heart, it will be well for her,” he thought, it will keep her steady. I can trust myself—my heart is Asha's—Binodini need fear nothing from me. But if she allows her fancy to wander off elsewhere it may be the ruin of her." The only way, Mahendra concluded, was for him, without committing himself, to get back Binodini's heart.
Going into the inner apartments, Mahendra found Binodini expectantly lingering in the passage. In a moment his jealousy flared up. "It's no use your waiting here," he sneered. "He's not coming. Here's your letter come back!" and he flung her the note.
"Open?" queried Binodini.
But Mahendra had gone. Binodini came to the conclusion that Vihari had opened and read the letter and returned it without replying. The hot blood throbbed through her veins. She sent for the man who had taken the letter, but he was away on some errand. Like drops of oil from a heated lamp, the rage in her heart overflowed in burning tears down her cheeks. She tore and re-tore the note into a thousand bits in her fury—why, oh why was there no way of wiping away those ink-stains from the past, from the present!
Like the angry bee which puts its sting into anyone crossing its path, Binodini felt she wanted to burn up the whole household in her wrath. Why was there always some obstacle in her way? Was she ever destined to fail? If happiness was not for her, she would justify her evil star by overpowering and bringing down to the dust all who had stood in the way of her desires, of her success.
XXIV
With the first breath of spring Asha had spread a mat on the open roof-terrace and was sitting there in the evening twilight immersed in the serial story of a monthly magazine. The hero, returning home for the holidays after a long and strenuous year, had fallen into the hands of robbers. Asha was in a quiver of suspense! The unfortunate heroine had just awakened from a bad dream and was in tears. Asha could not restrain her own! Asha had a very liberal appreciation of magazine stories. Whichever one she was reading appeared to her so charming! She would gush over them to Binodini: "Oh Eyesore, my love, do read this story. It's so delightful. I've nearly cried my eyes out." But Binodini's critical remarks would prove rather a damper for her.
To-day Asha had determined to get Mahendra to read this one. As with moist eyes she closed the pages of the magazine, Mahendra came up. His expression somewhat alarmed her, as, with a forced cheerfulness, he said: "Who is the fortunate creature on whom you are thinking so intently all alone up here?"
Asha forgot all about the hero and heroine as she anxiously inquired: "Aren't you feeling well?"
"I'm all right," said Mahendra.
"Then something must be on your mind," insisted Asha. "Do tell me."
Mahendra helped himself to a pan[1] from Asha's box and said: "I was thinking what a long while it is since Kaki has had a sight of you. How overjoyed she would be if you suddenly paid her a surprise visit!"
Asha gazed expectantly at Mahendra without replying. She could not make out why this idea had now occurred to him again.
Finding Asha silent, Mahendra returned to the subject. "Don't you feel you'd like to go?" he asked her.
This was a difficult question, She did want to see her aunt, but she did not want to leave Mahendra. "I'll go with you when your next vacation comes on," she said at last.
Mahendra.—"I'm afraid I won't be able to get away even during the vacation. I'll have to be getting ready for my examination."
Asha.—"Then let it be for the present."
Mahendra.—"Why let it be? You wanted to go, why not do so?"
Asha.—"No, I'd rather not."
Mahendra.—"You were so eager the other day, what's the matter now?"
Asha sat still with downcast eyes.
Mahendra had been wrought up into a state of fidgets with his constant contriving to be left alone to get an opportunity for making it up with Binodini. Asha's silence exasperated him. "Are you nursing any suspicion against me in your mind, that you dare n't let me out of your sight?" he snappishly burst out. Asha's mild and accomodating nature suddenly seemed to him unbearable. "If she wants to go to her
- ↑ Spices wrapped up in betel leaf.
