.”
Lolita suddenly rushed in from somewhere, like a veritable whirlwind, saying: “ If the Brahmo Samaj has appointed you its judge, it is better for us to be out of it altogether! ’’ GORA CHAP.
“ Lolita, I am glad you are here,” said Haran as he rose from his chair. “ It’s but right that the charge against you should be discussed in your presence.”
Sucharita was really angry this time, and her eyes flashed fire as she cried: “ Hold court in your own house, Haran Babu, if you will. But we shall not submit to this right which you arrogate to yourself, of insulting people in their homes. — Come, Lolita, let us go.”
But Lolita would not budge. “ No, Didi,” she said. " I am not going to run away. I am prepared to hoar everything that P&nu Babu has to say. Come, sir, what is it you were saying? ” Haran being at a loss how to proceed, Paresli Babu inter¬ vened: “ Lolita, my dear, Sucharita is leaving us to-day. We must not have any wrangling this morning. — Panu Babu, whatever our faults may have been, for this occasion you must excuse, us.”
Haran was reduced to solemn silence, but the more Sucha¬ rita showed that she would have nothing to do with him, tho more obstinately did he become determined to secure her for his own. It was because he had not, even now, given up hopes of her, that Sucharita’s impending departure with her orthodox aunt had made him feel desperate, knowing that he could not follow her there.
So, to-day, he had come with all his deadliest weapons ready sharpened, prepared to force a decision that very morning. He had been sure that his moral shafts would go home every time. He had never dreamt that Sucharita and Lolita would make a stand with no less sharp arrows out of their own quiver.
But even his disappointment at the actual turn of events had not made him downhearted. Truth— that is to say Haran — must win: was not that his motto? Of course he would have to fight for it; and be girded up his loins for a renewed struggle from that day onwards.
Sucharita, meanwhile, had gone over to her aunt, and was saying to her: ‘‘ You must not mind, Auntie, if I take my meals with all of them to-day.”
To this Harimohini said nothing. She had thought that Sucharita had come entirely over to orthodoxy, and moreover, now that she was so independent by right of her own property, and was to live in a separate bouse, Harimohini had hoped that at last they would be able to lave everything their own way. She did not at all like this sudden lapse of Sucharita’s, and so kept silent.
XLV1I GORA Sucharita understood what was passing in her mind, and said: “ Let me assure you, Auntie, that- your God will bo pleased at this. Ho who is Lord of ray heart has told me to eat together with them all to-day. If I don’t obey His com¬ mand He will be angry, and I fear His anger more than yours.”
Harimohini could not understand this at all. So long as there had been the necessity of submitting to Mistress Baroda’s insults, Sucharita had joined in her orthodoxy, and shared in her humiliations. Now that the day had come for their deliverance, how was it that Sucharita did not jump at the chance?
It was clear that Ilarimoliini had not fathomed the depth of her niece’s mind— perhaps it was beyond her altogether.
Though she did not actually forbid Sucharita, she felt annoyed with her. “ Where did the girl get this shocking taste for impure food? ” she grumbled to herself. “And she was born in a Brahmin home too! ” Then after a short silence she said aloud: “ One word, though, my dear. Do as you plcaso about eating with them, but at least don’t drink water drawn by that bearer! ” " Why, Auntie! ” exclaimed Sucharita. “ Isn’t he that very Ramdin who milks his cow for you and brings you your milk every morning? ” Harimohini’s eyes opened wide in astonishment as she said: “ You take my breath away, my dear! To compare water with milk, — as if the same rules apply to both! ” “ All right, Auntie,” said Sucharita, laughing, “ I won’t take any water from Ramdin’s hand to-day. But let me warn you that you had better not forbid Satish, because then he will be sure to do just the opposite.”
“ Oh, Satish is another matter,” observed Harimohini.— Were not the stronger sex privileged to break all rules and evade all discipline, imposed even by orthodoxy?
CHAPTER XLVII Haran had been on the war path.
