Gora, on leaving the house, did not walk at his usual pace, and instead of going straight home he absently sauntered down to the river. In those days the Ganges and its banks had not been invaded by the ugliness which commercial greed has since brought in its train. There was no railway beside it, and no bridge across it, and the sky on a winter evening was not obscured by the soot-laden breath of the crowded city. The river used then to bring its message of peace from the stainless peaks of the distant Himalayas into the midst of Calcutta’s dusty bustle.
Nature had never found an opportunity for attracting Gora’s attention, for his mind had always been busily engaged in its own efforts. He had never so much as noticed any part of his surroundings which was not directly the object of those efforts.
This evening, however, the message of the sky, with its star-lit darkness, moved his heart with all kinds of little touches. The river was without a ripple. The lights of tho boats tied to the landing-places twinkled out, and all the gloom seemed massed in the dense foliage of the trees on the opposite bank. Over the whole scene tho planet Jupiter kept watch like the wakeful conscience of the night.
All this time Gora had been living aloof in his own world XXI GORA of thought and action — what was it that had now happened? He had been brought up against some point of contact with Nature; and, thereupon, the deep dark water of the river, the dense dark banks, and the illimitable dark sky overhead had offered him welcome. Gora felt that to-night ho had surrendered himself to Nature’s overtures.
From the garden of a merchant's office by the roadside the unfamiliar fragrance of some exotic floweriug creeper laid its soothing touch over Corn's restless heart, and the river beckoned him away from the field of man’s untiring labour towards some dim unexplored region, where the trees bore wondrous flowers and cast mysterious shadows, on the banks of unknown waters; where, beneath the pure open skies, the days seemed like the frank gaze of a wide-open eye, the nights like the bashful shadows trembling beneath downcast eye¬ lashes.
A very vortex of sweetness surrounded Gora and seemed to draw him into unknown primal depths never experienced by him before. His whole being was assailed, at one and the same time, with shocks of pain and of joy. He seemed to be standing in utter self-forgetfulness on this autumn night by the river-bank, — the vague starlight in his eyes, the undefined city sounds in his cars, — in the presence of the veiled elusive mystery which pervades the universe. Because, so long, he had not acknowledged her sway, Nature had now taken her revenge by enmeshing him in her magic net, binding him close to earth, water, and sky, and cutting him off from his every¬ day life.
Gora, lost in wonder at his own condition, sank down on the steps of the deserted ghat. Again and again he asked himself, as he sat there, what was this sudden experience, what its meaning for him, what place had it in the scheme of life which ho had planned for himself? Was it a thing to be fought against and overcome?
But as Gora clenched bis fists fiercely, there came to him the memory of the questioning glances of two entrancing eyes, soft with modesty, bright with understanding— and in imagina¬ tion he felt the touch of the perfect fingers of gentle hands. He thrilled through and through with ineffable joy as all his questions and misgivings were completely set at rest by the depth of this experience in the darkness, and he felt loath to lose it by leaving the place.
When he returned home that night, Anandamoyi asked him: “ Why so late, child? Your dinner is quite cold.”
GORA CHAP.
“Ob, I don’t know, mother; I was sitting for a long time by the river.”
Anaudamoyi felt considerably astonished, for she had never known Gora do such a thing before — meditating alone by the Ganges till so late an hour! It had never been his habit to sit still in silent thought. Anandamoyi watched him as he sat eating absently, and noticed a new kind of restless excitement in his features. After a pause she asked quietly: “ I suppose you have been to Binoy’s to-day? ” “ No, we wero both at Paresh Babu’s house this afternoon.”
This gave Anandamoyi fresh food for thought, and after awhile she ventured another question: “ Did you make the acquaintance of all the family t ” 1f Yes, without any reserve,” replied Gora.
“ I suppose their girls have no objection to come out before everybody? ” “ None at all," said Gora.
At any other time there would have been a note of emphasis in Gora’s reply, and its absence mystified Anandamoyi more than ever.
Next morning Gora did not get through his preparations for the day’s work with his accustomed rapidity. He stood for quite a long time looking absent-mindedly out of his bedroom window, which faced the cast. At the end of the lane, on the opposite side of the main thoroughfare into which it led, was a school. In the school grounds stood an old jambolan tree, over the foliage of which floated a thin veil of morning mist letting the red beams of the rising sun dimly through. Gradually, as Gora stood looking at it, the mist melted away and bright shafts of sunlight p.erced the network of leaves like so many glittering bayonets, while the city street became busy with passers-by and the sounds of traffic.
