Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/71

Rh up. " Where ? How could you go, " he cried. Kalyani showed him the pill-box of poison. Mahendra was amazed and said u what, you'll take poison ?" " I thought I would " she slowly said, " but " — she stopped and mused in silence. Mahendra looked to her in anxious suspense — a moment then seemed to be an age. Seeing that Kalyani did not finish her sentence, he asked her as to what she was going to say. "I thought I'd take it," repeated she, "but have no mind even to go to Baikuntha leaving you and Sukumari be- hind. I can not die." So saying Kalyani put the poison on the ground, and they began to talk of their past and their future. Gradually they became quite absorbed in their talk and got abstracted. In the meantime the girl took up the poison box in her hand unobserved. Sukumari thought it was quite a nice plaything. Holding it in her left hand she clapped it well with her right Then she took it in her right hand and clapped it well with her left and then began to pull it with both hands. The pill-box thus flew open and the pill rolled down. Sukumari saw the little pill fall on her father's cloth and fancied it was another toy to play with. She threw away the box and picked up the pill. It is strange Sukumari did not put the pill-box into her mouth, but in respect of the pill she did not make the slightest delay in doing so. " So soon as you get it, eat it " says the adage, and she instantly put the ball 4