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            In his old age Rajballabh formed a sudden resolve to marry a certain widow of his acquaintance, and nothing would alter his determination. His invariable answer to protests was : "My present wife is not my true consort, for she does not share my faith ; it would be positively wrong to abstain from marrying a woman who, in conduct and religion, in heart and mind, will be one with me."
          In spite of a general chorus of disapproval Rajballabh insisted on marrying the widow according to Hindu rites.
         Nalinaksha's mother prepared to leave her husband and migrate to Benares. Nalinaksha was then in private practice at Rangpur. He at once threw up his practice and announced to his mother his intention of accompanying her to the holy city.
        "My son," said the old lady with tears in her eyes, "our ideas are at variance. Why should you put yourself to unnecessary discomfort."
         "There will be no variance," replied Nalinaksha, who felt keenly the stigma cast on his mother by his father's betrayal and had determined to make her happiness his prime object. He accompanied her to Benares accordingly. At an early opportunity she inquired if he did not intend to marry.
          Nalinaksha was in a quandary : "Why should I, mother ?" he asked. "I'm very well as I am."
          The mother's intuition divined the cause of his hesitation. In cutting himself off from his former circle he had renounced much, but he was not prepared to go the length of marrying outside the Brahmo connection.
         Anxious not to stand in his way, she replied, "My dear boy, you can't take a vow of celibacy on my account. Marry whomsoever you please ; you need not fear opposition from me."
        Nalinaksha thought the matter over for a day or two, then announced his decision.
        "Mother," he said, "I'm going to present you with a daughter-in-law after your own heart, a dutiful little girl with whom you will never find yourself out of harmony and whose conduct will never cause you a pang"; and he departed for Bengal in search of a bride.
       As to what happened after that, accounts were divergent. One story was that he made a secret expedition to some country place and married an orphan girl who died immediately afterwards ; but other chroniclers cast doubts on this version. Personally, Akshay believed that he had been on the point of marrying, but had changed his mind at the eleventh hour.
      However that might be, Akshay was of opinion that Nalinaksha's mother would raise no objectons to the proposed match, in fact she would be delighted if he married the girl of his heart, and so charming a bride as Hemamalini would be far to seek. Moreover Hem's lovable disposition would inevitably impel her to treat her mother-in-law with respect that was her due and to avoid carefully any cause of offence. With very short acquaintance with Hem wold convince Nalinaksha that she possessed the ncessary qualifications.
    Akshay's advice accordingly was to introduce the young people to each other as early as possible.      

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            Having got the impression that Hemamalini was not inclined to the proposal of himself to be the person for her husband Akshay came with a suggestion :
            "Well, we needn't assume that I'm the only marriageable young man in the world. Of course if you were your sister things would be different and my ancestors would not be anxiously counting the days till I cease to be a bachelor. But as it is , what we really want is a suitor who will meet her taste-not one on whose appearance she flies off to air the clothes !"
        " One can't go into a shop and order a bridegroom," expressed Jogen.
         "You're very easily discouraged. Though our real object is to find a husband for Hemamalini still, if you are too precipitate, the whole thing will end in smoke. You mustn't broach the subject of marriage prematurely or you'll scare both parties away.Let their acquaintance ripen gradually and watch your opportunity to make a proposal," suggested Akshay.
        "Sound tactics," admitted Jogendra, "but tell me his name."
        "You don't know him well, but you've seen him-Doctor Nalinaksha !" said Akshay.
         "Nalinaksha !" wondered Jogen.
        "You seem surprised ! There is some scandal about him in the Brahmo Samaj, but never mind that. You wouldn't so eligible a catch slip out of your hands on that count, I'm sure," suggested Akshay.
         "If I once got any one so eligible into my hands, I shouldn't worry about the rest ! Do you suppose, however, that Nalinaksha would consent ?" doubted Jogendra.
