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                 Jogendra was not impressed by Nalinaksha's lecture and by the actions of Akshay he understood Akshay was so prejudiced against Ramesh that he tried to make everybody believe that he was the first one to see through Ramesh. Jogendra said that he didn't care for Nalinaksha and he would not help Akshay in making any efforts in the manner of diverting the attention of his father and sister towards Nalinaksha.
            Annada Babu was in the habit of constantly swallowing nostrums prescribed by physicians of both the western and the indigenous schools of medicine. Now, however, he had lost all inclination for drugs. His health was affected but he never made any allusions to his bodily ailments. While her father had fallen asleep in his chair from utter weariness, Hemamalini to her dismay found that Jogendra had brought Nalinaksha home with him ! She was on the point of taking refuge in another room when Jogendra interposed.
            "Hem !" he called to her, "I've brought Nalinaksha Babu. Let me introduce him to you."
           Hem stood still in confusion while Nalinaksha approached and bowed without raising his eyes to her face.
          Meanwhile Annada Babu had awakened and called for his daughter. Hem re-entered the room and announced in a whisper that "Nalinaksha Babu" was there.
          Jogendra ushered in his guest and Annada Babu bustled forward to greet him.
         "We are indeed fortunate !" he exclaimed, "in having a visit from you. Hem, dear, don't run away ; sit down here. Nalinaksha Babu, this is my daughter Hem. She and I were to hear your address the other day and enjoyed it greatly. There was one thing you said-about never loosing what we have once gained and incomplete gain being really a loss-that struck me as a very profound truth. Don't you agree, Hem ? The real test comes when a thing passes out of our possession. Then we know whether it was truly our own or not. I have a request to make of you, Nalin Babu. If you could drop in now and then for a talk we should consider it a great favor. We don't go out much. You may be certain of finding my daughter and myself in this room at whatever hour you call."
        Meanwhile Jogendra excused himself and departed as he was not in the habit of sitting still for long in one place.
        Nalinaksha threw one glance at Hemamalini's self-conscious face before he came with a reply :
        "You mustn't imagine me a solemn prig because I used a lot of long words on the lecture-platform. It was only because the students insisted that I consented to lecture at all-I never could withstand importunate people-but I think I have successfully deterred them from asking for a repetition of the dose ! The lads make no secret of the fact the that most of my address was incomprehensible to them."
        When Nalin Babu was at the point of leaving Annada Babu asked him where he was residing. Nalinaksha laughed.
        "I can't say that I'm living in any particular place at the moment. I have a great many acquaintances and they drag me about with them. I like it well enough, but one requires a little peace and quiet now and then, so Jogen Babu has taken rooms for me in the house next to this. This lane of yours is certainly a restful place."
        Annada Babu was hugely gratified at this announcement, but if he had happened to glance at his daughter he would have noticed a momentary spasm of pain pass over her countenance. The next-door house was the one in which Ramesh had lived.  

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            Annada Babu and Hemamalini returned from the meeting late in the afternoon.
           "Well, that was indeed a treat," remarked the old gentleman as he seated himself at the tea-table. His mind was so busy that when Hemamalini slipped upstairs after tea he failed to notice her departure. He found Nalinaksha astonishingly young and boyish on the platform. Although he had attained maturity his countenance retained the freshness of youth. Withal he had an air of mystic gravity that seemed to emanate from his inner consciousness.
         The subject of his address was "Loss", and its burden was that without loss there can be no genuine gain. What we obtain without effort is not true gain ; only what is acquired through sacrifice becomes our own in the true and inner sense. He who sees his tangible possessions glide out of his grasp is unfortunate indeed ; but in truth the human soul, in the very act of loosing, retains the power to win back with interest that which is lost.
        If when we suffer loss we can bow our heads, clasp our hands, and pronounce the words, "It is a gift-a gift of renunciation, a gift of sorrow, significance, the transient becomes the eternal, and what was a mere instrument of our daily use becomes an appurtenance of our worship, stored up everlastingly in the treasure-house of the temple of our heart.
       His words had made a deep impression on Hemamalini. As she sat in a silent reverie on the house-top, her heart was full, and earth and sky seemed to her no longer an empty void.
       As they were returning from the lecture Jogendra had remarked to Akshay :
        "Well, you've hit on a most eligible man and no mistake ! But what a mystic he is ! Half of what he said is Greek to me."
        "One has to diagnose the case before one can prescribe the medicine that the patient needs," returned Akshay. "Hemamalini is suffering from a delusion about Ramesh and it requires a mystic to arouse her from it. Did you look at her face while the fellow was spouting ?"
        Jogendra was convinced that Hemamalini heard the lecture with such a great attention that she appreciated the lecture and she would be prepared to bestow her hand on the lecturer.
        "I tell you Jogen," remarked Akshay, "if you produce any one else Hemamalini will contrast him with Ramesh and he won't come well out of the comparison. Now Nalinaksha is not like an ordinary person-it would never occur to one to compare him with any one else. If you can invent some pretext for bringing Nalinaksha here and introducing him to her she'll she will suspect nothing. Then from respectful admiration to an engagement the transition will be gradual and easy."
        "See Akshay, " came out Jogendra, "at the outset I'm not greatly impressed by the fellow. The fact of the matter is, I find Nalinaksha a trifle mysterious. I'm nervous of dealing with that kind of person. It may be a case of 'out of the frying-pan into the fire."
        Akshay gave a lecture to Jogedra to prepare him for the task :
        "Well, old man, if you get burnt it'll be your own fault. You tremble at a shadow these days. Where Ramesh was concerned you people were blind from the start. You thought the world of Ramesh-he was incapable of deceit, the greatest philosopher since Sankaracharya, the most gifted writer of the century, and so on. Personally, I never took to Ramesh ; I've seen lots like him in my time, people with the loftiest ideals. But I never dared open my mouth ; you wouldn't have believed that a worthless incompetent like myself could have any motive but jealousy in criticizing such a genius. I dare say you realize by this time that these supermen are best worshiped from afar ; it's hardly safe to betroth one's sister to them. However, to return to the main issue, remember the Sanskrit proverb, 'One thorn drives out another'. What I propose is the only course open to us at present, and you mustn't cavil at it."


