Krishnadayal considered himself quite outside the rights and wrongs of worldly alTairs, so he inquired with an indifferent air: “ What is wrong? ” “ We ought not to deceive Gora another singlo day,” explained Anandamoyi. “ The situation is getting more and more complicated.”
When Gora had raised the subject of his penance ceremony this question had occurred to Krishnadayal, but afterwards he had become so absorbed in the application of various methods of asceticism that he had found no further leisure to think about it.
“ Soshimukhi’s wedding is being talked of, and is likely to take place in the month of Phalgun,” continued Ananda¬ moyi. “ Up to now, whenever there was to be any ceremony in our house, I used to take Gora off with me somewhere on some excuse or other, but there has never been a ceremony of very great importance until the present. But what shall we do with him on the occasion of Soshi’s wedding? tell me that. The evil increases every day. I ask God’s forgiveness twice every day, and ask that He will let me bear any punish¬ ment that may be necessary. But I am all the time afraid that it will not be possible to hide it any longer, and that will mean a catastrophe for Gora. Now I want you to give me permission to speak out to him without reserve aud let me bear what my fate has in store for me.”
What is the meaning of this interruption to Krisbnadayal’s austerities which Indra has sent him? Lately his practice of asceticism had been very strict — he had been performing almost impossible feats with his breathing, and he had so reduced the quantity of his food that it would not be long before his stomach would be touching his backbone. And it was at such a time that such a calamity was befalling him!
“ Are you mad? ” exclaimed Krishnadayal. “ If you make this known now I shall have to make some very difficult explanations — my pension will most certainly be stopped, and we may even have trouble with the police. What has been done has been done. Do what you can to put a check- on things — and if you fail that will not be so terrible a crime."
Krishnadayal had decided that after his death they could LX VII GORA do whut they liked, but before it he wanted simply to be left to himself. Apart from that, if he did not pay any attention to what was happening to others without his know¬ ledge, it would somehow come out all right.
Not being able to decide what ought to be done Ananda- moyi looked very gloomy, and standing up for a little, said: “ Don’t you see how ill you are looking? Your body - ” “ Body! ” interrupted Krishnadayal with a slight laugh, and his voice was raised in impatience at such on exhibition of stupidity on the part of his wife. No satisfactory conclusion to this matter having been arrived at, Krishnadayal sat down again on his deerskin and plunged into his studies.
In the meantime Mohim was seated in the outer room with his sannyasi, engaged in an earnest discussion on the highest end of man and other deep principles of the religious life. Whether salvation was possible for a family man or not, was the question which he was propounding with such humblo and anxious attention that it seemed that his whole life depended upon its answer. The sannyasi tried his best to console Mohim by saying that though salvation was not possible for a family man yet heaven was attainable, but Mohim was not to be comforted by such an assurance. It was salvation that he longed for. He bad no use for a mere heaven! If only he could once get his daughter married off satisfactorily then he would devote himself to the service of the sannyasi and the attainment of salvation. There was no one who could divert him from this purpose! But to marry off his daughter was no easy matter. If only his guru would have pity on him 1 CHAPTER LXVII Remembering that there had been some amount of self- delusion in his relationship with Sucharita, Gora determined to be more cautious. He felt that his laxity in following the accustomed path was due to the strong fascination which had made him forget his obligations to society.
When he had finished his morning worship Gora went into his room and found Parcsh Babu waiting for him. On seeing him he felt a sudden thrill, for it was impossible for him not to feel that his relationship with Paresh Babu was of an especially intimate nature.
GORA CHAP.
Gora having made his obeisance to him, Paresh Babu said: “ You have of course heard of Binoy’s coming marriage.”
“ Yes,” assented Gora.
“ He is not prepared to be married according to Brahmo rites,” added Paresh Babu. w “ In that case the marriage ought not to take place, observed Gora.
“ We need not enter into an argument on that point, laughed Paresh Babu. “ None of the members of our com¬ munity will attend the wedding, and I have heard that none of Binoy’s own relations will come. On my daughter’s side there is only myself, and on Binoy’s side I suppose there is no one but yourself, and that is why I have come to havo a consultation with you.”
“ What is the use of consulting mo about it? ” exclaimed Gora, shaking his head. “ I will have nothing to do with the affair.”