          Akshay came with a proposal, "You know, Nalinaksha is to deliver a lecture to-marrow. Take Hemamalini to hear him. The fellow is a real orator. There's nothing like eloquence to attract women. I don't say he would if you sprang a proposal on him to-day ; but time works marvels !"
         "But look here, you must tell me Nalinaksha's history ; I want to know more about him," said Jogendra.
          "All right, Jogen, I'll tell you his history, but if you discover a flaw somewhere you mustn't let that worry you. A slight flaw is an advantage in my opinion ; it brings within one's means an article that would otherwise be too expensive," told Akshay.
           Nalinaksha's story, as told by Akshay, may be summarized as follows:
           His father Rajballabh was a petty landholder in the neighborhood of Faridpur. At the age of thirty Rajballabh joined the Brahmo Samaj sect. His wife, however, refused to embrace her husband's new faith, and she resolutely went her own way, taking every precaution to maintain her ceremonial purity. Naturally Rajballabh found his wife's attitude extremely unpalatable. Their son Nalinaksha's missionary zeal and remarkable eloquence procured his admission into the fold of the Brahmo Samaj at an early age. He entered the provincial medical service and lived the usual nomadic life of the government servant in Bengal. Wherever he went he left behind him a reputation for upright conduct, professional skill, and fervid piety.
 

  

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           Jogendra threw a shawl round his shoulder and made straight for Akshay's house, where he found his friend immersed in an English work on book-keeping. Jogendra flung the book aside, "Never mind that just now ; we have to fix a day for your wedding."
          "Good Lord !" exclaimed Akshay.
          Next morning when Annada Babu descended the stairs, boiling water was ready for preparing the morning tea.  He started sipping his tea with his usual deliberation while he smacked his lips over the flavor and chatted to his daughter and began to drain his cup with unnecessary haste.
        "Are you in a hurry to go out, dad?" asked Hemamalini in surprise.
        "Oh no ! when the weather is cold I like to drink my tea straight off ; the hot tea brings out the sweat and does one good," replied her father ; but before the desired perspiration appeared Jogendra entered the room with Akshay at his heels.
        Akshay had bestowed special attention on his toilet ; in his left hand he carried a book in a brown paper wrapping ; and a handsome watch-chain adorned his bosom. Instead of taking his usual place at the table he drew a chair up beside Hemamalini's and observed with a smirk, "Your clock is fast to-day."
        Hemamalini neither looked in his direction nor vouchsafed any reply.
        "Hem, dear, let us go upstairs," said Annada Babu, "we must put my winter clothes out in the sun."
        "You needn't be in such a hurry, dad," expostulated Jogedra, "the sun won't run away. Hem, won't you pour out a cup of tea for Akshay ? I want some too, but visitors first, you know !"
         Akshay laughed and turned to Hemamalini. "Did you ever see such self-sacrifice ? He's a regular Sir Philip Sidney !"
         Without taking the slightest notice of Akshay's facetiousness Hemamalini poured out two cups of tea, handed one to Jogendra, pushed the other towards Akshay, and caught her father's eye.
         "If we wait any longer it'll be too hot on the roof," said Annada Babu. "Come along Hem, we had better go upstairs at once."
          "Oh, bother the clothes !" exclaimed Jogendra, "Akshay came to --"
          Annada Babu's anger blazed up. "You two are just trying to bully us ! When a person is suffering mental tortures you have no right to try to browbeat her into compliance with your wishes. I have endured it without protest for days on end, but I can stand it no longer. Hem, dear, in future you and I will have our tea together upstairs."
        He essayed to draw Hem out of the room, but she interposed quietly, "Don't go just yet, dad. You haven't finished your tea. Akshay Babu, may I inquire what the contents of that mysterious parcel are ?"
        "Not only may you ask , but you may solve the mystery for yourself," and Akshay held the package to her.
         Hem removed the wrapper and disclosed a copy of Tennyson bound in morocco. She started as if struck and turned pale. Once before had she received just such a present. Unknown to others , she treasured in a drawer upstairs a copy of the same edition of Tennyson in identical binding.
