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224 things, as old-fashioned people would have certainly done.

euphemism.] This means, in Greek, “ fair speech.” Here it means a pleasant word used instead of the unpleasant word “jail.”

kings went forth.] During the hot weather the kings of ancient India used to stay at home: they would begin to fight again at the beginning of the cold weather.

my heart would go out.] That is to say, he would long to see such places.

fall to weaving.] This is an English idiom, like “ set to ”: it means to begin.

conjure themselves.] Just as the conjurer makes all kinds of things appear before the eyes.

vegetable existence.] Vegetables are rooted to the ground. So Rabindranath is rooted to his desk and cannot make long journeys.

As it was indefinite.] Because there was no actual reason for it. Indefinite here means vague.

forbid the man the house.] This is a brief way of saying forbid the man to enter the house.

bebagged.] This word is made up for the occasion, and means “ laden with bags.” Compare the words bedewed, besmeared.

just where.] The word “ just ” has become very commonly used in modern English. It means “ exactly,” “ merely ” or “ at the very moment.” Compare “ He had just gone out.” “ It was just a joke.”

Scarcely on speaking terms.] Rabindranath Tagore is here making a joke; “not to be on speaking terms” means usually “ to be displeased with.” Mini had become so eager to talk with her girl friends that she had almost neglected her father.

Durga.] The Durga Festival in Bengal is supposed to represent the time when Parvati, or Durga, left her father’s home in the Himalayas, called Kailas, and went to live with her husband, Siva.