At every step Binoy had been obeying the prohibitions of this partisan India. Ho was sometimes beset with doubts and yet he had obeyed. A spirit of rebelliousness now showed itself within him, for this India to-day seemed merely Negation, incarnate.
The servant came to announce his midday meal, but Binoy had not yet even taken his bath. It was past noon, and with a determined shake of the head he sent the servant away,, saying: “ I shall not be eating at home to-day; you need not stay on for me.” And without even putting on his scarf be¬ took up an umbrella and went out into the street. *.
v;n GORA 31 TIo made straight for Gora’s house, for he knew that every day at twelve o’clock Gora went to the office of his Hindu Patriots’ Society in Amherst Street, where he spent the after¬ noon writing rousing letters to members of his party all over Bengal. Here his admirers used to gather, waiting on his words, and here his devoted assistants felt themselves honoured by being allowed to serve him.
As he had anticipated, Gora had gone as usual to the office, and Binoy, almost running into the inner apartments, burst into Anandamoyi’s room. She was just beginning her meal, and Lachmi was in attendance, fanning her.
“ Why, Binoy, what is the matter? ” cried Anandamoyi in astonishment.
“ Mother, I’m hungry,” said Binoy, seating himself before her. “ Give me something to eat.”
“ How awkward! ” said Anandamoyi, much disturbed. “ The Brahmin cook has just gone and you - ” “ Do you think I have come to eat a Brahmin’s cooking? ” exclaimed Binoy. “ What was the matter with my own Brahmin cook? I’ll share your meal, mother. Lachmi, bring me a glass of water, will you? ” Binoy gulped down the water, and then fetching another plate for him, helped him from the greatest solicitude and affection. Binoy ate like a man who lias been starving for days.
Anandamoyi, to-day, was relieved of one great source of 5iin, and, seeing her happy, a weight seemed to be lifted from inoy’s mind also.
Anandamoyi sat down to her sewing. The scent of some Keya flowers filled the room. Binoy reclined at her feet, with his head resting on his arm, and, forgetting all the rest of the world, went on chattering to her as in the old days.
Anandamoyi, her dish with CHAPTER VIII With the breaking down of this last barrier a fresh flood of rebelliousness surged through Binoy’s heart, and when he left the house he seemed to be flying through the air, — his feet touched ground so lightly. He wanted to proclaim to all whom he met that at last he was free from the bonds which had held him so long.
32. GORA cnat.
Just as he was passing No. 78, he met Paresh Babu coming from the opposite direction.
“ Come in, come in,” said Paresh Babu. “ Fra delighted to see you, Binoy Babu.” And he took him into his sitting-room which looked on the street. It was furnished with a small table, with a woodcn-backed bench on one side, and two canc chairs on the other. On one wall was hanging a coloured picture of Christ, and on the other a photograph of Kcshab Chandra Sen. On the table were some newspapers neatly folded and kept in place by a lead paper-weight. A small bookcase stood in the corner, on the upper shelf of which stood a complete set of Theodore Parker’s works arranged in a row. On the top of the bookcaso was a globo covered with a cloth.
Binoy took a scat, and his heart began to beat with agitation at the thought of one who might enter by tho door behind him.
However, Paresh Babu said: “ Sucharita goes every Monday to teach the daughter of a friend of mine, and, as they have a boy of the same age as Satish, he has gone with his sister. I have just returned from escorting them there. If I had been a little later, I might have missed you.”
At this piece of news Binoy felt both a sense of relief and a pang of disappointment.
It was easy enough, however, to talk with Paresh Babu, and in the course of conversation Binoy had soon told him all about himself, — how he was an orphan and how his uncle lived with his aunt in the country, looking after some landed property, — how he had studied together with his two cousins until the elder had taken up practice as a pleader in tho district court, and the younger had died of cholera. His uncle’s desire had been to make Binoy a deputy magistrate, but Binoy, having no ambition for such a life, was spending his time in all kinds of profitless tasks.
In this way nearly an hour passed, and to stay on without any apparent reason would have appeared impolite, so Binoy rose to go and said, “ I’m sorry to have missed seeing my friend Satish. Tell him that I called.”
“ If you wait a little you will see them,” replied Paresh Babu. “ They will be back very soon.”
Binoy felt ashamed to take advantage of such a casual suggestion. If he had been pressed ever so little more, he would have stayed on, but Paresh Babu was a man of few words and not given to urging people against their will, so GORA he had to bid farewell, — Paresh Babu merely saying: “ I shall be happy to sec you now and then, if you will come.”