“ You will not? ” said Paresh Babu, looking at him in amazement.., For a moment Gora felt ashamed when he noticed Paresh Babu’s astonishment, but because he felt ashamed he exclaimed with redoubled firmness: “ How is it possible for me to have anything to do with it? ” “ I know that you are his friend,” observed Paresh Babu, “ and it is at such a time that the need of a friend is greatest, is it not? " “ I am his friend, that is true,” answered Gora, “ but that is not the only tic I have in the world, nor the most important “ Gora,” inquired Paresh Babu, “ do you think that in Binoy’s conduct there has been anything wrong or irreligious shown? ” “ Religion has two aspects to it,” answered Gora. “ One aspect is the eternal, the other the worldly. Where religion is revealed through the laws of society you cannot disregard it without bringing ruin on society.”
“ There arc countless laws,” said Paresh Babu, “ but have you to take it for granted that in every one of them religion is revealed? ” Paresh Babu here touched Gora in such a spot that his mind was stirred of itself, and from that stirring he reached some definite conclusion. He in fact felt no further hesitation in speaking quite freely of all that was in his heart. The main purport of what he said was that, if we do not submit our- LXVII GOKA selves completely to society through the restraining influence of such laws, then we place obstacles in the way of the deepest inner purpose for which society exists; for that purpose lies concealed, and it is not within the power of every one to see it clearly. There we want to have some power, apart from that of our own judgement, by which we can show our respect for society.
Paresh Babu listened attentively to what Gora had to say up to the very end, and then when, feeling in his mind a little ashamed of his own boldness, he stopped, Paresh Babu said: “ I agree in the main with what you have been saying. It is true enough that God has some special purpose to perform in every society, and that purpose is not completely evident to everybody. But it is man’s task to try to see it clearly, and not to regard it as his chief aim in life to obey rules as though he were os unconscious as the branch of a tree.”
“ My point is this,” explained Gora, “ if wc first of all obey society fully from every point of view then our con¬ sciousness of its real purpose will become clear! If wc merely quarrel with it, we not only obstruct it but misunderstand it also.”
“ Truth cannot be tested except by opposition and obstacles,” argued Paresh Babu, “ the testing of truth has not been carried out once and for all by a group of learned men in some past age; truth has to be discovered anew through the blows and opposition it encounters from the people of every age. However that may be, I do not want to start a discussion on all these matters. I respect the freedom of the individual, for through the blows inflicted by the liberty of the individual wc can know for certain what is everlasting truth, and what is transitory fancy. The welfare of society depends upon our knowing this or at least attempting to do so.”
Having said this both Paresh Babu and Gora stood up. and Paresh Babu went on: “I had thought that out of respect for the Brahmo Samaj I would have to keep a little apart from this marriage ceremony, and that you, being Binoy’s friend, would bring the whole matter to a satisfactory conclusion. In such circumstances a friend has an advantage over relations, for he does not have to bear the opposition of the community, but when you, too, think it your duty to forsake Binoy, then I must assume the whole responsibility. I shall have to manage the whole affair alone.”
Gora did not know when he heard that word “ alone ” how M GORA CIIAP.
truly alone Parcsh Babu was. Bordashundari was against him, his own daughters were not pleased with him, and in fear of Harimohini’s disapproval he had not even called Sucharita to consult her about this wedding. Then all the members of the Brahmo Samaj were at daggers drawn with him, and, as for Binoy’s uncle, he had written two letters to Paresh Babu abusing him in most offensive terms as a kidnapper of youth, and an insincere and evil adviser.
As Parcsh Babu was going out he was met at the door by Abinash and two or three other members of Corn’s party. These young men, on seeing Paresh Babu, began to joke and laugh at him, but Gora turned on them indignantly and exclaimed: “ If you have not tho power to feel respect for a man who is worthy of honour, you might at least avoid such meanness as to jeer at him.”
Gora found himself once more plunged into the affairs of his party in the old-accustomed channels. But how distasteful they were to him now! All seemed so flavourless, so insig¬ nificant. It was impossible to call this 41 work,” it was so lifeless. Merely lecturing and writing like this and forming a party was not real work, rather it seemed to make the impossibility of work more widespread. Never before had Gora felt this so keenly. He was no longer attracted to all this; he wanted an absolutely true channel through which his life, trembling with his newly acquired power, could flow unobstructed.