Suddenly Gora's glance fell upon Abinash and some of his fellow-students, who were coming up the lane towards his house, and with a strong effort he threw off the web of absorp¬ tion that had cast its spell around him. “ No, this will never do! ” he said to himself with a force which smote his mind like a blow, and he rushed out of his room.
He reproached himself bitterly for not being ready in time to receive his colleagues — a thing that he had never before allowed to happen. He made up his mind not to go to Paresh Babu’s house again, and to contrive some means to banish GORA .•all thoughts of the family, even by avoiding Binoy for a "in the course of the talk with his friends they decided on a •plan for going on a tramp along the Grand Trunk Road. 'They would take no money with them, subsisting on whatever hospitality was offered them on the way.
This determination arrived at, Gora displayed unbounded ■enthusiasm. An intense joy took possession of him at the idea of thus escaping from all fetters and taking to the open road. It seemed to him that the very notion of this adventure had freed his heart from the net in which it had become .entangled. Bike a boy released from school, Gora almost; ran .out of the house to make his preparations for this outing, as •he tossed to and fro in his mind the argument that work alone •was true and all these sentiments, which had so overpowered him. only illusions.,,. _ Just as Krishnadayal was entering the house, carrying a •vessel of sacred Ganges water in his hand, wearing a scarf •.inscribed with the names of the gods, and repeating sacred .mantras, Gora in his haste ran into him. Dismayed at what he had done, Gora hastily bent to touch his feet in apolo >, but Krishnadayal shrank away from him, and saying Ijmxiedly “ Never mind now, never mind,” sidled past feeling that •Cora’s touch bad destroyed all the efficacy of his morning Go» UdGn«o 'realised that all Krishnadayal'. carduln«s •was specially directed towards avoiding him m particular ,he merely put down his squeamishness as being part of his •insane desire to avoid contamination by guarding against the Cch of all and sundry, ior did ho not keep even Ins ™ie Anandamoyi at a distance, as though she were an outcaste *and hardly came into contact at all with Mohim who was •ilways too busy. The only member of the family he had .anything to do with was his granddaughter Sasi, and he used •t0 get her to memorise Sanskrit texts and teach her the correct Ut So when Krishnadayal shrank away, Gora merely smiled to himself at his father’s ways, which m fact had gradually and so completely estranged him that, in spite of his disspprmal •of Anandamoyi’s unorthodox habits, all his devotion had been -centred in this unconventional mother of his., After finishing his breakfast, Gora put a change of clothes unto a bundle and, strapping it on his back m the lynner of •English travellers, he went to Anandamoyi and said. Mother, GORA I’m thinking of going away for a few days. Give me youu leave.”
“ Where are you going, my son? ” she asked.
“ I don’t know myself, exactly,” he replied.
“ Is it on any business? ” “ Not business as it is usually understood. The journey itself is the business.”
Seeing that Anandamoyi remained silent, Gora implored her anxiously: “ Mother, you really must not say no. You» know me well enough. You need havo no fear of my turning- ascetic and taking to the road for good! I cannot stay away from you for many days, you know that, don’t you? ” Gora had never before expressed his affection for his mother in such clear terms, and no sooner had he done so than lie feltv a little awkward.
Anandamoyi, though inwardly delighted, detected this, and in order to put him at his ease she said: “ Binoy is going; with you, of course, isn’t he? ” “ Just like you, mother! Without Binoy to guard him, you think some one will kidnap your Gora. Binoy is not going, and I am going to cure this superstitious faith of yours- in him by coming back safe and sound, even without his protection! ” “ But you'll let me have news now and then? ” said Anandamoyi.
“ Better make up your mind that you’ll not get any news, then if you do you’ll be all the happier. No one is going to- steal your Gora, — never fear. He isn’t the kind of priceless- treasure you imagine him to be! If any one takes a fancy to- this little luggage of mine I’ll make him a present of it and. come home, — I’m not going to stick to it at the risk of my life, I can assure you I ” Gora bent low to take the dust of Anandamoyi’s feet, and she blessed him by kissing her own fingers which had touched his head, but made no attempt to dissuade him from his project. She never stood in the way of anything being done because it gave herself pain, or for fear of some imaginary evil. In her own life she had been through many obstacles and dangers, and she was not ignorant of the outside world. She had never known fear, and her anxiety to-day was not because- of anything that might happen to Gora, but because, from the night before, she had guessed that he was going through, some mental distress, which she now felt sure was the reason, of his suddenly going off on this tramp.
