Page:Stories of Bengalee life - Prabhat Kumar Mukerji.pdf/83

Rh Faridsing." The "Sandhya," with the characteristic vulgarity of style all its own, had commented on the students' case and heaped abuses on Nagendra Babu. The article was heavily marked all round with a red pencil. Charusila had not the patience to read the whole of it—it was so very offensive. She then tore open another packet and found that it was the same issue of the "Sandhya," with the article marked in blue pencil. She then examined the different packets and saw they were all copies of the same number, seventeen altogether, kindly posted by seventeen different strangers from Calcutta, for Nagendra Babu's benefit. Charusila collected all the copies together, took them to the kitchen and threw them into the fire-place, lest they should meet her husband's eyes.

Nagendra Babu returned home about ten o'clock and finishing his bath and breakfast quickly, drove off to Court.

Charusila, finding her little boy still loitering about the house, enquired of him why he hadn't gone to school. The poor boy replied—"Mother,—I have already been insulted by other schoolboys in the streets. I don't wish to take the risk of being insulted further."

Charusila understood. "Very well," she said—"don't go to school to-day. I want you to accompany me to a certain place."