Gora

At that time only one or two Bengalis had passed the Civil * GORA CHAP.

• Service examination, and Sudhir was describing the reception given to one of them on his return home from England.

“ What does it matter,” snapped out Haran, “ how well Bengalis may do in their examinations, they will never be any good as administrators.” And in order to demonstrate that no Bengali could carry on the work of a district, lie waxed •eloquent on the various defects and weaknesses of the Bengali character.

Gora’s face reddened visibly as this tirade proceeded, but, subduing his lion’s roar as far as he could, he broke in at length with: " If that is your honest opinion, aren’t you ashamed to be sitting comfortably at this table munching bread and butter? ” “ What would you have me do? ” asked Haran, raising his • eyebrows in astonishment.

“ Either try to remove these stains from the Bengali •character, or go and hang yourself I ” replied Gora. “ Is it such an easy thing to say that our nation will never accomplish anything? I wonder your bread doesn’t choke you! ” “ Mustn’t I speak out the truth? ” asked Haran.

“I beg your pardon,” continued Gora with heat, “ but if you really' believed what you say, you could not have held forth about it so glibly. It is because you know it to be false that it comes so easily from your lips. Let me tell you, Haran Babu, falsehood is a sin, false censure is a still greater sin, but there are few sins to compare with the false revilement • of one’s own people! ” Haran was quivering with rising anger, and when Gora added: “ Do you imagine that you are the one superior person amongst all your countrymen? that you alone are entitled to give vent to your fulminations against them, and the rest of us, on behalf of our forefathers, ore quietly to submit to your Indictment? ” — it became impossible for Haran to give up his position, and his abuse of the Bengalis was continued •in a still higher pitch. He referred to many kinds of evil customs prevalent in Bengali society: so long as these re- .mained, said he, there was absolutely no hope for the race.

“ What you say about evil customs,” said Gora scornfully, *‘ you have merely learnt off by heart from English books — •you know nothing at all about the matter at first hand. When you are able to contemn all the evil customs of the English with as much honest indignation, you will have a right to Paresh tried his best to change the subject, but it was X GORA 45 impossible to check the infuriated Haran. Meanwhile the sun went down, and the sky became glorious with the radiance which shone through the fringe of clouds, aud in spite of all the turmoil of the wordy warfare, the strains of some musio seemed to fill Binoy’s heart.

As this was the time for his evening meditation, Parcsh left the terrace and. going down into the garden, seated himself beneath a champak tree.

Baroda had conceived a thorough dislike for Gora, nor was Haran a favourite of hers; so when she could stand their discussion no longer she turned to Binoy and said: " Come, Binoy Babu, let’s go inside." And Binoy could do no less to mark his appreciation of the special favour thus shown to him by Mistress Baroda than meekly to follow her into the room.

Baroda called to her daughters to follow them, while Satish, seeing the hopelessness of the discussion coming to an end. made his exit with his dog.

Baroda turned the opportunity to account by discoursing to Binoy on the accomplishments of her daughters, and turning to Labonya said, “ Bring your album, dear, and show it to Binoy Babu, will you? ” Labonya was so accustomed to showing this album to the latest visitor that she was always on the look-out for this request, aud in fact had been feeling disappointed that the discussion should be proving so unending.

On opening the album Binoy saw some English poems of Moore and Longfellow written in it. The capital letters and titles of the poems were done in ornamental characters, and the handwriting showed the greatest neatness and care. His admiration was unaffected, for in those days it reflected no small credit on a girl to be able to copy English poetry so well.

When she found Binoy duly overwhelmed, Mistress Baroda turned to her second daughter with the. request, "Lolita, darling, that recitation of yours - ” But Lolita replied very firmly, " No, mother, I really cannot.

I don’t remember it very well,” and turned to look out of the window.

Baroda explained to Binoy that she really remembered it perfectly well, but was so modest that she did not care to show off. She said that she had been like this from childhood, and in proof of her assertion she recounted one or two instances of her remarkable attainments. She added that she was so brave that even if she was hurt she would not cry, and stated that; in these respects she much resembled her father.

46 GORA CHAP.

46 GORA CHAP.

Now it was Lila’s turn. At first when she was told to recite she began to giggle, but as soon as she started she was like a machine wound up, and in one breath she reeled off “ Twinkle, twinkle, little star ” without the least sign of understanding its meaning.

