Page:Tales of Bengal (Sita and Santa Chattopadhyay).djvu/93

Rh A sickly smile stole over my uncle's lips and he said, "Of course you are entitled to joke, our relationship guarantees that. But business first; bring out the jewels, let us have the ceremony over and then you may crack jokes to your heart's content."

The father folded his hands in abject humility and said, "I am unable to give more. Kindly accept these and spare a poor man."

The smile vanished from my uncle's face. "So you think to play your trickery off on us?" he shouted. "You are not content with securing such a bridegroom without paying a single pice in cash, but you must present him with a bride who has not an ounce of gold about her. Where is the watch and chain for the bridegroom? If you wish her well, produce the gifts and ornaments at once, or we shall take the bridegroom away."

The girl's father clasped my father's hands in his own and cried out piteously, "Save me sir, be kind, do not ruin a poor Brahmin, for I was told that this would be enough."

To this my father said nothing, but my uncle exclaimed, "Who told you that? We know nothing about it. As we are taking nothing in cash for the girl's dowry we thought at least you would deck her out in gold ornaments and give proper presents to the bridegroom. Do you think we cannot find another bride for our son?"

Suddenly a member of the bride's party cried out, "What an unmannerly set of boors they are? Trying to break off their promises at this eleventh hour in order to ruin the poor man!"

Whereupon a pandemonium ensued. "What! first you cheat us and then you add insults? Get up, get up, no gentleman should stay here a minute longer." Our party swept out of the house like a hurricane. Two men pulled me forcibly from my seat and dragged me out of the room. Rh