Page:Stories of Bengalee life - Prabhat Kumar Mukerji.pdf/251

Rh act against my own beliefs? I would send The Light of Bengal by a servant, or it might be Satish would be coming in, and I could send it by him. But Satish was such an ass that he did not come. I suppose he could not leave his Nirmala. I began to picture their courting in my mind, and felt highly entertained.

When I had finished lunch it struck me that it might be a breach of manners not to go to this tea. As I had accepted the invitation, I was bound to go. If it was opposed to my convictions, I ought to have declined at the time. I must go to-day, and be careful in the future not to accept any further invitations. So in the afternoon I prepared to go. I was rather careful about my toilet. I told myself that if it were a gathering of men only there would be no need of being particular, but in women's society a certain smartness was necessary.

I have often been at Darjeeling; all its streets were well known to me. I arrived at the house just ten minutes before four o'clock. The hour fixed was four. I thought—"These people hold by English ways. If I go in before the time they would probably think me a barbarian." So I walked about a little, and sent in my card precisely at four.

I was warmly welcomed by all. Nirmala looked very beautiful today. When I had seen