        Jogendra smiled. "The mystery has not been entirely solved yet," and he opened the book at the title page and showed it to his sister ; on the page was written : "To Srimathi Hemamalini as a token of Akshay's esteem."
        Hemamalini dropped the book like a hot potato and averted eyes from it. "Come, dad, " she said, and  father and daughter left the room.
        Jogendra's eyes blazed. "I can't stay a moment longer under this roof !" he exclaimed. "I'll clear out and earn my living as a school-master somewhere."
        "You're taking it too much to heart, old man," said Akshay. "I told you, you know, that in my opinion  you were mistaken. I yielded to your insistence, but I'm convinced now that Hemamalini will never care for me. You must put that idea out of your head. If we want to do the right thing, our next task must be to make her forget Ramesh."
        "That's true enough ; how are we to proceed though ?" 

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          On hearing the reply of Hemamalini Jogendra's tone softened at once. "Hem, dear,you mustn't be angry with me. We know one another since we were children, and I'm quite aware how sensitive you are and how fond you are of dad." And he departed in quest of his father.
        Annada Babu was sitting in his room. His conscience had been troubling him as he pictured Jogendra bullying his sister, and he had been on the point of rising to interrupt their conversation when Jogendra entered. He waited his son to begin.
       "Dad, Hem has agreed to marry," Jogendra began. "Perhaps you think that I put a good deal of pressure on her to obtain her consent, but I didn't as a matter of fact . She won't object now to marry Akshay if only you tell her distinctly that she must do it."
        "Am I to tell her ?"
        "Yes ; you can hardly expect her to come of her own accord and say, 'Am I to marry Akshay ?' If you hesitate to speak to her yourself you can authorize me to communicate your orders to her."
        "Certainly not !" exclaimed Annada Babu at once. "I'll say to her myself what there is to be said ; but why are you in such a hurry ? I think we should wait for a few days."
        "No dad ; if we wait, something is sure to come in the way. We can't go on like this any longer."
         None of the family could cope with Jogendra when he was in earnest ; he would never take his hand from the plough, and even Annada Babu went in inward fear of him.
         "All right, I'll speak to her ," he said, with the idea of shelving the question.
         "No time like the present, dad," said Jogendra ; "she's sitting there waiting for you. Try to get it settled to-day."
          "Well, wait here, Jogen, and I'll see her alone."
         "All right, you'll find me here when you come back."
         Annada Babu found Hemamalini sitting alone in darkness in the room and she rose hurriedly from a chair. In a moment or two a tearful voice said, "The lamp went out, dad. Shall I tell the bearer to light it ?" but Annada knew full well that the lamp had not been extinguished accidentally.
        "Never mind, dear," he said, "we don't need a light" ; and he groped his way to a chair beside his daughter's.
        "You are not taking enough care of yourself, dad," said Hemamalini.
        "And with good reason, dear. My health is alright, so it needs no care. It's you that ought to take care of yourself." He further added, "you know what is in my thoughts just as though you were my own mother ; and you've always done what I wanted without being told. If a father's wholehearted blessing is of any avail you will be happy all your days."
        "Won't you keep me with you, dad ?" asked Hem.
        "Of course I will."
        Hemamalini pleadingly asked, "May I stay with you as long as Jogen remains unmarried anyway ? Who is going to look after you if I'm not there ?"
       "Look after me ? Never mind that,dear. I'm not worth it."
       "The room is very dark, dad ; I must fetch a light. We've been so upset the last few days that you haven't had the newspaper read to you, "she interrupted from the discussion," I shall read now to you."
        Annada Babu got up . "All right, dear ; just wait a minute ; you'll read it to me when I come back," and he returned to Jogendra. What he intended to say was ; "I couldn't mention it to-day ; we had better wait till to-morrow" ; but when Jogendra burst out, Well, dad, what happened ? Did you speak to her about getting married ?" he hastened to reply, "Yes, I've spoken to her" ; he was afraid that otherwise Jogendra would renew the attack on Hemamalini.
