Page:An Unfinished Song.djvu/145

140 do you think you can remain unmoved in this land of beautiful moonlight? You see my plight?"

"But you can appreciate the moonlight better, after having been scorched by the sun. Otherwise I fear you would not have remembered your native land. It seems to me people become so fascinated that in a short time they forget country, relations and all. That is really a great surprise to me.

"But the wonder to me is that our Bengali youths do not forget their country altogether." It was my brother-in-law who spoke again. "That any of us return as bachelors and marry as soon as we come back in spite of the charms we leave behind, is the most marvellous part of all."

"Very well, you may return to England, nobody is preventing you," said my sister.

"Well, well, you are very generous indeed to make me this offer now that you see I am bound down by a chain."

I do not know how long this jest between husband and wife might have continued had I not interrupted it.

"Tell me what pleased you most in that land?" I asked the doctor.