Page:Stories of Bengalee life - Prabhat Kumar Mukerji.pdf/140

128 husband mind accepting the amount as a loan from me? I am not going home now, so I could easily spare it."

Maloti communicated the message to her husband, but he would not hear of it. "Oh, no,"—he said—"we hardly know her at all. How could we accept a loan from her?"

The lady then walked in herself. Speaking to Girindra for the first time face to face, she said—"What harm is there if you did, my son? After some little time, when you have settled down at Tari Ghat, I will come again to visit you. You can return me the money then."

Girindra pondered for a few seconds and then replied—"It is really very good of you, madam. Would you mind coming to Tari Ghat along with us now? I could then repay the amount to you there in five or six days."

"Well—well—there is no hurry about it. We can settle that by and by. How much do you require now? Only thirty rupees? I could spare you a little more, my son. You mustn't feel the least delicacy about it."

"Thirty is all that I require, madam; thank you very much"—said Girindra.

The Benares lady then opened her box and taking three currency notes out of it, handed them to Girindra.