Page:Stories of Bengalee life - Prabhat Kumar Mukerji.pdf/252

240 her at the station, wearing an English cape and shoes, I did not like her appearance. Now I saw her in red velvet shoes of Indian make, an orange-coloured sari draped in the new fashion, her plentiful hair gathered into a knot, and adorned with a hill rose of a yellow colour. Nirmala looked very handsome indeed.

At first I did not see Satish and resolved, when I met him alone, to let off a few jokes about the worshipful red feet of his divinity. He soon after came in. When tea was over, and some time had been spent in conversation, we set out in company for a walk.

When I took my leave, Mrs. Sen said—"Manmatha Babu, if you will join us again at tea to-morrow, we can afterwards go out for a walk together."

It occurred to me that now was the time clearly to decline the invitation. Should I give the true reason for my objection thereto? Should I not take this opportunity to bring home to her the deep sociological truth underlying the idea? But again I thought—"What is it for an invitation? 'If you come.' Could that be called an invitation?"

Disturbed with this inward debate, I could not frame any answer, and on their part they were giving the farewell salute.