Binoy had nothing urgent to take him home. It is true he wrote for the papers, and every one praised his English style, but for some days he had not been able to give his mind to writing, and whenever he sat at his table his mind would begin to wander. So, without any particular reason, he sauntered along in tho opposite direction.
Ho had hardly gone a few steps before he heard a shrill boyish voice calling out, “ Binoy Babul Binoy Babu! ” and, looking up, he saw Satish peeping out of a hackney-cab and beckoning to him. From the glimpse of a sari and the white sicevo of a bodice it was not difficult to guess who the other occupant of the cab was.
According to Bengali etiquette it was not possible for Binoy to look into the cab, but before another moment had passed Satish had jumped out and, seizing him by the hand, was saying: “ Come into the house, Binoy Babu.”
“ I have just this moment come from there,” explained Binoy.
“ But I wasn’t at home, so you must come in again,” Satish persisted.
Binoy was unable to resist Satish’s pleading, and entering the house with his captive, Satish called out: “ Father, I have brought Binoy Babu back again! ” The old gentleman came out of his room smiling and saying: “ You’ve fallen into firm hands, Binoy Babu, and won’t easily escape this time. Satish, go and call your sister.
Binoy stepped into the room, his ncart beating fast and furiously. Paresh Babu remarked, roure out ox cream, I see. That Satish is a caution! ” When Satish brought his sister into the room, Binoy first became aware of a delicate perfume. Then he heard Paresh Babu saying: “ Radha, Binoy Babu has come. You re¬ member him, of course.”
As Binoy looked up timidly he saw Sucharita bow and take a chair opposite him, and this time he did not omit to return the salutation.
“ Yes,” said Sucharita, “ Binoy Babu was passing along, and the moment Satish saw him he jumped out of the gharry and captured him. Perhaps, Binoy Babu, you were goiug on some business — I hope he has not inconvenienced you? ” Binoy hod not dared to hope that Sucharita would address any words to him personally, and he was so taken aback that i2 You’re out of breath, 34 GORA CHAl*.
he could but reply hurriedly: “ No, no, I had nothing to do and am not at all inconvenienced.”
Satish, pulling at his sister’s dress, said: “ Didi, give me the key, please. I want to show Binoy Babu our musical bos.”
Sucharita laughed as she said: " What! Already begun? Mr. Chatterbox’s friends never know any peace. The musical box they must hear to begin with, to say nothing of their other trials and tribulations. Binoy Babu, I must warn you, the exactions of this little friend of yours arc endless. I doubt whether you’ll manage to bear them.”
Binoy for the life of him could not see how to reply to Sucharita with equal naturalness. 11c vowed not to show the least bashfulness, but all that he succeeded in uttering were a few broken phrases: “ No, no, — not at all, — please don’t be— I’d really enjoy it."
Satish took away the keys from his sister and brought in the musical box. It consisted of a glass case with a model ship reposing on silken waves inside. On its being wound up a tunc was played and the ship rocked to the rhythm. Satish’s glances beamed from the ship to Binoy ’s face and back again to the ship — he could hardly contain his excitement.
Thus was Satish the means of helping Binoy to break through his awkwardness, and it gradually became possible for him to look straight up at Sucharita’s face while talking to her.
A little later Lila, one of Parcsh Babu’s own daughters, come in and said: “ Mother wants all of you to come upstairs into the verandah.”
CHAPTER IS Upstairs, on the terrace over the portico, a table was spread with a white cloth, and round it chairs were arranged. On * the cornice outside the railings there stood a row of plants in tubs, and, looking down, one could sec by the side of tne street the glossy rain-washed foliage of Sirish and Krishnachura trees.
The sun had not yet set, and its slanting rays shone wanly on one corner of the terrace.
There was no one there when Paresh Babu took Binoy upstairs, but in a moment Satish arrived bringing with him a black-and-white hairy terrier. Its name was Khudb (Tiny), ax 35 GORA and Satish showed off all its tricks. It could salaam with one of its paws, bow its head down to the ground, and beg •for biscuits. For the glory that Khudfc thus earned Satish took all the credit. Khudb himself was not an enthusiast for credit, — to him the biscuit was the more real thing.
