Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/109

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Chapter I
85

kicks and cuffs — and they were not easy to swallow in all conscience. Finding her alone one day the sannyasin caught her tightly by the hand. Santi could not free her hand ; but, as ill-luck would have it, it was her left hand. With her right she gave him such a blow on his forehead that the sannyasin rolled senseless on the ground. Santi then deserted the party and fled. She was an intrepid girl and made for her village alone. With her courage and strength she easily suc- ceeded in getting on without difficulty. Feeding' herself on charity or upon wild fruits, and victorious in the many scuffles she had on the way, Santi arrived at last in her father-in-law's house and found that her father-in-law was dead. Her mother-in-law would not take her in for fear of losing her caste. So, Santi went out again. Jivananda was then at home and he followed her Meeting Santi on the way he asked, " Why did you leave my house? Where had you been so long ? " Santi gave out the whole truth. Jivananda could know truth from falsehood and readily believed her. Now Cupid, who delights in a flowery bow, does not care to waste on a wedded couple his missiles — built with the sweet amorous glance of heavenly beauties an d illumined by the lustre of their madden- ing eye-lashes. The English light their roads even on a full- moon night, and the Bengali would pour oil on a head wet with it ; not so with men alone, — the moon too sometimes delights in displaying herself