Page:Stories of Bengalee life - Prabhat Kumar Mukerji.pdf/254

242 "You don't say so! But I am hardly at liberty to come to-day. Would it be thought dreadfully impolite if I did not come? I am not very well acquainted with your English etiquette and that sort of rubbish."

Satish said, gravely—"It would be extremely impolite."

At this I felt very angry with myself. I ought to have said to Mrs. Sen—"I shall not be able to come to-morrow, as I shall be busy." Instead of that I had debated whether this invitation were or were not in proper form, hence this predicament.

Satish said, laughingly—"Oh, it is not so terribly impolite as all that; you need not be so troubled. If you apologise next time you meet, it will pass. But why should you not come? Do, there's a good fellow."

I was not anxious to give the true reason to Satish at that moment. "There is some important work"—I said.

"Important work can be done to-morrow. To-day you must come. At least, try to come." And he disappeared.

I said to myself—"You may say what you like; I won't go any more."

But as time went on I began to feel very lonely. Also, I was eager to discover what Nirmala