Now and then, from a room near by, the prattle of girls' •voices, mingled with little bursts of laughter, could be heard, together with the occasional sound of a man’s voice. Along with this stream of gaiety, there was borne into Binoy’s mind :a new sense of sweetness, touched with a pang of envy. Never before in his life had he come across the rippling merriment •of girls at home. Now this music sounded so close, and yet dor him it was so far away. Poor distracted Binoy was quite •unable to give any attention to what Satish was chattering about beside him*- Paresh Babu’s wife now arrived on the scene with her three •daughters and a young man who was a distant relative. Her name was Baroda. She was no longer young, though it was easy to sec that she had dressed with special care. She had lived quite a simple life in her early days, and then had all of a sudden developed an anxiety to keep pace with advanced society. Therefore it was that her silk sari rustled so vigor¬ ously and her high-heeled shoes made such a clatter. She was always careful about keeping clear the distinction between things that were Brahmo and things that were not. It was on this account she had changed the orthodox name of Radha- rani to Sucharita/' Her eldest daughter’s name was Labonya. She was stout, of a cheery and sociable disposition, and loved gossip. Her face was chubby, her eyes large, and her complexion dark And glossy. She herself was inclined to be rather careless About her dress, but in this matter she was kept strictly under •her mother’s control. She hated high-heeled shoes but had to wear them, and whenever she went out in the afternoon her mother insisted on putting powder and rouge on her •cheeks. Because of her stoutness her bodices were made so -tight that when Labonya was released by her mother from the dressing-room she looked like a bale just out of the press.
The middle daughter’s name was Lolita. She was almost •exactly the opposite of her elder sister. She was taller and •darker, quite thin, followed her own rules, and though sparing of words, she could on occasion make very cutting remarks. Her mother, in her heart of hearts, was afraid of her, and took care not to rouse her temper.
36 GORA CIJAP.
36 GORA CIJAP.
The youngest, Lila, was only ten years old1. She was tu regular tomboy, always struggling and fighting with Satisli. .Especially was it a disputed point as to who could claim the- rightful ownership of Khudfc. If the dog itself had been, consulted it is doubtful whether it would have chosen either of them as its master, though, if anything, it probably had a. slight preference for Satish. whose discipline it found easier to- bear than the onslaught of Lila’s caresses.
As soon as Mistress Baroda camo out on to the terrace, Bmov stood up and made her a low bow. Paresli Babu introduced him with: " This is the friend in whose house the- other day - ” “ Oh! ” exclaimed Baroda effusively. “ How kind you were! Wo arc most grateful to you.” But Binoy became- so bashful at this display of gratitude that he was at a loss- for a suitable answer.
He was also introduced to the young man who had accom¬ panied the girls. His name was Sudhir, and he was still at collego reading for his B.A. He was pleasant-looking, fair in complexion, wore spectacles, and had a small moustache. He seemed a fidgety kind of person as he could not sit still for a moment, but was always on the move, keeping the girls- lively with his teasing and joking. The girls kept on scolding him, but nevertheless could not get on without their Sudhir He was always ready to do their shopping for them, and accom¬ pany them to the Circus or the Zoological Gardens. Sudhir’s^ unrestrained familiarity with these girls was quite new to- Binoy, in fact it gave him something of a shock. His first impulse was one of condemnation, but this soon bccame- tempered with a tinge of jealousy.
“ It seems to me I’ve seen you once or twice at the Brahrao- Samaj services,” observed Baroda by way of introduction.
Bmoy suddenly felt as if he* had been found out in some- crime as he admitted, with unnecessary apology in his tone, that ho had once or twice been to hear Kcshub Babu preach/ I suppose you are reading at college?” Baroda next asked him.
“ No, I’ve finished with college.”
“ How far did you read? ” “ I have taken my M.A.”
This seemed to inspire Baroda with a due sense of respect for this boyish-looking youth. Heaving a sigh, she looked towards Paresh Babu as she remarked: “ If our Manu had lived he would by now have taken his M.A.”
IX GORA 37 =«** oluJd, Manoranjan, had died at the ace of nine, fn 1?J^eneYer s.he heard of any young man who had done well a hai obtflncd a g°od p°8t> or ^ad written onh? ll book) A5st.res8 Baroda immediately thought that if only her son had lived he would have done the s£me.
W.?fWCVer tha- I"?7 be’ <cT hi3 1033 she had takea ^ on herself as a special duty, to make known to society the virtueso her three daughters. She did not neglect this opportunity of informing Bmoy how studious her daughters were, nor did she conceal from him what their English governess had said feCw6oa,nd hiSh (lualitics- When on the Pnzo Day of the Girls School, the Lieutenant-Governor and jus wife had been present, Labonya had been specially selected from amongst the girls of the whole school for garlanding them, and Bmoy was even privileged to hear the exact word! of the complimentary remark which the Governor’s wife had addressed to her.