   

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          Annada Babu regretted his outburst at the tea-table and temporary loss of his usual composer ; and when Jogendra went upstairs he greeted Jogendra accordingly with more than his customary heartiness.
         "Come along, Jogedra, come and sit down, lad !"
         "Look here , dad," began Jogendra, "you and Hemamalini never seem to stir out of the house nowadays. Staying indoors all day can't be good for you."
        "Well,well," replied Annada, "we've always been stay-at-home folk. Besides, one has to cudgel one's brains for an excuse to take Hem out."   
     "Come now, dad," put in Hemamalini, "you mustn't put the blame on me. You know I'm quite ready to go  anywhere with you." She tried to have them believe that she took a lively interest in all that happened outside.
       "Well,dad, " said Jogendra, "there's to be a meeting to-morrow ; you had better take Hem to it."
       Annada Babu was aware of Hemamalini's constitutional distaste for crowded public assemblies, and instead of answering he looked across at his daughter for guidance.
      "A meeting !" she cried, with a forced animation. "Who is the speaker to be ?"
      "Doctor Nalinaksha. He is a remarkably fine speaker, and what's more he has a most extraoridinary history. Such self-denial ! Such constancy ! He's a man in a million," told Jogendra, and yet two hours before he had known nothing of Nalinaksha save one vague rumor !
     "Well, dad," said Hemamalini, with a display of alacrity, "we must certainly go and hear this paragon."
      Annada was by no means convinced by Hemamalini's show of eagerness ; still he was sensible of a certain relief and Hemamalini would regain her normal tone. The society of one's fellow-men is the surest remedy for mental disorders.
        "All right," he said, "you take us to the meeting to-morrow and see that we're there in good time ; but tell me what you know about Nalinaksha. One hears so many different stories about him."
       Jogendra commenced with a tirade against scandal-mongers in general.
       "The ultra-religious," he began, "believe that Heaven entrusted them at birth with a licence to slander and abuse their fellow-men indiscriminately. There's no one more uncharitable and malevolent than these piety-merchants !" and Jogendra's indignation boiled over.
       "I'm with you ; I'm with you," repeated Annada soothingly. "To be always discussing his neighbors'failings makes a man sour, narrow-minded, and suspicious."
       "Hello, dad !" exclaimed Jogendra, "are you having a dig at me ? I'm not like these pious folk, you know ; I can praise as well as blame. I'm quite prepared to tell a man my opinion of him to his face and back it up with my fists if necessary !"
       "Don't be foolish, Jogen," Annada hastened to reply ; "of course, I wasn't thinking of you. Surely I know you by this time !"
        Jogen now launched forth into the story of Nalinaksha, lavishing on his subject all the eulogy at his command.
        "It was to make his mother happy," he concluded, "that Nlinaksha subdued his natural insticts and went live in Benares ; and all these friends of yours, dad, have seized the opportunity to invent scandalous stories about him. Personally, I admire his conduct. What do you say Hem ?"
        "I'm of your opinion," said Hemamalini.
        "I knew that Hem would approve of his action," resumed Jogendra. "I haven't the least doubt that if the occasion arose she would exercise equal self-denial to make her father happy."
        Annada cast an affectionate glance at his daughter. Hem's face turned crimson, and she dropped her eyes in confusion.    

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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."