In the meantime, the preparations for the ceremony of penance were going ahead, and in them at least Gora felt a certain amount of enthusiasm. This was to be a ceremony to cleanse him not only from the pollutions of his gaol life, but it was to make him pure again from every point of view, so that he could take as it were a new body for the field of his own work which he wanted to enter upon in his second birth. A dispensation for the penance had been obtained, the actual day had been fixed — preparations were being made for send¬ ing invitations to several well-known pandits from East and West, the wealthier members of Gora’s party had collected money for the expenses, and all the members of the party were under the impression that at last a great work was going to be accomplished in their country. Abinash had had secret consultations with his own circle as to the possibility of getting the pandits, just when they were dispensing all the customary flowers, sandal-paste, grains of paddy, and sacred grass, to bestow the title of “ The Light of the Hindu Religion ” LXVIIt GORA LXVIIt GORA upon Gora. Several Sanskrit slokas were to be printed in letters of gold on a parchment which was to be signed by all the Brahmin pandits and would then be presented to Gora in a box of sandalwood. After that a fine edition of Max Muller’s book on the Rig Veda, bound in the most exjttnsive morocco cover, would be offered to him by the oldest and most honoured of the learned men present as a token of the blessings of India herself. In this way would be beautifully expressed the appreciation they felt for Gora, who in the present fallen state of Hinduism had done so much to preserve the ancient forms of the Vedic religion.
In this manner, quite unknown to Gora, every day amongst the members of his party discussions were taking place as to how best they could make the ccremouy of that day most productive and pleasing to all concerned.
CHAPTER LX VI II Hartmohini had received a letter from her brother-in-law, Kailash. He had written: “ By the blessing of your gracious feet all arc well here, and I hope you wiS remove all our anxiety about you by sending us good news of yourself.” This he wrote in spite of the fact that from the moment Harimohini had left their house, they had not made the least effort to obtain any information as to her welfare. Having given the news of Khudi, Potol, Bhojohari, etc., Kailash wrote in conclusion: “I would like you to give me further particulars about the bride whom you have suggested for me m your last letter. You have said that she is about twelvo or thirteen years of age, but exceptionally well. developed for so young a girl, and looks quite grown-up. There is nothing to complain of about that, but I want you to make careful inquiries about the property which you mention, as to whether she has only a life-interest in it or whether it belongs to her without any qualifications. Then I can consult with my elder brothers, and I think they will raise no objection. I am glad to hear that she is firm in her devotion to the Hindu religion, but wc must try our best to prevent it becoming known that she has lived so long in a Brahmo family, so do not mention this to any one else. There is to be a bathing festival in the Ganges at the next lunar eclipse, and if I caD 348 GORA chap.
manage it I shall come to Calcutta and shall be able to see the girl then.”
So long Harimohini had been managing somehow to live in Calcutta, but as soon as a slight hope of being able to return to her father-in-law’s house began to take shape in her mind she found it difficult to remain there patiently. Her banishment every day became more unbearable to her, and if she could have had her way she would have spoken to Sucharita at once and tried to settlo the day! But she had not the courage to be too hasty, for the more closely she came into contact with Sucharita the more clearly she realised that sho was unable to understand her.
Harimohini, however, began to wait for her opportunity, and sho started to keep a much stricter eye on Sucharita than before. She began even to lessen the time she had been accustomed to give to her devotious, as she did not want to let her companion out of her sight.
Sucharita on the other hand noticed that Gora had suddenly stopped coming, and though she felt sure that Harimohini had said something to him, she comforted herself by saying: “ Well, even if he docs not come — still he is my guru — my guru.”
The influence of an absent guru is often much greater than that of one who is constantly present, for then the mind itself becomes filled from within when it feels the lack of the guru’s Eresence. Where, if Gora had been with her in person, ucharita would have argued with him, she now read his essays and accepted them without disputing them. If there was anything she could not understand she felt sure that if he had been there to explain she would have understood it!
But her hunger for the sight of his bright face and the sound of his thundering voice became so incessant that it seemed as if it were causing her very body to waste. From time to time she would think, with intense pain, how many people there were who could see Gora at any time of day or night without any difficulty, but who did not realise in tho least the value of their privilege!
One afternoon Lolita came and, putting her arm round Sucharita’s neck, said: “ Well, sister Suchi! ” “ What is it, sister Lolita? ” asked Sucharita.
" Everything has been settled.”
“ What day is it to be? ” “ Monday.”
G, XVI II GORA “ I know -nothing about all that, father knows that,” replied Lolita with a shake of her head.
“ Are you happy, sister? ” inquired Sucharita, placing ther arm round Lolita’s waist.
“ Why shouldn’t I be happy? ” exclaimed Lolita.
“ Now that you have got everything you wanted,” answered Sucharita, “ and now that you will have no one else to quarrel with, I was afraid that your keenness would receive a check! ” “ Why should there be a lack of people to quarrel with? ” fluugbcd Lolita. “ Now it will not be necessary to search outside iny own home! ” “ So that’s it, is it? ” exclaimed Sucharita, playfully patting her on her cheek, “ you are beginning to plan all •that already are you? I will tell Binoy, thore’s still time! The poor follow ought to be warned! ” “ It’s too late to warn your poor fellow now! ” exclaimed Lolita. “There is no escape for him I The crisis which is (mentioned in his horoscope is on him — now he will have to weep and beat his brow.”
