Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/112

Chapter II

After Jivananda went away, Santi sat upon the veranda of Nimai's cottage. There was no more any tears in her eyes ; she had wiped her eyes, made herself cheerful and was feigning a smile. She was however a bit pensive and abstracted. Nimai understood her and said, " Yet you 've met, and that's a great deal." Santi made no answer but remained silent. Nimai saw she was not going to speak out her mind ; she knew that Santi did not like to speak out her mind. So she looked for another topic of conversation and said " Look Bon/, how do you like this girl ? " " Where could you get her," asked Santi, " I did not know you had a daughter." " Go to, you naughty thing," said Nimai, " It's not mine, it is my brother's girl." Nimai did not say this to tease Santi. By 'brother's girl' she meant that she had got her from her brother. But Santi did not take it that way j she thought it was meant to irritate her and answered, " I did not want the name of the father but of the mother of the child." Nimai was rightly served and nonplussed ; so she said : "Who knows, dear, whose girl this is ? My brother picked it up from somewhere, I hadn't time to ask him about it. But you see these are famine times and you have plenty of people throwing away their children ;