Knowing* that the next item on the programme was a display of singing, Lolita went out of the’ room.

The discussion outside had now reached its height. Haran had given up all attempts at argument and was indulging freely in the hottest of words, while Sucharita, ashamed and vexed at Haran’s lock of self-control, wus taking Corn's part: and this fact did not add to Haran’s peace of mind, or tend to console him.

The evening sky became dark with heavy rain-clouds. Hawkers began to sell garlands of jasmine in the street with their peculiar cries. Fire-llies twinkled out on the foliage of the trees by the roadside, and a deep shadow darkened tho water of the neighbouring tank.

Binoy now reappeared on the verandah to say good-bye, and Parcsh Babu said to Gora: “ Come and see us whenever you like. Krishnadayal was like my own brother, and though our opinions differ nowadays, and we never see or write to each other, yet the friendships of boyhood’s days always remain part of our flesh and blood. I feel very close to you because of my old relations with your father.”

The tranquil and affectionate voice of Paresh Babu acted like a charm in calming down the argumentative heat of Gora’s mind. There had not been much of reverence in Cora’s first salutation to the old man, but now at parting he bowed to him with real respect. Of Sucharita lie took not the slightest notice, for to have shown by the least gesture that he was noticing her presence would to him have been the height of rudeness. Binoy,' making a low obeisance to Parcsh Babu, bowed slightly to Sucharita in turn, and then, as if somewhat ashamed of what he had done, ho hurried after Gora.

To avoid the ceremony of leave-taking Haran had gone inside and was turning over the leaves of a Brahrao hymn-book which lay on the tabic; but the moment the two guests had gone he hastened back to the verandah, and said to Parcsh Babu: “ My dear sir, it’s hardly right to introduce the girls to any and every one.”

Sucharita felt so annoyed that she could no longer conceal her feelings, and exclaimed: “ If father had followed that GORA xi 47 advice, then we should have never become acquainted with “ It's all right if you confine yourself to people belonging to your own society,” explained Haran.

Paresh Babu laughed. “ You want us to go back to the zenana system over again by restricting our expansion within our own community. But I myself think that girls ought to mix with people of all shades of opinion, otherwise they will simply remain narrow-minded. Why need we be so squeamish about it? ” “ I never said they should not mix with people of a variety of opinions,” replied Haran. “ But these fellows don’t even know how to behave towards ladies.”

“ No, no! ” expostulated Paresh. “ What you take for lack of manners is merely shyness — and unless they come into ladies’ society that will never be cured.”

CHAPTER XI Haran had been specially anxious the other day to put Gora in his proper place and to raise the standard of victory before Sucharita’s very eyes. At the beginning this had been Sucharita’s hope also. But, as it turned out, exactly the opposite happened. On social and religious matters Sucharita could not agree with Gora, but regard for her own race and sympathy for her countrymen came naturally to her, and although she had never before discussed the condition of her country, yet, when she heard Gora thunder forth his protest on hearing liis own people abused, her whole mmd echoed a sympathetic assent. Never before had she heard any one speax with such force and firm faith about the mother¬ land.

Then, when Haran had spitefully returned to the charge behind their backs, calling Binoy and Gora ill-mannered boors, Sucharita in protest against such meanness was again drawn to take their side.

Not that her feeling of revolt against Gora was altogether quelled. Even now his aggressively countrified dress hurt her somewhat. She understood somehow that in this pro¬ testing orthodoxy there was a spirit of defiance,— that it had not the naturalness of real conviction, — that it did not find 48 GORA CHAP.

its full satisfaction in his own faith, — that in fact it was assumed in anger and arrogauce in order to hurt others.

That evening, in whatever she did when at her meal or while telling Lila stories, Sucharita was conscious of some Enawing pain, tlcep down in her being, which kept on hurting er. A thorn can only be extracted if you know where it is, and Sucharita sat alone on the verandah trying to locate the thorn which so galled her. She tried, in the cool of the dark¬ ness, to allay the uncalled-for fever of her heart, but all in vain. The undefined burden which she carried made her want to weep, but tears would not come.

