After supper, however, they drew their chairs into the lamplight and sat for leisurely chit-chat and Ramesh had at last an opportunity to explain his errand.
"Well, Jogen," he began,"your intuition must tell you what has brought me here. You once asked me a question which at the time I was unable to answer. There is no longer anything to prevent my answering it."
Ramesh relapsed into silence. After a few moments he proceeded slowly to relate the whole story of his connection with Kamala from beginning to end. At times he choked and his voice trembled, and at certain points he stopped altogether. Jogendra heard him out in silence.
When he had finished Jogendra sighed.
"Had you told it all to me that day I couldn't have believed it !"
"It's just incredible to-day as it was then. I want you to come with me to the village where I was married ; then I'll take you on to Kamala's uncle's house."
"I refuse to stir a step. I'm ready to believe every word you say without moving from this chair. I had always been in the habit of trusting you implicitly and you must forgive me for my one departure from a lifelong custom."
Jogendra rose from his chair and the two old friends embraced.
When Ramesh found his voice he went on :
"Fate involved me in such an inextricable web of falsehood that I could see no remedy except to draw everything into its meshes. Now that I am clear of it and have nothing more to conceal I can breath freely again. I don't know to this day, and am never likely to know, what induced Kamala to commit suicide, but this much is certain, it was the only possible solution for her. The pair of us were in such a tangle that I shudder to think of the difficulties with which we should ultimately have been faced had she not cut the Gordian knot in this way. She was snatched suddenly and unexpectedly out of the jaws of death, and as suddenly and unexpectedly she disappeared into them again !"
"You needn't take it for granted that Kamala committed suicide. However the way is clear for you, so far as that is concerned. There's only the question of Nalinaksha now," and Jogendra proceeded to discourse on Nalinaksha. "I don't understand that type of person," he said, "and what I don't understand I don't like ; but a lot of people are the other way about ; what they don't understand appeals to them most. That's why I'm afraid of Hem. Things began to look bad when she gave up tea and wouldn't eat meat or fish. Then her eyes lost their old sparkle and even when one said something cutting she only smiled sweetly. However, if I have your help, we'll rescue her in no time, you may be sure of that. So gird on your armour and the two of us will join battle against the ascetic."
Ramesh laughed. "I haven't much reputation as a fighting-man, but I'm ready. Hadn't I better go ahead myself."
"No, no, that would never do. It was I who broke off your engagement and I must renew it again by my own efforts. I can't let you go on with the advance-guard and rob me of so congenial a task," offered Jogen.
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