“ But, really and truly, Lolita, I can’t tell you how happy I am about it,” said Sucharita, suddenly becoming serious. ■“ I only pray that you may bo worthy of a husband like Binoy.”
“Fugh! Indeed! And is no one to become worthy of a wife like me? ” exclaimed Lolita. “ Just talk to him on that subject once and see what he has to say I Hear what Jus opinion is, and you will soon repent that you have so long failed to appreciate the affection of such an extraordinary and wonderful person — that you could have been so blind! ” “ All right then, at last an expert has arrived on the scene,” said Sucharita, “ and there’s no more cause for sorrow, for lie has got what he wanted at the price he wanted to pay lor it. So there will be no need for you to test the affection of inexperienced people like us 1 ” “ No need indeed! ” exclaimed Lolita. “ There’ll be plenty of need! ” and she pinched Sucharita’s check, slyly saying: “ I want your affection always. It will never do if you cheat me by bestowing it elsewhere! ” “ I will give it to no one else, no one else,” said Sucharita •assuringly, laying her cheek against Lolita’s.
“ To no one else? ” asked Lolita. “ Are you absolutely •sure— to no one? ” Sucharita merely shook her head, whereupon Lolita sat down at a little distance and said: “ Look here, Suchi Didi, GORA CHAP.
you know well enough, dear, that I should never have bcen> able to bear it if you had given your affection to some one- else. I have kept silent all this time, but to-day I will speak out. When Gourmohan Babu used to come to our house — ' no, Didi, you mustn’t be shy— what I have to say I will say fully to-day, for though I never keep anything secret from, you, so long I have somehow not been able to speak openly about this one thing, and I have often felt pained because of that. But, now that I am parting from you, I can’t keep it to myself any longer. When Gourmohan Babu first began to- come to our house I used to get very angry. Why was I angry? You used to think that I didn’t understand any¬ thing, didn’t you? I noticed that you never mentioned his. name to me, and that only made me still more angry! It was unbearable to mo to think that the time might come when you would love him more than me — no, Didi, you must let me finish— and I can’t tell you what agony I endured for that reason. Now, too, you will not speak to me about him I know, but I am no longer angry about it. I can’t tell you, dear, how happy I would be if you and - ” but Sucharita suddenly interrupted her, by placing her hand over her mouth, and said: “ Lolita, I beg you, do not say such things! When I hear you speak like that, I feel like sinking into the ground! ” “ Why not, sister, has he - ” began Lolita, but Sucharita.
interrupted her once more in great distress. “ No! No f No! You arc talking os though you were mad! You ought not to speak of what one cannot even contemplate! ” “ But, sister, this is affectation on your part,” complained Lolita, being annoyed at her hesitation. “ I’ve been watching very carefully, and I can assure you - ” But Sucharita would not let her finish. She snatched away her hands from Lolita’s and went out of the room, with Lolita running after her, and saying: “ Very well, I won’t say any¬ more about it.”
" Never again! ” begged Sucharita.
“ I can’t make such a serious promise as that,” replied Lolita. “ If my day comes then I will speak, otherwise not. That much I can promise.”
For the past few days Harimohini had been keeping a constant eye upon Sucharita, following her about in such a way that it was impossible for her not to be aware of it, and this suspicion and vigilance became quite a burden to her. It made her feel impatient, and yet sho could not say anything Lxvm GORA about it. To-day, when Lolita had gone, Sucharita sat down wearily at the table and, resting her head in her hands, began to weep, and when the servant brought in the lamp she sent it away again. Harimohini was at that time at her evening devotions, and when she saw Lolita going out of the house she came downstairs unexpectedly and, entering the room, called: “ Radharani! ” Sucharita hastily wiped her eyc3 and stood up, as Hari- mohini attacked her with the question: “ What’s the matter?”
“ I can’t understand what all this foolishness is about! ” exclaimed Harimohini in a hard voice, when she found that she got no answer to her query.
“ Auntie,” sobbed Sucharita, “ why do you watch me and follow me about day and night? ” “ Can’t you understand why I do it? ” asked Harimohini. “ All this going without your food, and this weeping, what are they the signs of? I’m not a child, do you think I can’t even understand that much? ” “ Auntie,” said Sucharita, “ I assure you that you don’t understand in the least. You are making such a dreadful blunder that at every moment I feel it growing more un¬ bearable.”
