Page:Stories of Bengalee life - Prabhat Kumar Mukerji.pdf/188

176 Gloomily he attached a piece of wood to the fence and made it firm with a piece of rope. Then with a sour face and sluggish steps he went to the inner apartments.

Without much delay, Hrishi Kesh, in coarse and not too fresh apparel came out to the visitor. Sitanath observed that his son's father-in-law was no longer the personable man of former days. His figure had deteriorated, his eyes were cavernous. The two men exchanged salutations and embraces and made the usual polite inquiries. The eyes of Hrishi Kesh were overflowing. Big drops fell upon his raiment. The servant, coming in, served tobacco. For a long time the two men smoked steadily on, speaking not a word.

At length Sitanath said—"Brother! what was to happen has happened and can never be recalled. Why indulge this vain grief? Let me see the little girl."

Hrishi Kesh arose and went indoors. Presently he returned followed by a nurse bearing in her arms an emaciated child in a chintz wrapper. It neither smiled nor wept, but kept its gaze fixed in one direction as though indifferent to everything.

The grandfather, in honour of its being his first sight of the child, produced a half rupee, but on second thoughts exchanged the smaller coin for a whole rupee. Never in his life had Mukerji