Stories of Bengalee Life/The Lady from Benares/Chapter 4
IV
It was Sunday—the day fixed for Girindra Nath to leave for Tari Ghat. The Benares lady said—"I have changed my mind and do not want to go down to Bengal now. I will go back to Benares."
Maloti proposed to her that she might go over with them to Tari Ghat and spend a few days there and then go on to Benares, which was only three or four stations off.
In the meantime Girindra came and asked his wife for thirty rupees in order to pay off his bazaar accounts.
"Thirty rupees! But I haven't got it"—Maloti exclaimed.
"Didn't I bring you eighty rupees the other day?—Surely we couldn't have spent all that."
"Well—let me see how much is left. You had fifty rupees to buy things for the dinner and last evening when your guests arrived you took away the remainder on two or three different occasions for fresh bottles to entertain your company." Having said this, Maloti opened her box and found that it contained two rupees and fourteen annas in all.
"Bless me—what am I to do now?"—ejaculated Girindra.
"You have yourself to thank for it"—said Maloti after a short silence. "Your drink will be the ruin of you some day. You never stop to think then—you simply clamour for money."
Girindra did not pay much heed to his wife's well-intentioned sermon. Preparing to go out he said—"I must get somebody to lend me the amount."
The Benares lady, who was standing outside and could hear everything that was passing, now called Maloti to her and said—"Would your husband mind accepting the amount as a loan from me? I am not going home now, so I could easily spare it."
Maloti communicated the message to her husband, but he would not hear of it. "Oh, no,"—he said—"we hardly know her at all. How could we accept a loan from her?"
The lady then walked in herself. Speaking to Girindra for the first time face to face, she said—"What harm is there if you did, my son? After some little time, when you have settled down at Tari Ghat, I will come again to visit you. You can return me the money then."
Girindra pondered for a few seconds and then replied—"It is really very good of you, madam. Would you mind coming to Tari Ghat along with us now? I could then repay the amount to you there in five or six days."
"Well—well—there is no hurry about it. We can settle that by and by. How much do you require now? Only thirty rupees? I could spare you a little more, my son. You mustn't feel the least delicacy about it."
"Thirty is all that I require, madam; thank you very much"—said Girindra.
The Benares lady then opened her box and taking three currency notes out of it, handed them to Girindra.
That evening, close upon midnight, Girindra left Dinapur accompanied by his wife and the Benares lady. Bhojooa's mother set up a loud lamentation at the parting though she persistently refused Girindra's offer to take her with them to Tari Ghat.
On their way to the railway station, Maloti again tried to persuade the Benares lady to come with them to Tari Ghat but it was of no avail. At Dildarnagar junction early the next morning, Girindra changed their train for another, bidding good bye to their matronly friend.