Nothing could be more absurd than to suppose that Sucharita should be so grievously exercised merely because some unknown young man had come with a defiantly pro¬ minent caste-mark ou his brow, or because -it had not been possible to defeat him in argument and humble his pride to the dust. She dismissed this explanation from her mind ns altogether impossible. Then she blushed with shame, as the real reason at length dawned on her. For two or three hours she had been' sitting face to face with this young man, and had even now and again taken his part in the argument, and yet he had not taken any notice of her, nor, when he said good-bye, did he seem even aware of her presence. It became clear beyond doubt that it was this complete indifference to her that hurt her so deeply. Binoy had also sho'A'n the awkward¬ ness which is natural to those not accustomed to ladies’ society, but this awkwardness of his had merely been a modest, shrink¬ ing diffidence, of which Gora had not a trace.

Why was it so impossible for Sucharita to bear this hard indifference of Gora’s, or to dismiss it from her mind with contempt? She felt ready to die at the remembrance that, even in face of such neglect, she had not had the self-control to refrain from thrusting herself into the discussion. Once, indeed, when she had shown heat at the unfairness of one of Haran’s arguments, Gora had looked up at her. In his glance there was clearly no sign of shyness, but what there teas in it did not seem so clear. Did he think her to bo forward, or wanting to show off, —thus to be joining uninvited in an argument between men? What did it matter what he thought? Nothing at all, and yet Sucharita could not help feeling pained. She strove hard to forget all about it, to wipe it from her memory, but she could not. Then she felt angry with Gora, and tried to feel a withering contempt for him as an arrogant, superstitious youth; but still she felt GORA 49 xi humbled as she recalled the unflinching gaze of that immense man with a voice like thunder, and she was quite unable to maintain the dignity of her own attitude.

Thus torn between her own conflicting feelings, Sucharita sat alone till far into the night. The lights were out and every one had retired. She heard the front door being shut, and by this she knew that the servants had finished their work and were preparing for bed.

At this moment Lolita came out in her night-dress and, without saying anything, went and stood by the balustrade. Sucharita smiled to herself, for she realised that Lolita was vexed with her, as she had promised to sleep with her that night and had entirely forgotten about it. But merely to acknowledge the forgetfulness would not have been any good for appeasing Lolita, — being able to forget her was the real fault. And Lolita was not the sort of girl to remind any one of a promise. She had determined to keep still in bed, without a sign of being hurt, but as time passed the keenness of her disappointment increased until, able to bear it no longer, she had left her bed, just to show quietly that she was still awake.

Sucharita left her chair and, going slowly up to Lolita, embraced her, saying: “ Lolita dear, don’t be angry with me.”

But Lolita moved away, murmuring: “ Angry? Why should I be angry? Pray keep your seat.”

“ Come, dear, let’s go to bed,” pleaded Sucharita, taking hold of her hand.

But Lolita remained where she was without answering, till at last Sucharita dragged her along to their bedroom.

Then, at last, Lolita asked in a choked voice: “ Why are you so late? Don’t you know it is eleven o’clock? I have heard all the hours strike, and now you’ll be too sleepy for a chat.”

“ I am so sorry, dear,” said Sucharita, drawing her closer to her.

The fault having been acknowledged, Lolita’s anger evapor ated, and she was mollified at once.

" Of whom were you thinking sitting alone all this time, Didi? Was it of Panu Babu 1 ” she asked.

“ Oh, get away! ” cried Sucharita with a gesture of reproof.

Lolita could not bear Panu Babu. In fact she would not even chaff Sucharita about him as her other sisters did. The very idea that Haran wished to marry Sucharita infuriated her.

60 GORA CHAP.

After a few moments of silence Lolita started again: “ What a nice man Binoy Babu is, isn’t he, Didi? ” And it could not be said that in this question there was no attempt to test what was in Sucharita’s mind.

“ Yes, dear, Binoy Babu seems quite a nice sort of person,” was the reply.

This, however, was not at all in tune with what Lolita had been expecting, so she went on: “ But whatever you say, Didi, that Gourmohan Babu is altogether insufferable. What a nasty complexion, and what hard features! And such an awful prig! How did he strike you? ” “ He is far too orthodox for my taste,” replied Sucharita.

“ No! No! It's not that,” exclaimed Lolita. “ Why, uncle is very orthodox too— but that is so different— I — I can’t quite explain what I mean.”

“ Yes, quite different indeed! ” laughed Sucharita, and, as she recalled Gora’s high white brow with the caste-mark on it, her anger against him flamed up over again, for was it not thus that Gora had announced to them all in big letters: “ From you am I different ”? Nothing loss than levelling this immense pride of aloofness to the dust could have soothed her sense of outrage.

