Page:Stories of Bengalee life - Prabhat Kumar Mukerji.pdf/87

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Court. The husband and the wife talk over this project every day. It has been settled that Nagendra Babu would send in his resignation in a month's time.

A day or two after the Judge had passed orders in the students' case, Nagendra Babu was asked by the Magistrate to see him at his kothi on a certain morning. Formerly, he used to pay ceremonial visits to the Magistrate now and then, of his own accord; but for some weeks past he has deliberately been keeping himself away.

On the appointed morning, Nagendra Babu robed himself and drove to the Magistrate's kothi. The bearer took his card in. There was a wooden bench placed in the verandah outside the office room. The custom with the Magistrate was that when gazetted officers or big zemindars came to visit him, they were shown into the office room to await his arrival. Men of a lesser position were asked to sit on the bench till each should be called for by the Magistrate in his turn according to the time of his arrival. Contrary to custom, the bearer came out to-day and asked Nagendra Babu to sit on the bench. About half-a-dozen men of the smaller fry were seated there. Nagendra Babu keenly felt the insult offered to him and instead of sitting on the bench, began to walk about in the verandah to pass the waiting time.