At length Baroda wound up by saying to Labonya: “ Bring, that piece of embroidery, dear, for which you got a prize.”
J his figure of a parrot worked in wool had long been known to aU their relatives and visitors. It had been manufactured, with infinite pains and after many months, with the constant help of her governess, so that there was not much of Labonya’s. own handiwork in it; but there was no escaping the ceremony of exhibiting it to each new visitor.
At first Parcsh Babu used to object, but had ceased to do^ so on finding -that his protests were fruitless.
While Bmoy was engaged in showing the proper amount of wonder and appreciation for this work of art, the servant- came in with a letter for Parcsh Babu. When he read it, 1 aresh Babu s face lighted up with pleasure as he said to the servant: Bring the gentleman upstairs.”
“ Who is it? ” asked Mistress Baroda.
“ The son of my old friend Krishnadayal has come to call- on me, replied Paresh Babu.
Binoy’s heart suddenly stood still and he turned pale. He- sat with his hands clenched as though preparing to stand firm, under some attack. He felt sure that Gora would be struck unfavourably with the ways of these people, and that he would judge them accordingly, and he made ready to champion them in anticipation.
GORA CHAP.
CHAPTER X -'Sucharita was arranging the eatables on a tray in the passage — this she now made over to a servant to be handed round, .and came and sat out on the terrace. And as the servant v«ame in, he was followed by Gora. Every one was struck •with his size and the whiteness of his complexion. lie had a -caste-mark of Ganges-clay on his forehead, and was wearing a coarse dhuti and an old-fashioned short jacket tied with ■ribbon. His shoes were country-made, with tumed-up toes. »Hc came in like an incarnate image of revolt against Modernity. Even Binoy had never before seen him in sueh martial guise.
It was true that Gora to-day was full of fiery protest against things as they happened to be, and there was a special reason He had started the day before, on a steamer, for the bathing -festival at Tribcni. At the wayside stations crowds of women pilgrims, accompanied by one or two men, had been getting -on as passengers. In their anxiety to get a place there had been some elbowing and jostling, and, what with the mud on : -their feet and the single slippery plank which served as gang¬ way, some slipped and fell, while others were actually pushed -over into the water by the sailors. Many of those who had managed to get a place for themselves missed their companions i in the crush. On the top of all this was the rain, occasional •showers of which kept on drenching them, and the deck, where they had to sit, was coated with a slimy mud. Their i faces betokened hopeless harassment, their eyes a pitiful .anxiety. Only too well did they know that such weak and insignificant creatures could expect no help from captain or •crew, so that every movement of theirs was full of a timid .apprehension. Gora was the only one who was doing his best to help these pilgrims in their distressful plight.
Leaning over the railings of the upper first-class deck •stood an Englishman and a modernised Bengali babu, smoking •cigars and laughing and talking together as they watched the fun. Every now and then, when one of the unfortunate i pilgrims got into a specially awkward predicament, the English¬ man laughed, and the Bengali joined in.
After they had passed two or three stations in this manner, -Gora could bear it no longer. Going on to the upper deck he said in a voice of thunder: “ Enough of this! Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves? ” GORA 39 The Englishman merely stared fiercely at Gora from head to foot, but the Bengali vouchsafed a reply: “ Ashamed? ” he sneered. “ Of course I am, to see the utter stupidity of these animals! ” “ There are worse beasts than ignorant people,” flung out Gora with a flaming face,— ' men without hearts.”
“ Get out of here! ” retorted the Bengali, getting excited. “ You have no business to come up to the First Class.”
“ No, indeed,” replied Gora, “ my place is not with such as you; it is with those poor pilgrims tiicro. But I warn you not to compel me to come again to this class of youre! ” — with which he rushed back to the lower deck.
After this incident the Englishman leaned back in his deck-chair, with his feet upon the railing, and was immersed • in a novel. His Bengali fellow-passenger made one or two attempts to pick up the thread of their conversation, but without success. Then, to prove that he was not on the side of the common herd of his countrymen, he called the khansama and asked him whether he could give him some roast chicken. The khansama replied that he had nothing but tea and bread and butter, whereupon he exclaimed in English, so that the sahib could hear: “The arrangements for our creature com¬ forts on this steamer are scandalous! ” His companion, however, ignored the overture; and even when, shortly after, the Englishman’s newspaper blew off the table, and the Bengali jumped out of his chair to pick it up and put it back, he was not rewarded with a word of thanks.
