Binodini.—"Then take me to your home in the country."
Vihari.—"As what?"
Binodini.—"As a servant. I'll look after the household there."
Vihari.—"Won't my aunt be rather astonished? She hasn't told me that she's in need of a servant. But let me hear first why this idea has occurred to you."—"Basanta, my boy, go to bed."
Basanta went out of the room. "You'll understand nothing of the inward situation if I tell you of what has happened outwardly," said Binodini.
Vihari.—"What if I don't, what if I even misunderstand, what does it matter?"
Binodini.—"Very well, misunderstand if you will. Mahendra loves me."
Vihari.—"That's not news to me, nor is it news which I care to have repeated."
Binodini.—"I've no desire to harp on it either. But that's why I've come to you. I want your protection."
Vihari.—"You have no desire! Who brought on all this trouble, pray? Who led Mahendra astray from his path?"
Binodini—"I did. I'll not hide anything from you. It's all my doing. But be I good or evil, try for once to look at things from my point of view. If I have set fire to Mahendra's household it's with the flames which were set raging in my bosom. At one time I thought I too loved Mahendra, but there I was wrong."
Vihari.—"Of course you can't burn up, if you really love."
Binodini—"That's a maxim out of your books, friend. I am not yet sage enough to go by book maxims. Put aside your book learning for a moment and look into my heart as my judge. I would tell you all my good and all my evil to-day."
Vihari.—"It is not for nothing that I go by book lore, sister. The searching of hearts I leave to the great Searcher. If I don't guide myself by what the books tell us I may go hopelessly wrong."
Binodini.—"Look here, friend Vihari, let me shamelessly confess to you, you might have turned me back. Mahendra might be in love with me, but he is blindly dense, he never understood me. At one time I thought that you perhaps did understand—that you found it in your heart to respect me; tell me truly, hiding nothing because of what you may think of me today—was it not so?"
Vihari.—"It is true, I did respect you once."
Binodini.—"Well, you were not wrong, friend. But if you did understand, did respect me, why did you stop there? What prevented you from giving me your love? I have shamelessly come to you to-day and shamelessly I ask you—why did you not love me? It was my malignant fate that you too should fall head over ears in love with Asha. No, you shan't get angry. Sit down and listen to me. I'm not going to mince words to-day. I knew you loved Asha before you did so yourself. But what you people found in Asha has always been a mystery to me. Good or bad what has she in her? Has God denied to men the gift of seeing into things? What on earth is it, and how little of it, takes your fancy! Oh you blind, you silly men!"
Vihari stood up stiff as he replied, "I'm quite prepared to hear whatever you want to tell me to-day. I only earnestly request you not to say things which should not be uttered."
Binodini.—"My friend, I know where and how it hurts you. But you'll have patience when you consider how it must have hurt her, who once had your respect, and who might have been saved had she your love, to cast away all propriety and modesty, and come running to you to-night. I tell you truly, had you not loved Asha she would not have suffered this fatal blow at my hands."
"What has happened to Asha?" exclaimed Vihari going pale. "What have you done to her?"
"Mahendra has just renounced his all, to take me away with him tomorrow."
"It cannot be," said Vihari with a sudden shout; "It must not be."
Binodini.—"Must not be? Who can prevent Mahendra?"
Vihari.—"You can!"
Binodini was silent for a time, and then with a steady gaze fixed on Vihari she said: "For whose sake should I? For your Asha? Have I no feelings of my own to be considered? Must I renounce all claims to happiness in this world that your Asha may prosper, that Mahendra's household may prosper?—no, I'm not so good as all that, I've not read the sacred books quite so well! For the sacrifice I make what do I get in return?"
Vihari's face set harder and harder. He said: "you have tried a bit of plain speaking. Now let me put in a plain word
