I divined that he must have been goadedwith
repeated inward urgings to have left the temple then. He has deigned, inhis mercy,
to save you from the lure of pelf.
The three of us slowly wended our wayback, to find
the usual throng round the Master. Annada bestowed on hisson-in-law a house in
Calcutta and sufficient money to keep him forlife. If you have the patience todive
deep, you will find all calm there.
The severest test came in her intercourse with the
Master. She fights shyof Satish because for him her feelings are of the
oppositedescription.
That, however, didnot attract our notice
then.
He began to display an exaggerated tolerance for
her contumacy.
The factis, rebellion had been long brewing within
me.
Satish drew himself up straight, as he responded:
So be it.
Did not his call reach you at thevery
moment?
This occupation, viewed as anexcuse, was simply
hopeless.
Because we know them only for what they are, they
may be friendly, butcannot love us. Our reading made no further progressthat day.
This occupation, viewed as anexcuse, was simply hopeless. Oh, dont say that, cried
the distressed Damini, clasping her hands.
I crawled back to my blanket and stretched myself
on it again.
Surely it was not that primeval creatureof my
imagining! Did not his call reach you at thevery moment?
But I could notrecollect the direction in which the
entrance was.
All his property was sold up and he had
hardlyenough left to make a bare living.
Damini had laid on me the command to procure for
her some good Bengalibooks. The three of us slowly wended our wayback, to find the
usual throng round the Master.
All itsfondness is still for earthen
walls.
Damini whisked out of the room without waiting for
furtherquestioning. I was the one character who, being of noconsequence, had to
speak out.
He understood the reason of our
distraction.
I triedto push it away with ineffectual thrusts
with my legs. Neither did I see her going toher friends, the women of the
neighbourhood.
The Master hadaddressed himself to some specially
important topic.
Tell me, said he to Damini, what isit you would
have me do for you? The day was fast declining, and the moon was long pastits full.