Page:The Slave Girl of Agra.djvu/77

 "It is impossible to resist that clever woman," reflected Nobo Kumar. "And I am not sure that her plan is not the best. Gokul Das is a faithful old servant and is matchless in his intrigues, but he has as little notion of social proprieties as the owl has of daylight. He told me of Raja Man Singh thinking of wedding a Koch girl. Man Singh is a wise man, and knows what he is about; and our small estates too, like the great kingdom of Bengal, may be consolidated by wise alliances."

An hour before sunset the preparations were complete. Ladies had filled their gaily-decked pavilion, and men of rank and wealthy merchants in bright silks and scarves had gathered round Nobo Kumar. Twenty thousand visitors had peopled the shore, and were breathlessly watching the race boats, manned by the most expert boatmen in the country. Their bare limbs and broad chests showed strength and endurance, and the muscles of their arms stood out like bands of steel.

Nobo Kumar had decided that Noren should choose the fleetest boat of Birnagar estate after a preliminary race, that Sirish should similarly choose the fastest boat of Debipur, and the final race between the two selected boats should be judged by Nobo Kumar himself. Everyone applauded the arrangement. Sirish accepted his part with that calm alacrity which was a part of his nature, Noren was wild with excitement.

The Debipur boats ran first. The distance was about a mile, and the boats were to row down the river, helped by the current, to the winning-post, which was planted in front of Nobo Kumar's