Gradually they stopped talking and fell asleep. When it was two o’clock, Sucharita woke up and heard the rain pouring down in torrents. The lamp in the corner of the room had gone out, and every now and then the lightning flashed through their mosquito-net. In the stillness and gloom of night, with the sound of the ceaseless rain in her ears, Sucharita felt heavy of heart. She tossed from side to side in her effort to sleep, and looked with envy at the face of Lolita, who was in deep slumber — but sleep refused to come.

In her vexation she left the bed and went to the door. Opening it, she stood looking out on the roof with the rain sprayiug in on her with every gust of wind. All the incidents of that evening came across her mind one by one. The picture of Gora’s face, all aglow with excitement and lighted by the rays of the setting sun, flashed out, and all the arguments which she had heard, but forgotten, now came back to her together with the sound of his deep, strong voice.

His words rang again in her ears: “ Those whom you call illiterate arc those to whose party I belong. What you call superstition, that is my faith! So long as you do not love your country and take your stand beside your own people, I will not allow one word of abuse of the motherland from xr GORA 51 xr GORA 51 you." — To which Haran had replied: “ How can such an attitude make for the country’s reform? ” Whereupon Gora had roared out: “ Reform? That can wait a while yet. More important than reforms are love and respect. Reform will come of itself from within, after we are a united people. You would break up the country into a hundred bits by your policy of separateness. Because, forsooth, our country is full of superstitions, you, the non-superstitious, must keep superior and aloof! What I say is, — may it be my greatest desire never to keep apart from the rest, even by becoming superior! When at last we are really one, then which of our orthodox practices shall remain and which be abolished, the country, and He who is the God of our country, shall decide."

Haran had retorted: “ The country is full of just such practices and customs as do not allow it to become united.” To which Gora answered: “ If you believe that you must first root up all evil practices and customs before our country can become one, then, every time you have to cross the ocean, you would have to begin by scooping out the water. Put away all your pride and contempt, and in true humility become inwardly one with all, and then shall your love over¬ come a thousand defects and evils. In every society there arc faults and weaknesses, but so long as the people are united to one another by the bonds of love, they arc able to neutralise all the poison. The cause of rottenness is always present in. the air, but so long as you are alive it cannot work, — only dead things decay. Let me tell you that we are not going to submit to outside attempts to reform us, whether it be from you or from foreign missionaries.”

“ Why not? " Haran had asked, and Gora had replied: 41 There is a good reason. We can take correction from our parents, but when the police come to do it there is more of insult than of improvement in the process, and wc only lower our manhood if we suffer it. First acknowledge kinship with us, then come to reform us, else even good advice from you will but harm us."

In this way Sucharita recalled Gora’s words in every detail, and^ as she did so, her heart ached more and more. Tired out at last, she went back to bed and, pressing her eyes with her hands, tried to thrust away these thoughts from her mind and go off to sleep; but her face and ears burned, and her brain 6cethcd with the rival ideas which struggled within it.

52 GORA CHAT.

CHAPTER XII When Binoy had left Parcsh Babu’s house and was in the street, he said: “ You might walk a little more slowly, Gora, old chap,— your legs arc longer than mine, and if you don’t moderate your pace a little I shall get out of breath trying to keep up with you.”

' I want to walk by myself to-night,” answered Gora gruffly; ' I have got a lot of things to think over.” And he went off rapidly at his usual rate.

Binoy felt deeply hurt. By revolting against Gora he had to-day broken Ins usual rule, and he would have felt relieved if Gora had scolded him. A storm would have cleared the sultry air which hung over the sky of their lifelong friendship, and lie could have breathed freely again.

Binoy could not feel that Gora was to blame for leaving him in a temper; but this was the first time, in all their long friendship, that there had been any real disagreement between them, and Binoy had a heavy heart as he walked through the dismal rainy night with the dark thunder-clouds rumbling at intervals. It seemed as if his life had suddenly left its beaten track and started off in a new direction. In the darkness Gora had gone one way and he another.

Next morning, on getting up, his mind was easier. Ho felt that in the night he had worked himself up into uncalled- for torment of mind, and now, in the morning, he did not feel that his friendship for Gora and his acquaintanceship with Paresh Babu were so very incompatible. He even smiled at the idea of having made so much of the affair, and at th* misery he had felt the night before.