XXI GORA XXI GORA Just as Gora set foot io the street with his bundle on his back, Binoy appeared carrying with the greatest care two deep- red roses. “ Binoy,” said Gora, “ whether you are a bird of good or evil omen will soon be put to the test.”
“ Are you going on a journey, then? ” asked Binoy.
“ Echo answers where! ” laughed Gora.
“ Have you no better answer? ” “ No. Go to mother and she will tell you all about-it. I must be off.” And with these words Gora marched off at a (tuick pace.
On entering her room Binoy made his obeisance to Ananda- moyi and placed the two roses at her feet. Picking them up she asked: “ Where did you get these, Binoy? ” f Binoy, without giving her a definite answer, said: ‘ When 1 get something good 1 want first of all to offer it in worship at your feet. But you arc thoughtful, mother? ” “ What makes you think so? ” asked Anandamoyi.
“ Because you have forgotten to offer me the usual betel leaf,” said Binoy.
When Anandamoyi had supplied this deficiency, the two of them went on talking till midday. Binoy was unable to throw any light on the object of Gora’s purposeless journey; but when, in the course of conversation, Anandamoyi asked him whether he had not taken Gora to Paresh Babu’s house the day before, he gave her a full account of all that had happened there, and she listened closely to every word.
When departing Binoy said: “ Mother, is my worship accepted, and may I take the flowers away now that they have received your blessing V Anandamoyi laughed as she banded the roses to Bmoy. She could see that these blossoms were not receiving such care merely for their beauty— that there was assuredly a deeper object in them than their botanical interest.
When Binoy had gone she pondered long on what she had heard, and prayed fervently to God that Gora might not be unhappy, and that nothing might happen to injure his friend¬ ship with Binoy.
GORA CHAP.
CHAPTER XXII There was a history attached to these two roses.
The night before, when Gora had departed alone from Paresh Babu’s house, he had left poor Binoy in a great fix at the proposal that he should take part in the play at the ^Tohtahad^no great enthusiasm for this play, rather she was tfored by the whole affair, but she felt an obstinate wish to entangle Binoy in it somehow. She was provoked wit. Gora and wanted to use Binoy for doing whatever she coni, contrary to Cora’s wishes. She did not heraclf understand why it was so unbearable for her to think of Binoy as sub¬ servient to his friend, but whatever the reason might be she felt that she could breathe freely if only she could make Binoy independent of all such bondage.,.
So, shaking her head roguishly, she had said to him. “ Why, sir. what’s wrong with the play * “ There may be nothing wrong in the play itself, answered Binoy, “ but it is acting in the Magistrate s house that I “ Is that your own opinion or some one else s. „ “ I’m not responsible for expressing other people s ideas, said Binoy; "and, further, they arc not easy to explain. Perhaps you may find it hard to believe, but I m giving you my own opinions, sometimes in my own words, sometimes peLoEto^merelyesmiled without replying, but a short time afterwards she said: " Your friend Gour Babu imagines, 1 suppose, that there is great heroism in setting no value on a magistrate’s invitation,— that it is a way of fighting the "ED^Mv friend may or may not think so, but I myself certainly do,” replied Binoy with some heat. “ Isn’t it a method of fichting? How can we preserve our self-respect unless we give up our subserviency to those who think they honour us by beckoning us with their little finger? ” Lolita was naturally of a proud disposition, and she liked to hear Binoy speaking of this need for self-respect; but, feeling the weakness of her argument, she went on hurting Binoy by her neeto^iockw^. ^ «« Why do you go on arguing \ Why don’t you say ‘ It is my wish that you take xxii CORA 113 mrt in this plav,' then I could get some pleasure from i the If you have an honest opinion, why should you act a0ainst hands of your arguments and consent to take pi £-r?j*rM‘,r &sz what I have to do to get up my part i „ pd “ There’s no need for you to worry about that, answerca jp&sS&S « you all the same.”