       "She consented of course ?"
        "Yes, in a way."
        "Well, I'll go and tell Akshay," cried Jogendra.
        "No, no, don't say anything to Akshay yet !" said his father hurriedly. "We plan to go up-country till she is mentally unburdened from the disturbing thoughts of her marriage ; it'll be better to keep the things in abeyance till we return."



        

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           When Annada Babu and Hemamalini entered the room they found to their dismay Akshay already installed there ; for the time being Hem was her old self again, but the sight of Akshay would be a set back ; however, it was too late to remedy the situation for Hemamalini had already followed him into the room. Akshay rose at once.
          "Well, Jogen, I had better be off now," he said, but to the astonishment of all present Hemamalini only remarked : "What's the matter, Akshay Babu ? Are you in such a hurry ? Have a cup of tea first."
           "Akshay resumed his seat. "I had two cups already, but I have enough sense never to refuse a good thing when I'm offered it."
           "By the same token, may good thing never refuse you when you offer yourself ! Could a priest give you a better blessing than that ?" said Jogendra.
           Hemamalini excused herself on the grounds that her hair required attention, and Akshay departed to attend an engagement.
          "Dad, we must not wait any longer to get Hem married. There's a lot of gossip going on about her engagement to Ramesh being broken off. I can't go on fighting single-handed like this. If I were in a position to tell the whole truth I shouldn't mind the scrapping, but for Hem's sake I can't speak out freely, so I have to fight with my mouth shut. Just the other day, you know, I had to trounce Akhil. I heard he had been speaking too freely. If we can get her married soon the talk will subside, and I shan't have to go round playing the part of sole champion turning up my sleeves and challenging the world. I strongly advise you not put it off any longer," said jogendra.
          "But whom is she to marry, Jogen ?" asked Annada Babu.
          "There is only one man. It would be difficult to find any one else, except poor Akshay ; he's not easily choked off. Tell him to take a pill and he'll take it. Bid him  marry and he'll marry."
           "Are you mad, Jogen ? Do you think Hem would ever marry Akshay ?" retorted Annada Babu.
          "I 'll manage to get her consent if only you don't interfere," replied Jogen.
          "No, Jogen, no," exclaimed his father, "I can't have you trying your persuasion on Hem ; you'll only frighten her and worry her out of her wits. Leave her alone for a little. Poor girl, she has had a trying experience and she needn't marry all at once."
         "I'm not going to put any pressure on her ; I'll make every endeavor to be considerate and gentle with her without quarreling."
         Jogendra was not in the habit of letting the grass grow under his feet. He accosted Hemamalini as soon as she had completed coiffure and emerged from her room. "Hem, I want to have a talk with you."
         Jogendra put all his efforts to convince Hamamalini to get married as soon as possible on the pretext that their father's health is deteriorating due to the fate of her broken engagement and the shame there by that they are experiencing. He coaxed her saying, "for frivolous or unfair reasons you have conceived a dislike for well-meaning friends. But you must admit among all your friends there is one in particular who has been true to you in prosperity and adversity, through good and bad repute, and whom I respect greatly in consequence. If you want a husband who would give his life to see you happy I know where to look for him provided you give your consent. But if you want melodrama--"
          Hemamalini rose to her feet. "Please don't speak to me like that.If dad orders me to marry any one I shall do as he tells me. Wait till I disobey him before you talk about melodrama."
      

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          After Ramesh Babu disappeared from the scene of Annada Babu's surroundings the world that had seemed to Hemamalini like a dream suddenly sprang in to reality and shame and distress overwhelmed her. A sad change had come over Annada Babu who had borne the brunt of the storm that had burst over Hemamalaini ; he had never relaxed his endeavors to alleviate his daughters distress ; and when he had found all his efforts to comfort her unavailing his thoughts had turned to her mother and he had brought out this cry of helplessness from the depths of loving heart-Hemamalini saw it all in a flash. Conscience dealt her a buffet and swept her out of absorption in her own misery and by an effort of will she rent asunder and cast aside the entangling net of memories in which she had wrapped herself.
