After hearing the story of Nalinaksha's marriage and the calamity that took place afterwords Kshemankari's face turned grey.
"Amen," she said ; "we can not help the past, but never mention this to me again. I shudder to think of it."
"I should never have told you, mother, had you not been so insistent about marriage," told Nalin.
But his mother insisted, "why, this calamity to prevent your marriage at all ?"
"This girl may have survived after all ; that is why I have scruples about marrying," expressed Nalinaksha.
"Are you mad ? You would certainly have heard of her had she been alive."
"She knows nothing about me. I was complete a stranger to her as any one could be. I don't suppose she has ever seen my face. When I arrived in Benares I wrote to Tarini Chaturjye giving him my address, but apparently my letter never reached him for it came back to me through the dead-letter office," he explained ; "I have decided to let a whole year elapse before I take her death for granted."
"So be it ; but, dear, what an awful thing it was that you told me ! I'm still trembling at the thought of it," she said in exclamation.
"I was afraid of that, mother, and I fear it will be a long time before you are your normal self again. Once anything disturbs your composure you do not regain it easily. You understand my reluctance to tell you this story," he convinced his mother.
"You did well. my son. I don't know what has come over me nowadays but when I hear any evil tidings the horror of it grips me. You know ! I shrink from opening any letter for fear it may contain bad news. As you know, I have even requested you to keep news back from me. I fear that I have lived too ling, else why these repeated shocks ?" she grieved and remained silent.
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