' T olita made no answer and turned away., Sh0 WhatmadYher keep on trying to wound Binoy and only 6etAsCg“^ BinoT was unwilling to take part in the play, Lolt's per^nceyhad only increased, but, as soon as he iSpai^tes to request to him 1 W J this merely his politeness l-aa li she had been pining for his politeness.
GORA CHAP.
But why should she be so contrary no*? Had she not done her best to drag poor Binoy into the play? What right had she to be angry with him because he had yielded to her persistence, even though it was out of politeness? Lolita was clearly more exercised over this affair, with her self- reproaches, than was merely natural.
On other occasions when she was disturbed, she used to go for comfort to Sucharita, but to-night she did not. For she could not fully understand why her heart beat at her breast and the tears struggled to come.
Next morning Sudhir brought a bouquet for Labonya, and in it there were two red roses which Lolita immediately took out, of the bunch. On being asked why, she replied: “ I can t bear to see beautiful blossoms squashed in the middle of a nosegay. It’s barbarous to herd a number of flowers together like that,” and she untied the bouquet and dis¬ tributed the flowers in different parts of the room.
Satish now came running up to her crying: “ Didi, where did you get these flowers? ” Without answering bis question Lolita asked: “ Aren’t you going to call on your friend to-day? ” Up to that moment Satish had not been thinking of Binoy, but at the mere mention of him he began to dance, saying • Yes of course I will,” and he wanted to start there and then.
\V hat do you do when you’re there? ” asked Lolita, detaining him, to which Satish replied concisely: “ We talk.”
“ He gives you so many pictures, why don’t vou cive him something? ” continued Lolita.
Binoy had cut out all kinds of pictures from English magazines and Satish had started a scrap-book with them. He had become so keen ubout filling its pages that the moment he saw a picture, even in a valuable book, his fingers itched to cut it out, and this avidity of his had brought upon his guilty head heaps of scoldings from his sisters.
That in this world reciprocity of gifts is expected, now came as a sudden and uncomfortable revelation to Satish.
It was not easy for him to contemplate the idea of giving up any of the cherished possessions which he guarded with such care in an old tin box, and his face showed alarm. Lolita pinched his cheek and said with a laugh: “ Never mind, don’t you worry about that. Just give him these two roses.”
Delighted at such an easy solution of the problem, Satish set off with the flowers to settle his debt with his friend. On the road he met Binoy and called out: “ Binoy Babu, Binoy Babu! ” and, concealing the roses under his coat, he said: “* Can you guess what I’ve got for you here? ” When Binoy had acknowledged defeat as usual, Satisli •produced the two red blossoms and Binoy exclaimed: “ Oh, sow lovely 1 But, Satish Babu, these are not your own, are they? I hope I shan’t be falling into the hands of the police •as a receiver of stolen goods! ” Satish felt a sudden doubt as to whether he could call these flowers his own or not, so he said after a moment’s thought: “ Of course not! Why, my sister Lolita gave them to me to give to you! ” So now the question was settled, and Binoy said good-bye to Satish with a promise to cull iu the afternoon.
Binoy had not been able to forget the pain ho hod experi- •cnccd the previous night at Lolita’s hands. He seldom •quarrelled with people, so he had never expected such sharp words from anybody. At first he had regarded Lolita as merely following in Sucharita’s wake, but recently his con¬ dition with regard to her had been like that of a goaded elephant which gets no time to forget its driver. His chief •concern had been to please Lolita anyhow and get for himself .a little peace. But on returning home at night her pungent, mocking words recurred to his mind, one after another, till ;he found sleep difficult.
“ I am merely like Gora’s shadow. I have no opinions of my own. — Lolita despises me because she thinks this, but it .is absolutely false.” Thus ran his thoughts, and he marshalled in his mind all kinds of arguments against the idea. But -these were of no avail, for Lolita had never brought against him any definite accusation, and had avoided giving him •any opportunity for arguing the point. Binoy had so many .answers to the charge, and yet he never got a chance of staling •them, — this was what vexed him so. And then to crown it jxll, even when ho had admitted defeat, Lolita had shown no isign of pleasure. This upset him entirely. “ Am I then such .a contemptible object? ” he bitterly asked himself.
So when he heard from Satish that Lolita had sent these iroses to him by proxy, he was exultant. He took them as a peace-offering, in token of his surrender. At first he thought the would carry them home, but at length he decided to get xthera sanctified by offering them at Mother Anaudamoyi’s tfeet.
