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The other clerks have privately informed us that this was the fault of Srish Chandra, who did not give his mind to it, but sat at home in meditation. Srish hearing himself thus accused, remarked, "It may be so, my wife was absent at that time."
As he saw that Nagendra would not begin to speak, Srish Chandra took his hand and said "Brother Nagendra, I am distressed to see you thus silent. Did you not go to Madhupur?" Nagendra only said, "I went." "Did you not meet the Brahmachari?" "No." "Did you find Surja Mukhi? Where is she?" Pointing upwards with his finger, Nagendra said, "In heaven."
From fatigue, fasting, sun, rain, despair, and grief, Surja Mukhi, seized by illness, fell to the ground ready to die." Srish Chandra was silent for a time; at length he said: "Brother, why dwell upon this an longer? You are not in fault; you did nothing to oppose or vex her. There is no cause to repent of that which has come about without fault of our own." Nagendra did not understand.
I understand now. He is invited to his aunt's house; if he goes, his mother must go also. Surja Mukhi's wits must be lost, or she could not have sent such an invitation." "Not Satish Babu only; we are all invited." "Why am I invited?" asked Srish. "Can I go alone?" replied Kamal. "Who will look after the luggage?"
Then she rose from the couch and took away the huka. Kamal Mani's fit of sulking thus broken through, she gave Surja Mukhi's letter to be read, by way of explanation saying "Tell me the meaning of this, or I shall cut your pay." "Rather give me next month's pay in advance, then I will explain." Kamal Mani brought her mouth close to that of Srish Chandra, who took the coin he wished.
Srish repeated that she must go without him, as he could not leave; whereupon she sat down sulking. Srish went behind her and began to mark her forehead with the ink from his pen. Then with a laugh she embraced him, saying, "Oh, dearer than life, how I love you!" He was obliged to return the embrace, when the ink transferred itself from her face to his.
Not being able to endure the thought that Surja Mukhi no longer existed, he said to himself, "She is in heaven," and in this thought found comfort. Still they remained silent, for Srish Chandra felt that this was not the time to offer consolation; that words from others would be as poison, their society also. So he went away to prepare a chamber for Nagendra.
With that purpose she returned from Barhi on foot." As Srish Chandra spoke tears came into his eyes, the sight of which was an infinite comfort to Nagendra, who rested his head on the shoulder of Srish and wept. Since entering the house Nagendra had not wept, his grief had been beyond tears; but now the stream of sorrow found free vent.
Kamal's mother-in-law was living, but she dwelt in Srish Chandra's ancestral home. In Calcutta Kamal Mani was house-mistress. When he had finished the story of Kunda Nandini, Nagendra said, "Unless you will keep her here, there is no place for her. Later, when I return home, I will take her to Govindpur with me." Kamal was very mischievous.
"Surja Mukhi," continued Srish, "travelled as one of the family as far as Barhi; to Calcutta by boat, to Raniganj by rail, from Raniganj by bullock train so far Surja Mukhi proceeded in comfort." "After that did the Brahman dismiss her?" asked Nagendra. "No," replied Srish; "Surja Mukhi herself took leave. She went no further than Benares. How many days could she go on without seeing you?
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