“ Very well,” replied Harimohini, “ if I am making a blunder, then be good enough to explain everything to me fully.”
“ All right, I will explain,” said Sucharita, making a great effort to control her feeling of shyness. “ I have learnt some¬ thing from my guru which is quite new to me, and to com¬ prehend it properly needs great strength of mind — I am feeling the want of that— I find it difficult to be always quarrelling with myself. But Auntie, you have been taking a quite distorted view of our relationship, and you have driven him away, after insulting him. What you said to him was all a blunder, and what you arc thinking about me is wholly false. In this you are doing wrong! It is beyond your power to lower a man like him, but what have I done that you should tyrannise over me like this? ” As she spoke her voice became choked with sobs, and she had to leave the room.
Harimohini was taken aback, and said to herself " Good¬ ness me, whoever heard such talk? ” Nevertheless she gave Sucharita a little time to recover before calling her to her evening meal.
“ Look here, Radharani, I’m not a child,” began Hari¬ mohini as soon as Sucharita was seated. “ I have been GORA CHAP.
brought up from childhood in what you call the Hindu religion, and have heard plenty of opinions about it. You know- nothing of all this, and so Gourmokan is merely deceiving you by calling himself your guru. I have heard him talk every now and then, and there is nothing in keeping with traditional views in what he says — he invents some scriptures of his own. It is easy enough for mo to detect that, for haven’t I a guru of my own? Let me advise you, Radharani, to have nothing to do with these things. When the time comes my guru will take you in hand, and will give you tho right mantrams; there’s no trickery about him. You need not be afraid, I will manage to get you into the Hindu community, no matter whether you have been in a Brahmo homo, or not! Who will ever know aboutthat? It is true your age is rather advanced — but there are plenty of girls who are over-developed for their S$, and who is going to look up your birth certificate? Oh, en you have money everything can be managed! There will be no obstacles! Why, I havo seen with niv own eyes a low caste hoy become high caste with tho help of a little money! I will fix you up in such a good Brahmin family that no one will dare to say a word. Why, they are the leaders of the Hindu community. So you will not have to waste so many team and entreaties on that guru of yours.”
\Vhen Harimohini began this elaborate preamble Sucharita lost all appetite for her food, and she felt as if she could not swallow a morsel. But with a tremendous effort she managed quietly to cat something, because she knew that if she did not eat she would get such a lecture that she would bo still more disgusted.
When Harimohini saw that she was getting no particular response she said to herself: “ Oh, theso people are beyond my comprehension! On the one hand she cries herself hoarse saying she is a Hindu, and then when she gets such an oppor¬ tunity as this she won’t listen. There will be no need to ~ inance, and no explanations will be asked for; it will S! necessary to scatter a few rupees about and society easily managed, but if she fails to show enthusiasm even for this, how can she profess to be a Hindu? Harimohini had not been long in discovering what a fraud Gora was, and she had come to the conclusion, when wondering what could be the cause of such colossal deceit, that Sucharita’s good looks and her money were at the root of it all. The sooner she could rescue the girl, together with her Government securities, and transfer her to the safe fortress of her father- Lxvm GORA in-law’s house the better for every one concerned. But until her mind was a little more pliable it could not be managed, and so, in order to render it pliable, she began to talk day and night about her father-in-law’s home. She gave all kinds of examples showing how unusual was their influence, and what almost impossible things they were able to accomplish in their community. She told her how many quite innocent people who had dared to oppose them had been persecuted by their society, and how many who had even eaten fowl cooked by Mohammedans had been able to continue along the difficult path of Hindu society with smiling faces, and to make it all the more plausible she described everything in detail with names and places.
Bordashundari had never concealed from Sucharita her wish that she should not come round to their house often, for she always took a sort of pride in what she called her frank¬ ness. Whenever she had occasion to use to any one an un¬ obstructed flow of severe abuse she never failed to refer to this virtue of hers. Therefore she expressed in language which was easy to understand that Sucharita need not expect any kind of decent treatment in her house, so Sucharita knew quite well that if she went often to their home Paresh Babu would have to suffer great disturbance to his peace and quiet. Therefore, unless there was some special need, she did not go, and Paresh Babu used to come round once or twice every day to see her in her own borne.
For some days, owing to pressure of work and various other anxieties, Paresh Babu had not been able to call, and every day, in spite of a certain trouble and hesitation of mind, Sucharita had been hoping for him to come. She knew for certain that the deep relationship between them on which the welfare of them both depended could never at any time be broken, and yet there were ono or two bonds, which were drawing her from outside, which gave her considerable