That same evening, when Binoy arrived at Paresh Babu’s (house, Lolita was hearing Satish repeat his school lessons.
GORA CHAP.
Binoy’s first words were: “ Red is the colour of warfare flowers of reconciliation ought to have been white.”
Lolita looked at him blankly, at a loss to understand his meaning, until he brought out from under his shawl a buucl: of white oleanders and held them towards her, saying: “ No matter how beautiful your roses are, they have still the tinge of anger about them. These flowers of mine can’t compare with them for beauty, but they are nevertheless not unworthy of your acceptance in their white garb of humility.”
“ What flowers do you call mine? ” asked Lolita, blusliing deeply.
“ Have I then made a mistake? ” stammered Binoy in confusion. “ Satisli Babu, whose flowers did you give me? ” “ Why, didn’t Lolita Didi tell me to give them? ” replied Satish with an injured air.
“ To whom did she tell you to give them? ” questioned Binoy.
“ To you, of course.”
Lolita, turning redder than ever, gave Satish a push as she said: “ I never saw such a little stupid! Didn’t you want the flowers to give to Binoy Babu in exchange for liis- pictures?”
“ Yes, I did, but didn’t you tell me to give them? ” cried Satish, altogether puzzled.
Lolita realised that bandying words with Satish only got her more entangled than ever, for Binoy now clearly saw that Lolita had given him the roses but did not want him to- know it.
Binoy said: “ Never mind. I relinquish my claim to- your flowers: but let me tell you, there is no mistake about these flowers of mine. These are my peace-offering, on the making up of our quarrel.”
Lolita interrupted him with a toss of her head: “ Whem did we ever quarrel, and what is this making up you speak of?”
“ Has everything, then, been an illusion from start to- finish? ” exclaimed Binoy. “ No quarrel, no flowers, no reconciliation cither! It seems not only a case of mistaking the glitter for gold, but there never was any glitter even! That proposal about the play, was that -? ” “ There’s no mistake about that, anyway,” interrupted: Lolita. “ But who ever quarrelled about it? What makes, you imagine that I’ve been in a conspiracy to win your con¬ sent? You agreed, and I was duly gratified, that was all.
XXII GORA But if you have auy real objection to taking part in the play., why should you have agreed, no matter who asked you? ” With which she went out of the room.
Everything had turned out contrary. That very morning Lolita had decided that she would confess her defeat at Binoy’s hands, and would request him to give up the idea of the play. But things had developed in just the opposite way.
Binoy was led to think that Lolita had not got over her annoyance at his previous opposition, and was still angry because she thought that although Binoy had outwardly capitulated he yet was, at heart, against the performance. He felt greatly pained that Lolita should have taken tho- matter so seriously, and he made up his mind that ho would never raise any objection again, even in joke; that he would take up his part in the play with such devotion and ability that no one would be able to accuse him of indifference.
Sucharita had been sitting alone in her bedroom since early- morning, trying to read the Imitation of Christ. This morning, she had not given any attention to her other regular work. Every now and again her mind would wander and the pages- of tho book become blurred, and then, with redoubled energy,, she would force herself to apply her mind to the book, un¬ willing to acknowledge her weakness.
Once she thought she heard tho sound of Binoy’s voice, and on the impulse of the moment she put her book on the table aud started up to go into the sitting-room. But, auuoyed. with herself for this lack of interest in the subject, she took up the book again and sat down, with her hands over her ears lest any distracting sounds should again disturb her.
It often happened that when Binoy called, Gora came- also, and she could not help wondering whether ho had come to-day. She was afraid lest Gora had come, and then again she was racked by tho doubt that he had not.
While she was in this distracted state, Lolita entered the- room. 'Why, what’s the matter, my dear?” exclaimed Sucharita at the sight of her face.
“ Nothing! ” replied Lolita, shaking her head.
Where were you all this time? ” asked Sucharita.
“ Binoy Babu has come,” said Lolita. “ I think he wants, to talk to you.”
Sucharita was afraid to ask whether any one else had come with Binoy. If anybody had come Lolita would certainly have • mentioned it; but still her mind was in suspense, and at length, she went out, deciding to perform the duties of hospitality GOIiA CHAP.
•and give ap her attempts at self-restraint, first asking Lolita: *' Won’t you come too? ” “ You go first, I’ll come along later,” replied Lolita a little ^impatiently.,,.