About two weeks had passed since the day Lolita had accompanied Binoy on the steamer to Calcutta. A few people had already heard about it, and more had been coming to hear of it in the usual course, but now within two days the news spread like a fire in dry straw.
GORA CHAP.
GORA CHAP.
Haran had explained to many people how important it was to check this kind of individual misconduct, in the interests of the very structure of Brahmo family life. This did not prove a difficult task, for it is always easy to obey with alacrity the call of truth and duty, when it prompts us to contemn and punish others’ transgressions. And the majority of the important members of the Samaj were not deterred bv any false modesty from joining Haran with due enthusiasm in the performance of this painful duty. These pillars of the sect did not even grudge the hire of the conveyances which took them from house to house ia order to proclaim the danger in which the Brahmo Samaj stood if this kind of thing wero to be condoned.
In addition to this, the news soon went the round — with embellishments — that Suchacita had not only turned orthodox but had taken shelter in the house of a Hindu aunt, and was spending her days in worshipping idols, making sacrifices, and indulging in all kinds of superstitious austerities.
Meanwhile, after Sueharita’s departure to her own home, a great struggle had been going on in Lolita’s mind. Every night when she went to bed she vowed she would never own defeat, and every morning when she got up she would repeat her resolve. For it had come to this pass, that the thought of Biuoy had taken complete possession of her mind. If she heard his voice in the room below, her heart would begin to beat faster. If ho did not happen to call for two or three days her mind was tortured with injured pride. She would then contrive to send Satish to his friend’s lodgings on various •pretexts, and when Satish returned she would try to worm out of him every detail of what Binoy had said and done when he was there.
The more uncontrollable this obsession of Lolita’s grew, the more anxious did she become with the fear of impending defeat. So much so, that she sometimes even felt angry with her father because he had not put a stop to their intimacy with Binoy and Gora.
Anyhow, sho was now fully determined to fight to the bitter end, feeling she would rather die than admit defeat. She began to imagine all kinds of ways in which she would pass her days. She even thought that it would be quite possible for her to emulate the glories of some of tho Euro¬ pean women of whom she had read, by devotion to a life of philanthropy.
One day she went to P&rcsh Babu and said: “ Father, XLvn GORA 225 wouldn't it be possible for mo to take up teaching work in some Girls’ School? ” Paresh Babu looked in his daughter’s face, and could see that her eyes were pleading to be saved from the hunger of her heart. He said soothingly: “ Why not, my dear? But is there a suitable Girls’ School? ” At this time there were not many suitable schools, for although there were one or two elementary institutions for girls, women of the upper classes had not taken to teaching work. “Aren’t there any then? ” asked Lolita with a note of despair.
“ Not that I know of,” Paresh Babu had to admit.
“ Then, father, couldn’t we start one? ” pursued Lolita.
“ That would require a great deal of money, I am afraid,” said Paresh Babu, ‘^and also many people to help.”
Lolita bad always thought that the difficulty was in en¬ couraging the desire to do good works, — she had never known before what obstacles there could be in the fulfilment of such a desire. After a short silence she got up and left the room, leaving Paresh Babu trying to fathom the cause of this pain at his beloved daughter’s heart.
He was suddenly reminded of the insinuation about Binoy, made by Ilaran the other day, and heaving a sigh lie asked himself: “ Have I then indeed been acting injudiciously? ” In the case of any of his other daughters it would not have mattered so much, but to Lolita her life was something very true. She could not do things by halves, and her joys and eorrows were never half real, half imaginary.
That same noon Lolita went over to Sucharita’s house. It was but sparingly furnished. A country-made durry covered the floor of the principal room, on one side of which her bed was spread and on the other Harimohini’s; for, as her aunt did not use a bedstead, Sucharita followed her example by making her bed on the floor in the 6ame room. On the wall hung a portrait of Paresh Babu, and in the next room, which was a small one, was Satish’s bed, with books and exercises and ink- stand and pens lying scattered about in confusion on a table against the wall. Satish himself had gone to school. The house was steeped in silence.
