" What will you do with her ?" "I will feed her, nurse her, fondle her"— the wretched tears would come again. Nimi wiped them off again and smiled. " What will you do with it? You will have many children, " said Jivananda. Doesn't matter," said Nimi, "let me have her for sometime at least. You may take her away later on." " Keep her then, and go to the dogs with her. I shall come and see her now and then. She is a Kayestha's daughter, mind. Now I am off." " What ! going ? Won't you take anything ? The day is far advanced and you mustn't go without your meal. You'll eat my head if you do."* " To eat thy head and some food to boot ! Both of these I can't, dear sister. Do just spare the head and give me a dish of rice if you please." Nimi then busied herself in getting up the dish for her brother with the child in her arms. She then placed a plank to sit on and cleaned a yard or two of ground with water she had sprinkled before. She then brought her brother some clean, jasmine-white rice, some tasteful dal, a curry of wild figs, some fish metted from her own tank and some milk. As he sat down to eat, Jivananda said : " I say Nimi, sister, who says there's famine here ? In your village you don't seem to have it."
- This is a common imprecation which affectionate people — females
particularly— always use as a means of persuasion. 5