When getting ofl at Chandcrnagore, the sahib suddenly went up to Gora and, lifting his hat slightly, said, “ I beg your pardon for my conduct. I am ashamed of myself,” — and then hurried off.
What was burning within Gora, however, was the sense of ' outrage that his educated countryman could go to the length of joining a foreigner in exulting over the sorry plight of his own people, and laugh at them with an assumption of superiority. That the people of his country had laid them¬ selves open to all kinds of insult and insolent behaviour, that they had come to the pass of accepting it as inevitable to be treated like animals by their more fortunate compatriots, and of regarding such treatment as but natural and proper,— the Toot-cause of all this Gora knew to be the deep-seated ignorance which pervaded the country, and this thought nearly broke iiis heart. But what hurt him most was toe fact that the educated people did not take on their own shoulders the 40 GORA CHAP.
40 GORA CHAP.
burden of this eternal shame and insult, but rather could glory in their own comparative immunity. It was for this reason that Gora, to show his contempt for all the book- learning and slavish conventions of such educated people, had come to the Brahmo’s house with the mark of the Ganges- clay on his forehead, and these peculiar rustic shoes on his feet.
“ 0 Lord! ” said Binoy to himself, “ Gora is out in full war-paint.” His heart sank within him at the bare thought of what Gora might say and do next, and he in turn felt called upon to gird himself for tho defence.
While Mistress Baroda had been talking with Binoy, Satish had perforce to bo content with amusing himself with a top- in one corner of the terrace.; but at the sight of Gora ho lost all interest in this occupation and, edging slowly up to Binoy’s. chair, stared at the new visitor as he asked in a whisper i “ Is that your friend? ” “ Yes,” replied Binoy.
Gora had given just one glance at Binoy and thereafter ignored his presence. He saluted Parcsh Babu in due form,, and then, without any appearance of constraint, he drew one of the chairs a little away from the table and eat down. As for the ladies, orthodox etiquette demanded that he should not give any sign that he was even aware of their presence.
Mistress Baroda had just decided to remove her daughters from the neighbourhood of this unmannerly boor, when Paresh Babu introduced him to her as the son of an old friend, whereupon Gora turned towards her and bowed.
Sucharita had heard Binoy refer to Gora, but sho did not understand that this visitor was he, and at first sight she felt a certain resentment towards him, for sho had neither the training nor the patience to put up with educated people who could still hold on to strict orthodoxy.
Parcsh Babu began to make inquiries after his boyhood’s friend Krishnadayal, and to recount incidents of their student days. “ Amongst the college students of those days,” said he, “ we were the worst pair of iconoclasts you could imagine — we had no vestige of respect for traditions — we regarded the taking of unorthodox food as our actual duty. How many evenings have we SDent eating forbidden food in a. Mussulman’s shop near College Square, and then sitting uj> till midnight discussing how we would reform Hindu society! ” Baroda here interposed the question: “ And what are your friend’s views nowadays? ” X G01U •il “ Now he strictly observes all orthodox customs,” replied ■Gora.
“ Is he not ashamed of himself? ” asked Baroda, ablaze with indignation.
4l “ Shame is a sign of a weak character,” laughed Gora.
Some people arc even ashamed to acknowledge their own (fathers.”
“ Wasn’t he formerly a Brahmo? ” inquired Baroda.
“ I also was once a Brahmo,” replied Gora.
“ And you now have faith in a deity that has finite form? ” *sked Baroda.
“ I’m not so superstitious as to show contempt for finite forms without justification,” answered Gora. “ Can form be belittled merely by reviling it 1 Has any one been able to penetrate its mystery? ” “ But form is limited,” interrupted Paresh Babu in his gentle voice.
“ Nothing can become manifest unless it has limits,” persisted Gora. “ The Infinite has taken the help of form in ■order to manifest Himself, otherwise how could He be revealed? That which is unrevealed cannot attain perfection. The form- less is fulfilled in forms just as thought is perfected in words."
“You mean to say that form is more perfect than the formless? " exclaimed Baroda, shaking her head unconvinced.
“ It matters little what I mean,” replied Gora. “ The world does not depend for its form on what I say. If the formless had been the real perfection, then form would have found no place in the universe at all.”
Sucharita heartily wished some one would humiliate this arrogant youth by vanquishing him in argument, and she was angry to see Binoy sitting quietly by without opening his mouth. Gora’s very violence of tone seemed to be bringing her strength for a crushing reply. At this moment, however, the servant brought in a kettle of hot water and Sucharita had to busy herself making the tea, while Binoy occasionally ■darted an inquiring glance in her direction.
