Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/383

 garded more or less as an equal, stands head and shoulder over us and extorts greater, more ardent homage from the world at large. It is not impossible that such an element found its way into the otherwise noble heart of Agarkar, who generally led the opposition against Mr. Tilak ; and when such a paragon of sacrifice raised the issues, need we wonder that Apte joined him, Apte, who at the very time of joining the Society is said to have stipulated for relaxation with respect to the original agreement about extra income ? The cry was catching and was taken up by others, even by Mr. Gokhale whose ardent love of the Motherland and sterling sacrifices in her cause are well known. Then came the differences of opinions with regard to Social Reform on which Mr. Agarkar was so keen; and they are supposed to have accelerated the breach. It is also just possible that the party led by Ranade might have been led, by instincts of self-preservation, to exploit the already delicate situation and utilise the discon- tented element in the Deccan Education Socity for the enhancement of its prestige, which since 1880 had been steadily dwindling. For eleven long years, Mr. Tilak had been trying to enlist the active sympathy or patronage of all that was best, most thoughtful, most influential in the Bombay Presidency in the cause of the Society ; what must have been his disappointment and mrotifi- cation to find that after all this laborious fabric had been erected, ensuring the permanent existence and the prosperity of the institution, he was made to feel that he was no longer required and that for his own peace he had better walk away ? Had the majority of the members been grateful even by a tittle for the construe-