Page:Tales of Bengal (Sita and Santa Chattopadhyay).djvu/77

Rh In the afternoon I sat thinking in my room. I did not know what to do. First I thought of writing a strong letter to Animesh, giving my candid opinion of him. As he wrote books about the re-marriage of Hindu widows in simple language, he should have the courage to marry one. We others had not the courage, it was true, but we never wrote books about it. However, I gave up the idea on second thoughts. Animesh had such a thick skin that my arrows would hardly make the least impression upon him. But what to do? I could not rest without doing something. How would it do to give Nitya Babu some advice. Could not I tell him that sons and daughters were of equal importance in the scheme of life that they should be treated equally and an equal amount of money should be spent for both, etc., etc.

Just then Molly piped in my ears. "Have you written that letter? Do give it to me."

"Run along and play with Raju." I said. Letters are not written so easily as all that."

"When will you write it then? To-morrow or the day after. Sister is going to die; she told me so to-day." And with this Molly burst out into loud sobs.

I calmed Molly with great difficulty and sent her away. I thought, and thought, but could not solve the problem, and at last fell asleep, which gave me some respite.

When I woke, I found the whole family in confusion. Molly was the centre of the storm. She seemed like one possessed. She did not want to stay at our house, and she would not go home. She would not stand, neither would she sit or lie down. She scratched and bit Raju if he went near her, but her voice rose to an even higher pitch as soon as he tried to go away. Raju was standing there, bewildered at this display of feminine inconsistency, of which he had been hitherto ignorant. Mother was sitting on her bed looking helplessly at Molly.

I understood that Molly herself did not know where Rh