Although there was not much difference between Gora and Binoy on matters relating to worship, yet that Gora should have come uninvited into this Brahmo home and shown such uncompromising hostility, pained Binoy deeply. He was * filled with admiration for Paresh Babu’s calm self-control, — his benign serenity, raised into the heights of aloofness above both sides of the argument, — when he contrasted it with Gora’s aggressive demeanour. Opinions are nothing, thought he to 42 GORA CHAP.
42 GORA CHAP.
himself, — better than all is the self-contained calm of true realisation. What does it matter which argument is true and which is false — what has been gained within is the real thing.
Paresh Babu in the course of the discussion every now and then closed his eyes and took a plunge into the depths of his being — this was a habit of his — and Binoy watched, fascinated, the peace that shone on his countenance while his mind was thus turned inwards. It was a great disappoint¬ ment to him to find that Gora’s reverence did not flow out towards this venerable man and help him to keep a restraint on his tongue.
When Sucharita had finished pouring out several cups of tea, she looked inquiringly towards Paresh Babu. She was in perplexity as to which of the guests she should offer tea to.
Mistress Baroda looked at Gora and burst out with: “ You, I suppose, do not take any of these tilings! ” . “ No,” replied Gora with decision.
“ Why? ” persisted Baroda. “ Are you afraid of losing caste? ” “ Yes,” answered Gora.
“ Then you believe in caste? ” “ Is caste a thing of my own creation that I should not believe in it? Since I own allegiance to society, I must respect caste also.”
“ Are you then bound to obey society in all matters? ” asked Baroda.
“ Not to obey society is to destroy it,” replied Gora.
“ What if it Is destroyed? ” “ You might as well ask what harm there is in cutting off the branch on which one is seated! ” “ Mother, what’s the good of all this useless- argument? ” called out Sucharita in vexation. “ He will not eat with us and there’s an end of it! ” Gora fixed his gaze on Sucharita for a moment, while she, looking towards Binoy, asked with some hesitation: “ Do Binoy had never in his life taken- tea. He had given up eating bread or biscuits made by Mussulmans long ago, but to-day he felt that he was in duty bound to cat and drink whatever was offered, so with an effort he looked up straight as he 6aid: “Yes, of course I will! ” and then he glanced at Gora, on whose face there played a faint sarcastio smile.
Binoy manfully drank up his tea, though it was bitter and unpalatable to his taste.
GORA “ mfat a b°7. this Binoy! ” was Baroda’s unspokcD and tiimng her back on Gora, she gave all her attention to him When he observed this, Paresh Babu- 7-?eW h‘S, C^a,r Up t0 Gora and beSan to talk with him apart, in an undertone.
Another visitor was now announced. They all welcomed.- bun as Panu Babu, though his real name was Haran-chandra, ivag He had a reputation in his own circle for extraordinand v,teIhgC.UCe’ and thou8b nothing had been, actuall) said on either side, it was in the air that he would Iw? Suchanta. There was certainly no room for doubt-- that he had an inclination in that direction, and all her air!- friends persistently chaffed Sucharita on the subject.
.Haran taught in a school, for which reason Mistress Baroda* did not think much of this mere schoolmaster. She indeed- made it quite plain that it was as well he had not dared to- make up to any of her own daughters. The sons-in-law of her dreams were enterprising knights- errant whose one object of pursuit should be a deputy-magistrateship.
As Sucharita offered Haran a cup of tea, Labonya from a safe distance gave her a meaning glance and puckered up her mouth in a smile. 1 This did not escape Binoy, for within this brief space of- time his vision had become unusually alert and penetrating in certain matters, though he had not formerly been famous tor his powers of observation. It struck Binoy as an unfair disposition of Providence that these two, Haran and Sudhir should be so intimately bound up with the family history ai housT* b6COme objects of 8CCret sifins between the girls of the Into Sucharita’s mind, on the other hand, the arrival of Haran on the scene brought a glimmer of hope. If but this- new champion of hers should succeed in bringing the haughty conqueror to the dust, she would feel avenged. At any other time Haran’s argumentativeness only irritated her, but to-day she welcomed this knight of wordiness with joy, and she was- lavish m her supply of armour in the shape of tea and cakes.
“ Panu Babu, here is our friend - ” began Paresh Babu.
But Haran cut him short with: " Oh, I know him very well At one, time he was an enthusiastic member of our Brahmo Samaj.” And with this he turned away from Gora and gave all his attention to his cup of tea.