Harimohini was preparing for her siesta after her meal, and Sucharita, her loose hair hanging over her shoulders, was seated on her own bed, with a pillow on her lap, on which rested the book that she was deeply engrossed in reading. In front of her lay several other books. When she suddenly saw Lolita come the into room, Sucharita shut her book in some H2 GORA CHAP confusion, but immediately her sense of shame itself got the better of her shame, and she reopened the book at tbe page she had been reading. These were volumes of Gora’s writings.
Harimohini sat up and cried: “ Come in, come in, my little mother. Don’t I know how Sucharita’s heart must be aching for the sight of you! She always reads those books when she is sad. I was just thinking, as I lay here, how nice it would be if one of you were to come round, and here you are I Yon will b‘ve long, my dear! ” Lolita at once plunged into the subject which was upper¬ most in her mind. The moment she had sat down she said: “ Suchi Didi, bow would it be if we started a school for the girls of our neighbourhood? ” “Just listen to her!” exclaimed Harimohini aghast. “ What will you do with a school? ” “ How could we start one, dear? ” asked Sucharita. “ Who would help us? Have you spoken to father about it? ” “ Both of us can teach, surely! ” explained Lolita, “ and perhaps Labonya will join us.”
“ It is not only a question of teaching,” observed Sucharita. " There’ll have to be rules and regulations for managing the school; we must have a suitable house, secure pupils and collect funds. What can girls like us do about all this? ” “ Didi, you mustn’t talk like that! ” exclaimed Lolita. “ Because we have been born girls, are we to wear our hearts out within the four walls of our home? Are we never to be of any use to the world? ” The pain' that was in these words found a response in Sucharita’s heart. She began to revolve the matter seriously in her mind.
“ There are plenty of girls in our neighbourhood,” went on Lolita. “ Their parents would be only too pleased if we offered to teach them free of charge. And, as for a house, we can easily find room for the few pupils who arc likely to join at first, in this very house of yours. So the money question would not be any great difficulty.”
Harimohini became thoroughly alarmed at the idea of all the strange girls of the neighbourhood invading the house for their schooling. All her efforts were concentrated on regulating her conduct and performing her religious ceremonies, accord¬ ing to scriptural injunctions, carefully secluded from all chance of contamination. And she was roused into making a definite protest at this danger of her seclusion being violated.
Sucharita said: “ You needn’t be afraid, Auntie. If we 3XVII GORA get the pupils at all, we can manage quite well to carry on our class downstairs. We won’t let them come up to worry you. So, Lolita, if we can but get any pupils, I am quite ready to join you."
“ There’s no harm in our having a good try, anyway,” said Lolita.
Ilarimohini continued to grumble mildly, saying: “ What makes you always want to do as the Christians do, my little mothers? I have never heard of Hindu gentlewomen wanting to teach in a school — never in my life 1 " From the roof of Parcsh Babu's house a regular intercourse had been kept up with the girls on the roofs of the neighbouring houses. There was, however, one obstacle to the progress of their intimacy, and that was the surprise which the others did not hesitate to express, and the inquisitive questions which they did not refrain from asking, as to why the girls of Paresh Babu’s family, who had grown so big, were not yet married. Lolita, in fact, for this reason, rather avoided these roof-to-roof conversations.
Labonya, on the other hand, was the most enthusiastic member of these meetings, for she had unbounded curiosity in regard to the family histories of her neighbours. Her afternoon at homes, under the open sky, while engaged in doing her hair on the roof terrace, were well attended, and all kinds of news passed between the neighbours by aerial service.
So Lolita entrusted to Labonya the task of collecting pupils for her intended school, and when the proposal was thus proclaimed from the roof-tops many of the girls showed great enthusiasm. In the meantime Lolita began to make ready the lower room of Sucbarita’s house, sweeping and scrubbing and decorating it with great eagerness..
