Page:Mashi and Other Stories.djvu/146

138 The Saheb was amused and came up and asked in Bengali: "You read at the pathsala?"

The boy silently nodded. "What pustaks do you read?" asked the Saheb.

As Nilmani did not understand the word pustak, he silently fixed his gaze on the Magistrate's face. Nilmani told his sister the story of his meeting the Magistrate with great enthusiasm.

At noon, Joygopal, dressed in trousers, chapkan and pagri, went to pay his salams to the Saheb. A crowd of suitors, chaprasies, and constables stood about him. Fearing the heat, the Saheb had seated himself at a court-table outside the tent, in the open shade, and placing Joygopal in a chair, questioned him about the state of the village. Having taken the seat of honour in open view of the community, Joygopal swelled inwardly, and thought it would be a good thing if any of the Chakrabartis or Nandis came and saw him there.

At this moment, a woman, closely veiled, and accompanied by Nilmani, came straight up to the Magistrate. She said: "Saheb, into your hands I resign my helpless brother. Save him." The