        "I say , dad," said Hemamalini, "how old was I when mother died ?"
        "You were only three then and had just begun to talk. I remember quite well your asking me, 'Where mother ?' and my saying, 'She has gone to her daddy'-your mother's father died before you were born and you never knew him. You didn't understand what I meant and you said nothing but just stood and looked solemnly at me. Then you took me by the hand and pulled me into your mother's room. You thought that though the room was empty I should find some clue there to tell me where she was. You knew that your father could do a lot, but you didn't realize that when it came to matters of life and death your big daddy was as ignorant and helpless as a baby. You can realize now how helpless I am ! God has given your father the capacity to love you but not to help you," and he laid his hand on his daughter's head.
         Jogendra was gravely dissatisfied with the turns affairs had taken. He found life at home almost unendurable ; and yet he was disinclined to seek others' society, for whenever he visited the houses of friends or acquaintances he had to furnish explanation of the rupture of Hemamalini's engagement. He went to the roof top to find his father and sister there and coaxed them to come down to the tea-table for some discussion.
       "I chose this place for a quiet talk with Hem," Annada Babu hastened to explain. His intention was to protect his daughter from Jogendra's unfeeling taunts, but his words were capable of the interpretation that he had dragged Hem up to the roof to engage her in conversation.
        "Can't one talk just as well at the tea-table ?" cried Jogendra. "You are just encouraging Hem in her foolishness, dad.You'll drive me out of this house at this rate."
         "I've decided not to have any tea to-day." said Annada Babu to avoid further conversation.
         "Why, dad, are you going to turn an out-and-out ascetic ? What's to happen to me, then ? I can't live on air," requested Jogendra.
          "Oh, no, it's not a question of asceticism. I didn't not sleep well last night so I thought of trying the effect of little abstinence."
          Hemamalini did not believe that her father seriously meant to cure himself of sleeplessness by abstaining from his usual indulgence. "Come along, dad, you must have your tea," she cried, and, forgetting his dread of insomnia, Annada Babu hurried off with her.          

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             Saila found it hard to restrain her own when Kamala broke out. "Don't talk that way, Kamala, as though you were going away altogether. I can't believe that you were really happy here. It's different now that you'll have a house of your own to be really happy in. We'll drop in to see you now and then, and when our backs are turned you'll say, 'Tank Heaven, they have gone at last !' "
           When the time came for Kamala to start and she had said her good-byes, Saila remarked ; "I'll come and see you to-morrow at midday," but Kamala neither accepted nor declined this offer.
          She found Umesh at the bungalow on her arrival. "So, you've here !" she exclaimed. "I thought you were going to the play."
         "So I was but as you were coming here-"
          "Never mind about me ; go off and see the performance. Bishan's here. Hurry up or you'll be late."
           "It doesn't start for some time yet," said Umesh.
           "Never mind. There's always lots going on at a wedding ; go along and see all the fun," insisted Kamala.
           He was on the point of setting out when Kamala called to him : "Look here, if Uncle comes you should--" but having got thus far she could not think how to finish the sentence. Umesh stared at her open-mouthed. After a pause she went on. "Remember, you have a good friend in Uncle. If you happen to want anything go to him and ask for it with my love and he'll give it you. Now mind and don't forget to give him my love."
         "All right," said Umesh, and he started off, quite at a loss to understand the significance of this injunction.
          "Where are you going, madam?" Bishan had occasion to ask in the course of the afternoon.
          "I'm going to bathe in the Ganges."
           "Shall I go with you ?"
           "No, stay and watch the house," and she presented him with a rupee for no apparent reason and sallied forth in the direction of the river.