Page:Stories of Bengalee life - Prabhat Kumar Mukerji.pdf/35

Rh Subodh thanked the Collector profusely and left.

On his way home his thoughts were—"what is all this? The most unexpected things are happening. Only the day before yesterday Jagat said in a sarcastic manner 'You surely don't imagine that you are going to be invited to the durbar or get a card for private interview?' Yet, all this have come to pass. Will the Government Pleadership then slip through my hands? Are the days of tribulation over at last? Is my lucky star beginning to rise?"

Subodh slowly wended his way to his home. When he had arrived at a short distance from it, he stopped and viewed the decorations. He felt very flattered that the Lieutenant-Governor himself had admired his taste. He looked on for a few moments with a gaze of rapture. He was about to proceed again when a very disagreeable thing happened.

The house near which he had taken his stand belonged to another pleader. Some mischievous urchins of the house who were on the roof, emptied a pail of water thickened with mud and cow-dung, directly over his head. Subodh cast his horrified looks above. Somebody shouted in derision—"Long live Subodh Babu. Welcome to Pandemonium."