So, throwing his shawl1 over his shoulders, he went off at a good round pace to Gora’s house. Gora was seated downstairs, reading. He had caught sight of Binoy in tho street, but to-day Binoy’s arrival did not make him take his eves off the paper. Binoy, without saying a word, took away the newspaper from Gora’s hands.

“ The mistake is perhaps yours,” replied Binoy. " I am Binoy-bhusan, that same Gourmohan’s superstitious friend.”

1 A dhuti for the lower part and a tunic for the upper, is the usual Bengali coatumo at homo; over this is added a scarf or a shawl when going out.

XII GORA 63 ‘ But Gourmohan is such an incorrigible fellow that he never apologises for his superstitions to any one at all.”

“ Binoy too is like that. But he does not try to force his superstitions down others’ throats.”

In less than no time the two friends were in the middle of a hot discussion, and the neighbours speedily became aware that Gora and Binoy had met.

What need was there for you that day to deny that you visited at Parcsh Babu’s? ” Gora asked at length.

“ There’s no question of need at all,” smiled Binoy. “ I denied it simply because I had not visited there. Yesterday was the first time that I entered their house.”

“ ^ strikes me you know the way to enter all right, but I doubt if you will find the way out so easily! ” sneered Gora.

“ That may be so,” said Binoy. “ Perhaps J was born that way. I don’t find it easy to leave any one for whom I have love or respect. You yourself have had proof of this nature of mine.”

“ So then your goings there will continue indefinitely from now onwards? ” “ Why should I be the only one to come and go? You also have the power of movement: you are not a nailed-down fixture, are you? ” “ I may go, but I return,” said Gora; “ but in the signs I observed in you, there was no suggestion of returning. How did you like your tea? ” “ It tasted rather bitter.”

" Why then - ” “ To have refused it would have been still more bitter.”

“ Is good manners, then, all that is needed to preserve society? ” asked Gora.

“ Not always. But look here, Gora, when social conven¬ tions conflict with the dictates of the heart - ” Gora in his impatience would not let Binoy finish. “ Heart indeed I ” he roared out. " It is because society is so in¬ significant for you that at every turn you can find your heart in conflict with it. If only you could have realised how deep the pain of a blow against society goes, you would be ashamed to be sentimentalising over that heart of yours. It rends your heart to give the least bit of offence to Paresh Babu’s daughters: it breaks mine to see how easily you can hurt the whole of society on such a slight pretext! ” * " But really, Gora,” expostulated Binoy, “ if it is a blow to society for some one to drink a cup of tea, then all I can say GORA CHAP.

64 is that such blows arc good for the country. If we try to protect the country from this kind of thing, we shall only make it weak and effeminate.”

“ My dear sir,” replied Gora, “ I know every one of these stock arguments — don't take me for an absolute fool. But all this docs not arise in the present circumstances. When a sick child docs not want to take its medicine, the mother, though quite well, drinks some herself to console the child with the idea that both are in the same plight. That is not a question of medical treatment, but of personal love, and if that love i3 lacking, however reasonable the mother's actions may be, the relation of mother and child is hurt, and with it is lost the desired effect. I do not quarrel with the tea-cup — it is the breaking of the relations with our country which hurts me..Far easier is it to refuso the tea, — even to give offence to Parcsh Babu’s daughters! In the present state of our country, to become one in spirit with all is our chief task. When once we have accomplished that, the question of whether we should drink tea or not will bo settled in two words.”

“ Then I sec it will be long enough before I drink my second cup of tea! ” observed Binoy.

“No, there’s no reason why it should be so very long,” replied Gora. “ But, Binoy, why do you insist on holding on to me? The time has come for yoxi to give me up along with the other things in Hindu society which arc displeasing to you. Otherwise Parcsh Babu’s daughters will feel hurt! ” At this moment Abinash entered the room. Ho was a disciple of Gora’s, and whatever he heard from Gora’s lips his mind made petty and his language made vulgar, as he went on publishing it broadcast. As it happened, however, those who were unable to understand Gora felt that they understood Abinash perfectly, and praised his words accord¬ ingly. Abinash was especially jealous of Binoy, and when¬ ever he got the chance he would try conclusions with him with the most foolish arguments. Binoy had no patience with his stupidity and would cut him short; whereupon Gora, taking up the argument, would himself enter the arena; while Abinash would plume himself that it was his ideas which Gora was expounding.

