THE WRECK; re-visited 22

        Hemamalini took a chair without a word and resigned herself to an inquisition.

       "Haven't you noticed anything suspicious about Ramesh's behavior ?" began Jogendra by way of breaking  the news gently to her.

      Hemamalini merely shook her head.

      "He had the marriage postponed for a week ; what reason could he have had that he could not disclose to us ?"

     "There must have been some reason, " said she without raising her eyes.

    "You are perfectly right ; there was a reason, but isn't that suspicious enough in itself ?"

    Hemamalini signified by a shake of the head that she did not think so.

    Jogendra broke out harshly : "You remember when Ramesh went home with his father ? We did not hear from him for a long time after that and naturally we thought his conduct strange. You know, too,that in the old days he lived next door to us and used to drop in twice a day, while after he returned to Calcutta he burrowed somewhere miles away and never even called. Even then you two continued to believe in him and you invited him back on the old footing. Such a thing could never have happened if I had been hear. Did either of you make any attempt to fathom the meaning of his extra-ordinary behavior ? Did you never feel the slightest curiosity about it ? You seem to have had very strong faith in him. "

   Hemamalini sat silently.

   Jogendra further added, "I hope you'll believe what I have personally found about him. I went personally to the girls' school and found that Ramesh has a wife who is a boarder there, and he had arranged to leave her there for the holidays. The school broke up to-day, and Kamala was deposited by the school omnibus at their old rooms in Darjjipara. I went there myself and found Kamala peeling and cutting up an apple while Ramesh was sitting on the floor in front of her taking the pieces from her and eating. I asked Ramesh for an explanation and he said he would tell us nothing. If he had made the least attempt to deny that Kamala was his wife we should have accepted his word and should have endeavoured  to allay our suspicion, but he would neither affirm nor deny it. Can you continue to trust him after that ?"

    Hemamalini turned strangely pale, her head fell forward, and she sank unconscious to the ground. Annada Babu's distress was pitiful. He raised his daughter's head from the floor and laid it on his breast, exclaiming, "What is it, dear, what is it ? Don't believe a word they say ! It's all lie."

    Jogendra thrust his father aside and at once lifted Hemamalini on to the sofa. He picked up a jug of water and sprinkled drops on her face, while Akshay fanned her vigorously with a hand punkah.