Page:Stories of Bengalee life - Prabhat Kumar Mukerji.pdf/203

Rh "That is hopeless—useless. Did I not go to the doctor? He said he knew nothing about any jewels. Only to pacify me he had said they were all right. What would you gain by summoning him? He would only say the same in court."

"Then how do you know Bhudhar Chatterji took them?"

"After that Bhudar Chatterji said so himself."

"Admitted having taken them, yet did not give them up! He is a funny fellow! What was his purpose in admitting it? It would have been more to his interest to deny it."

"There is a motive,—he has a motive. He said—Marry your youngest son with my daughter. If you do that, you will get all the jewels as dowry. I am poor and my daughter gets no husband. Your jewels will return to your house, and as a reward I shall be discharged of my obligation to get my daughter married."

To this Srinibash replied—"If that is the way of it, I see there will be difficulties." And he sat biting the ends of his moustach as he pondered.

Sitanath's youngest son was named Sriman Annada Charan. He was a youth who had failed to pass the F. A. Examination. He rather affected English customs. Morning and evening he took tea and biscuits. Among the young men of the