Page:The Slave Girl of Agra.djvu/242

 The young Zemindar read it and remained silent.

"Has this impending sale been proclaimed, Gokul Das?"

"Not yet, Master."

"How comes this intimation to be sent to Debipur, then, so early?"

"The gold of Debipur is spent at Rajmahal to some purpose, young Master. Our humble advice and opinion have some weight in the Court of Rajmahal."

"And have we humbly advised the sale of Birnagar as the only way of recovering Imperial revenues, and backed our advice with gold?"

"We have."

"And wherein do we gain by the sale of Birnagar estate?"

"We may appear as purchasers. Such was the wish of my old Master who is gone."

Sirish rose and slowly walked out of the room to have a little fresh air and to collect his thoughts. The whole scheme, which had so long been guarded as a secret from him, now appeared plain and intelligible. The dark and unfathomable Gokul Das had plotted for the ruin of Birnagar for years. He had sent emissaries among the people of that estate to foment combinations among the tenants, and to prevent payment of rents. He had worked secretly in the Kanangoe's office to expedite a sale. He had determined to purchase the estate and annex it to Debipur. And he had dragged Nobo Kumar headlong in the path he had marked out with unerring skill.

There was not a moment to be lost. The sale would take place in less than a month. By the time Sirish returned from the West he would find himself Master