Page:Broken Ties and Other Stories.pdf/28

Rh drive away all relics of sin, what will become of the sinner?’

Some old grandmother of a woman came to him, and said: ‘Send this wench away to the hospital. Harimohan is ready to bear all the cost.’

Jagamohan said: ‘But she is my mother. Because some one is ready to pay expenses, should I send my mother to the hospital?’

The grandmother opened her eyes wide with surprise and said: ‘Who is this you call your mother?’

Jagamohan replied: ‘Her who nourished life within her womb, and risks her life to give birth to children. I cannot call that scoundrel-father of the child “Father.” He can only cause trouble, keeping himself safely out of it.’

Harimohan’s whole body shrank with the utter infamy of the thing. That a fallen woman should be sheltered only on the other side of the wall, and in the midst of a household sacred to the memory of generations of mothers and grandmothers! The disgrace was intolerable.

Harimohan at once surmised that Satish was mixed up in this affair, and that his uncle was encouraging him in his shameful conduct. He