But the schoolroom remained empty. The heads of the neighbouring families were furious at this attempt to inveigle their daughters into a Brahmo house on the pretext of teaching them. They even regarded it as their duty to forbid their daughters to hold any further communication with Paresh Babu’s girls, and not only were they thus deprived of their evening airing on the roof terrace, but had to hear a great deal about their Brahmo friends which was not exactly compli¬ mentary. Poor Labonya, when she now went up in the evening, comb in hand, found the neighbouring roofs peopled with the elder generation of her neighbours, with not a sign of the younger, nor of the cordial greetings which she was accustomed to receive from them.
GORA CHAP.
GORA CHAP.
But Lolita did not stop here. “ There are qnitc a number of poor Brahmo girls,” she said, “ who cannot afford to go to the Bethunc school. It would be doing them a service if we take charge of their schooling; ” and she not only began to look out for such pupils, but asked Sudhir to help her.
Tho fame of Paresh Babu’s daughters’ accomplishments had spread far, in fact what was rumoured far surpassed the truth. So when they heard that these girls were ready to teach without taking any fees, many parents were only too delighted.
. In a very few days Lolita’s school "had made a fair start with about half a dozen pupils, and she was so busy discussing with Paresh Babu all the rules and arrangements for her school that she had not a single moment to give to her own thoughts. She even had a hot discussion with Labonya as to what kind of prizes should be given after the examination at the end of the year; and also as to who should be the examiner.
Although no love was lost between Labonya and Haran, yet Labonya was under the spell of Iluran’s great reputation for learning, and she had not the least doubt that if he were to assist in the work of the school, whether by teaching or examining, it would add greatly to its glory. But Lolita would not hear of it. She could not bear that" Haran should have any hand in this work of theirs at all.
Shortly after the start, however, pupils began to dwindle, until one day the class was altogether empty. Sitting in her silent schoolroom, Lolita started at every footstep, hoping against hope that it was some pupil turning up at last, but no one came. When thus it came on to two o’clock, she felt sure that something had gone wrong, so she went off to the liouso of a girl who lived quite close. There she found her pupil on the brink of tears. “ Mother would not let me go," she cried.
" It upsets the house so,” explained the mother herself, without making it at all clear what there was so upsetting about it. Lolita was a sensitive girl, and never cared to press any one in whom she saw any sign of unwillingness, nor even to ask tho reason, so she merely said: “ If it is not convenient, then why worry about it? ” At the next house she went to, she heard another reason.
“ Sucharita has become orthodox,” they blurted out. " Sho observes caste, she worships idols which are kept in the house."
“ If that be the objection, we can hold the school in our own house,” suggested Lolita.
But as even this did not seem to remove their pbjection, Lolita felt sure that there must be something more behind it.
XLVII GORA So without going round to any other houses, she went home, sent for Sudhir, and asked him: “ Tell me, Sudhir, what is it that has really happened? ” “ Panu Babu is up in arms against this school of yours,” replied Sudhir.
“ Why? " asked Lolita. “ Is it because idols are worshipped in Didi’s house, or what? ” “ Not only that,” began Sudhir, but stopped short.
" What else is it tlien? ” asked Lolita impatiently. “ Won't you tell me? ” “ Oh! It’s a long story! ” evaded Sudhir.
“ Anything to do with my own shortcomings? ” When Sudhir still remained silent, Lolita’s face flushed angrily as she exclaimed: “ My punishmeut for the steamer incident, I see! There’s no way, then, of atoning for in¬ discretions in our Samaj,— is that the idea? So I’m to be shut out from all good work in our own community! That’s the kind of method you have adopted for my moral uplift and that of the Samaj, is it? ” Sudhir tried to soften the indictment by saying: “ It’s not quite that. What they are really afraid of is, lest’Binoy Babu and his friend might gradually get mixed up in this school work.”