When Sucbarita entered the sitting-room she found only Binoy and Satish talking together, and she said: “ Bather is ■out, but he will be back soon. Mother has taken Labonya ■and Lila to our teacher’s house to learn their parts. She left word that if you came we were to ask you to wait.”
“ Aren’t you going to bo in this play too? ” inquired “ cvery-one were to act where would the audience be? ” -replied Sucbarita..
Generally, when Binoy and Sucbarita were together, there •was no lack of conversation between them, but to-day there seemed to be some obstacle on both sides which prevented them from talking freely. Sucbarita had conic determined •not to raise the usual topic of Gora; nor did Binoy find it .any easier to mention his name, imagining that Lolita, and perhaps the rest of that household, regarded him as his friend’s After a few random remarks to Binoy, Sucharita, seeing no other way of escape, began to discuss with Satish the merits And demerits of his scrap-book. She managed to rouse Satish’s anger by finding fault with his method of arranging :3iis pictures, and Satish, getting excited, disputed with her in his shrill voice.. 4, Binoy meanwhile was looking disconsolately at his rejected ■bunch of white oleander blossoms which lay on the tabic, and -was thinking to himself with wounded pride: “ Lolita ought ’to have accepted these flowers of mine, if only for the sake •of politeness.”
Suddenly footsteps were heard, and Sucharita started ■violently on seeing Haran enter the room. Ilcr startled ••expression pereisted so glaringly that she blushed at Harau’s .glance.
Haran said to Binoy as he sat down: “ Well, hasn’t your <3ora Babu come to-day? ” •“ Why? ” asked Binoy, irritated at this unnecessary ques¬ tion. “ Have you any need of him? ” ** It is rare to see you and not to see him,” replied Haran. ■“ That is why I asked.” #.
Binoy felt so annoyed that, afraid lest he should show it, he said abruptly: “ He is not in Calcutta.”
xxin GORA “ Gone preaching, I suppose,” sneered Haran.
Binoy’s anger increased, and he remained silent.
Sucharita left the room without speaking. Haran rose and followed her at once, but she passed out too quickly for him to overtake her, so he called after her: “ Sucharita, I want a word with you.”
“ I’m not well to-day,” replied Sucharita, and sho went and shut herself in her bedroom.
Mistress Baroda now arrived on the scene and called Binoy to another room to give him his instructions about the play. When, a short time afterwards, lie returned, ho found that his flowers had disappeared from the table.
Lolita did not turn up that evening for the rehearsal.
As for Sucharita, she sat alone in her room till far into tho night with tho Imitation of Christ lying closed on her lap, and gazed from her oomcr into the darkness outside.
It seemed as if some unknown and wonderful country had appeared before her eyes like a mirage, from which all the experiences of her past life were in some way completely different, so that the lights which shone there, like chaplets of stars in the darkness of night, struck her mind with awe, as at the mystery of the ineffably remote.
“ How insignificant my life has been," she felt. “ What I thought of as oertain up to now has become full of doubt; what I have been doing every day seems meaningless. In that mystic realm, perhaps, all knowledge will become perfect, all work noble, and the true significance of life will at length be revealed. Who has brought me before the secret portal of this wonderful, unknown, terrible region? Why docs my heart tremble so? — -why do my limbs seem to fail me when I try to advance? ” CHAPTER XXIII CHAPTER XXIII For several days Sucharita spent much time at her prayers, and seemed more and more to be in need of Parcsh Babu’s support. One day when Paresh Babu was reading alone in Iiis room, Sucharita came in and sat quietly beside him, •whereupon he laid down his book and asked: “ What is it, Badha dear? ” “ Nothing, father,” answered Sucharita as she began to arrange the books and papers on his writing-table, although GORA chap.
everything was quite tidy. Then after a few moments she said: “ Father, why don’t you read with me as you used “ My pupil has passed out of my school,” said Parcsh. Babu, smiling affectionately. “ Now you can understand things for yourself.”
“ No, I can’t understand anything at all! ” protested Sucharita. “ I want to read with you as before.”
“ So be it,” agreed Paresh Babu. “ We’ll begin from* to-morrow.”
" Father,” said Sucharita suddenly, after a short silence, “ why did you not explain to me what Binoy Babu was saying' the other day about caste? ”