Feeling that the arrival of Abinash on the scene effectually spoilt for the time all chance of his becoming reconciled to Gora, Binoy went upstairs to where Anandamoyi was seated outside her store-room, cutting up vegetables for the kitchen.

3in GORA 65 “ I have been hearing your voice for some time,” said Anandamoyi. “ Why so early? Did you take your break¬ fast before coming out? ” If it had been any other day, Binoy would have said: “ No, I did not ” — and would there and then have sat down and had a good time, doing justice to Anandamoyi’s hospitality. But to-day ho replied: “ Thanks, mother, I had my breakfast before starting."

To-day he did not want to give Gora further occasion for offence, — he knew he had not yot been fully forgiven, and the feeling that ho was still being kept somowhat at a distance was inwardly oppressing him.

Taking a knifo out of bis pocket ho sat down and began to help Anandamoyi to peel potatoes. After a quarter of an hour ho went downstairs again, and finding that Gora and Abinash had gone out togothcr, ho remained sitting silently in Gora’s room for a timo; then ho took up tho paper and absently glanced over tho advertisement columns. At length ho heaved a deep sigh and loft tho house.

After his midday meal ho again began to feel restless to see Gora. Ho had nover had any hesitation in humbling himself to his friend, but even if ho had no pride of his own to stand in tho way, tho dignity of his friendship had its claims. It is truo ho felt that his singlo-hcarted loyalty to Gora had suffered because of his allowing room for intimacy with Paresh Babu, and for that ho was prepared for Gora’s ancors and unbraidings, but to bo cast off in this way was moro than ho could have imagined possible. After going a short distance from his house, Binoy rotracod his Bteps; — ho dared not venture up to Gora’s house again, lest his friendship should again bo subject to insult.

CHAPTER XIII After several days had passed in this way, Binoy one after¬ noon sat down after his midday meal, pen in hand, to writo a letter to Gora. Putting his utter lack of progress down to tho bluntness of his pen, ho spent a long timo mending it with a knife, with the utmost care. While he was thus engaged, Binoy heard his name called out down below. Throwing the pen on the table, he ran quickly downstairs crying, “ Come up, Mohim Dada.”

GORA CHAP- 60 GORA CHAP- 60 Mohim came upstairs and made himself a comfortable scab on Binoy’s bed. After he had finished scrutinising the furniture of the room at some length, he said: “ Look here Binoy, it’s not that I don’t know your address — nor that I have no desire to inquire after your welfare, but the fact is, with you model young men of the present generation there’s no chance of getting pan or a smoke in your rooms, so unless there is anything very special, I never - ” Here he stopped, seeing that Binoy was looking flurried, but went on: “ If you are thinking of going out to buy a hookah, I beg you to have e on me. I can forgive you for not offering me tobacco, I would never survive a new hookah filled by the hand of a clumsy novice." Mohim took up a fan which was lying near by, and, after he had fanned himself awhile, ho managed to come to his point: “ The fact is, I have a reason for coining to see you at the sacrifice of my Sunday afternoon’s nap. I want you to do me a favour."

“ What favour may that be? ” asked Binoy.

“ Promise first, and then I’ll tell you,” replied Mohim.

“ Of course, if it is anything I can do - ” “ It is a thing you alone can do. You have only to say, yes."' “ Why are you so diffident to-day? ” asked Binoy. “ You know quite well that I am like one of the family— if I can help you in any way, of course I will.”

Mohim produced a wrap of pan leaves from his pocket and, offering some to Binoy, stuffed the rest into his own mouth, and, as he chewed them, he said: “ You know my daughter Sasi. She’s not so bad-looking; for she does not take after her father in that respect. She is getting on in years, and I must be arranging for her marriage. I can't sleep of nights for thinking that she might fall into the hands of some good- for-nothing fellow.”

‘‘ What makes you so anxious? ” said Binoy comfortingly.

‘ There’s plenty of time for her marriage yet.”

“ If y°u a daughter of your own you would understand my anxiety,” replied Mohim, sighing. “ As the years pass, up goes her age of itself, but a bridegroom does not come of lnmself. So as the time flies I am getting into an awful stato of mind. If, however, you can give me some hope, then of course I don’t mind waiting for a time.”