Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/160

134 to your charms. I did not know that there was ever such a beauty on earth. If I knew that I would have to meet with such a beauty, I would never have adopted the Children's creed. In the fire of thy beauty the creed gets burnt to ashes. My religion has been consumed by thy charms, only life exists. Even the life itself has been burning' out these four years. Kalyani, I am daily passing through an ordeal of fire; — I am being scalded through and through. But the fuel for the fire is all but run out. My days now can be numbered. I have borne it for four years, I cannot bear it any more. Kalyani, will you be mine ?" K. " I have heard from your lips that it is a rule of the Children's creed that he who is swayed by passions has got to expiate the sin by death. Is it true ?" " It is." " Then you have to expiate this by death ?" " Yes, that is the only expiation possible." " Will you die if I fulfil your desire ?" " Yes, I will." " If I don't?" " Even then I must die, for my heart has been a slave to the passions." " I will not satisfy thy desire ; when will thou die ?" " In the coming fight." " Then get thee gone," said Kalyani, " will you send me my daughter ?" With tears in his eyes, Bhavananda answered "I will; but tell mi, will you remember me when I am dead."