Now, the Major had on that day been trying- to get some informations about Padachinha, and tin's one of the sepoys knew. He took the Vaishnavi to the Captain and the Captain took her to the Major. Before the Major, the Vaishnavi smiled a maddening smile and casting a wistful glance at him that pierced his heart, she struck her small tambourine and sang the Sans- krit song : " To lay the MIechha low with the sword relentless." The Major asked her in broken Bengali, " Where do you live, Bibi" " I am not a Bibi but a Vaishnavi ; I live at Pada- chinha." " Well, that is Padsin, Padsin is it ?", said the Cap- tain in English, and then continued in Hindi, " is there a gurh* there ?" " Ghar} Oh, there are plenty oighars"^ " No, no, not ghar but gurh, gurh ! " said the Major. Yet so were the words pronounced that there was absolutely no distinction between the two. " I understand what you mean," said Santi, "you mean gurh ? " " Yes, yes, gurh, gurh, is there a gurh ? " '* Oh yes, a great fort." " How many men ? " " You mean how many men live there ? Oh, it is about 20 or 50 thousand."
- Gurh is a fort,
t Ghar is a house.
