Page:Stories of Bengalee life - Prabhat Kumar Mukerji.pdf/199

Rh Nitai had long cast a covetous eye upon that bamboo walking stick. He had long designed carrying it off upon some convenient opportunity and hiding it in his home. So now he was a bit troubled about it. He was sure some servant fellow at Motiganj had taken it, but had he also taken the umbrella? It was such a ragged old thing that had Nitai's master offered it to him as a gift, it is doubtful if he would have taken it. If the fellow had taken it, it must have been with the idea of loosening the staff from its mounts and cutting it up into arrows, for as an umbrella it was of no service at all.

Sitanath went to his own room and sat down. Nitai lit a match, prepared the hookah and placed it in his master's hand. But Sitanath set it down on the tarnished brass stand. Never before had he shown such distaste for the tobacco plant. Casting down his eyes and shaking his head with a deep sigh, he said—"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ruin has come upon me." At this sight Nitai took himself out of the way. The eldest son's wife was at that moment scouring the verandah. To her Nitai described his master's condition. She said, "Rouse up the Bara Babu."

The eldest son's name was Srinibash. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he went to Sitanath's room. At his father's appearance he exclaimed in