This made Lolita angrier still. “ Afraid? ” she retorted. “ Why, that would be a splendid stroke of luck for us! Do they think they could furnish us with any helpers half as competent? ” “ Yes, that’s true enough,” faltered Sudhir, confused by her excitement. “ But then, Binoy Babu isu’t - ” “ Isn’t a Brabmo, I know,” interrupted Lolita. “ So he is taboo to the Brahmo Samaj I I don’t see much to be proud of in such a Samaj! ” Sucharita meanwhile had at once divined the real reason for the desertion of their school by its pupils. She had left the schoolroom without a word, and had gone upstairs to Satish to prepare him for his ensuing examination.
There Lolita found her, after she tame back from Sudhir, and said: “ Have you heard what has happened? ” “ I have not hoard anything, but I have understood, all the same,” replied Sucharita.
“ And must we quietly suffer all this? ” asked Lolita.
Sucharita took Lolita by the hand as she said: “ Let us quietly suffer whatever may befall, for there is no disgrace in suffering. Haven’t you seen how calmly father suffers every¬ thing? ” GORA CHAP.
" But Suchi Didi,” expostulated Lolita. “ It has often seemed to me that one puts a premium on evil by suffering it without protest. The proper remedy for evil is to fight against it.”
“ Well, what kind of fight would you put up, dear? ” inquired Sucharita.
“ I haven’t thought about that yet,” replied Lolita. “ I don’.t even know what I have the power to do — but something certainly must be done. Those who can attack mere girls like us, in this underhand way, are no better than cowurds, no matter how great they may think themselves to be. But I am not going to take defeat a: their hands, I tell you, — never! I don’t care what trouble they may put us to, for showing fight I ” and she stamped her foot as she spoke.
Sucharita, without giving any answer, gently stroked Lolita’s hand, and then after a little said: “ Lolita, dear, let us first sec what father thinks about it.”
“ I’m just going to him,” said Lolita, getting up.
As she came near the door of their house, Lolita caught aight of Binoy coming out with downcast face. On seeing her he stopped awhile, as though he were debating with him¬ self whether to speak to her or not, and then restraining himself, he bowed towards her slightly and went off, without raising his eves to her face.
Lolita felt as if her heart had been pierced by burning arrows, and entering the house hurriedly, she went straight to her mother’s room. There she found Mistress Baroda sitting at the table and apparently trying to give her mind to an account-book which lay open before her.
Baroda was quick to take alarm at sight of Lolita’s face, and her glance at once fell back on her accounts, the study of which she pursued with such zeal that it appeared as if the family solvency entirely depended on their being properly balanced.
Lolita drew a chair up to the table and sat down, but still her mother did not look up. At last Lolita called her: “ Mother 1” “ Wait a moment, child,” complained Baroda, “ can’t you ace I am - ’’ and she bent lower over her figures.
“ I'm not going to disturb you for long,” said Lolita. “ I just want to know one thing. Has Binoy Babu been here? ” Without lifting her eyes from the account-book. Mistress Baroda said: “ Yes.”
“ What did you say to him 1 ” XLvn GORA 231 “ I only want to know whether you talked about me or not,” persisted Lolita.
Seeing no means of escape, Baroda threw down her pen and, looking up, said: “ Yes, child, we did! Haven’t I seen that things have gone too far — every one in the Samaj is talking about it, so I had to give him a warning.”
Lolita flushed all over with the shame of it, and the blood mounted to her head. “ Has father forbidden Binoy Babu to come hero any more? ” she asked.
“ Do you think he bothers his head about all these matters? ” replied Baroda. “ If he had done so, all this need never have happened.”
“ And is Panu Babu to be allowed to come here just the same? ” pursued Lolita.
41 Just listen to her! Why shouldn’t Panu Babu come? exclaimed Mistress Baroda.
44 Then why shouldn’t Binoy Babu too? ” Mistress Baroda drew the account-book towards her again, and said: “ Lolita, I can’t argue with you! Don’t worry me now, I’ve got such a lot of work to get through.”
