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 the elder of the two, but he was so entranced by the girl's beauty that he was speechless. Radharani showed some annoyance at his silence and said,

"Will you kindly explain why you have asked for a private interview with me? I am, as you know, an unmarried woman, and if I have acceded to your request, it was only at Vasanta's entreaty."

The visitor said, "Yet I cannot say that I was exactly eager for the great privilege of being admitted to your presence!"

Radharani was still more offended.

"Is that so?" she replied. "You will note that my friend has offered no explanation of the reasons for asking me to see you. Perhaps you can inform me."

The visitor produced a very old and tattered newspaper and handed it to Radharani, who saw that it contained Kamakhya Babu's advertisement for the long sought Rukmini Kumar. As she looked at it, the girl trembled like a palm tree in a storm. As she examined the stranger's