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 will happen in the future?—and so on, and so forth.’

‘And what about the vital considerations?’

‘What do you call vital?’ I asked in my turn.

‘Such as, for instance: What will be your fate if you marry a creature like me?’ said Damini.

‘If that be a vital consideration, I am reassured. For I cannot possibly be in a worse plight than now. Any movement of my prostrate fortune, even though it be a turning over to the other side, cannot but be a sign of improvement.’

Of course I could not believe that some telepathic news of my state of mind had never reached Damini. Such news, however, had not, so far, come under the head of ‘Important’—at least it had not called for any notice to be taken. Now action was definitely demanded of her.

Damini was lost in silent thought.

‘Damini,’ I said, ‘I am only one of the very ordinary sort of men,—even less, for I am of no account in the world. To marry me, or not to marry me, cannot make enough difference to be worth all this thought.’

Tears glistened in Damini’s eyes. ‘Had you been an ordinary man, it would not have cost me a moment’s hesitation,’ she said.