Baroda had taken the opportunity of Lolita’s absence at her school during the middle of the day to call Binoy to her and give him a piece of her miud. Lolita would never know anything about it, she had thought, so she was now thoroughly upset to find that her little stratagem had been discovered. She realised that the peaceful solution she had tried to bring about was no longer in sight,— rather greater trouble loomed ahead. But all her anger was directed towards that irresponsible husband of hers. What a plight for a woman to have to keep house with such a dunderhead!
Lolita went away with a devastating storm racing in her heart. Going downstairs she found Paresh Babu writing letters in his room, and without any preliminary she asked him point-blank: 44 Father, is Binoy Babu not worthy of mixing with us? ” Paresh Babu immediately understood the situation. lie had not been unaware of the agitation against his family which was taking place in their Samaj, and he had been giving serious thought to the matter. Had ho not suspected the nature of Lolita’s feelings towards Binoy, he would not have taken the least notice of what outsiders were saying. But if love for Binoy had grown in Lolita’s heart, then, he asked him¬ self again and again, what was his duty towards them?
This was the first time a crisis had occurred in his family’ GORA CHAP.
since he had openly left orthodoxy to embrace Brahmoism. So that, while' on the one hand apprehensions and misgivings assailed him from all sides, on the other, his conscience, roused to alertness, was warning him that just as when leaving bis original religion he had looked to God alone, now in this time of trial he should once again place the truth above all social or prudential considerations, and therewith win through.
So, in answer to Lolita’s question, Paresh Babu said: “I regard Binoy as a very line man indeed. His character is excellent, and he is as cultured as he is clever.”
“ Gour Babu’s mother has been to see us twice within the last few days,” said Lolita, after a brief silence. “ So I was thinking of taking Suchi Didi along to return her call."
Paresh Babu was unable to give an answer immediately, for he knew that at such a time, when every movement of theirs was being discussed, such a visit would only add to the scaudal that surrounded them. But, so long as he saw nothing wrong in it, he felt he could not forbid it, so he said: “ All right, you two go along. I would have come too, if I had not been so busy.”
CHAPTER XLYIII CHAPTER XLYIII Binoy had never in his dreams imagined that his coming and going so thoughtlessly, like a guest and friend, to Paresh Babu’s house, would be the cause of such an activo volcanic eruption in their society. When he had first gone there he had felt a certain shyness, and because he was not sure to what limits he had the right to go he always walked circum¬ spectly. But gradually as bis timidity decreased, it never even occurred to him that there was the least fear of danger, and now that he heard for the first time that his conduct had given rise in the Brahmo Society to scandal about Lolita, he was thunderstruck. He was above all distressed because he was well aware that his feeling for Lolita far exceeded that of ordinary friendship, and in the present state of society he regarded it as a crime to entertain such feelings where there was such a difference of social customs. He had often thought that it was difficult for him to define his exact position as a trusted guest of that family. In one particu ar he had felt that he was a fraud, and that if he made his real feelings clear to them all it would be a matter to be ashamed of.
XL VIII GORA XL VIII GORA It was while his feelings were in this state that one day he received a note from Bordashundari asking him to come specially at noon to see her. When he arrived she asked him: ‘ Binoy Babu, you arc a Hindu, aren’t you? ” and when he admitted the fact he was asked the further question: “ You are not ready to leave the Hindu society are you? ” To this he replied that he was not, whereupon Bordashundari said: “ Then why do you -? ” To this half-finished question Binoy was unable to give any definite answer, but he sat with his face averted, feeling as if he had at last been found out. Some¬ thing which lie had wanted to keep secret even from the sun, and moon, and the air was then known to every one here! Ho could only think to himself: “ What docs Paresh Babu think about it, what docs Lolita think about it, and what docs Sucharita think of me? ” By some angel’s blunder he had found a place in this heaven for a short time — and now, so soon after entering it, he must bo banished for ever with his head bowed in shame.