Page:Stories of Bengalee life - Prabhat Kumar Mukerji.pdf/45

Rh "My dear fellow, you don't know human nature. You will find at least a dozen men there who would follow suit immediately. Then I will come away and send off long telegrams to the newspapers." Jagat hesitated a good deal. He said—"It would be a difficult manœuvre;—I shouldn't like to try it."

"But you must. It is all-important. The Government cannot fail to recognise my claim once I have been boycotted."

Jagat at last agreed to it after much coaxing and persuasion. He drank a cup of tea with Subodh and then left.

The next day, Jagat did as was arranged upon. About forty men sat down to dinner in a big hall and before the basket loaded with pooris made its appearance, Jagat jumped to his feet and said—"Gentlemen, you will excuse me. I am unable to dine in this company. Over there I see a man who by his conduct has forfeited his claim to be considered a member of our caste. I refuse to eat with Babu Subodh Chandra Haldar—a traitor to the country's best interests."

Several other young men also stood up and declared that they were exactly of the same opinion and would rather go away hungry than eat with Subodh Babu.