“Sister Parvati, I can’t make out anything. It seems as if I miss some body——as if I had some one, but he is gone—as if some one is coming, but comes not—as if I have come somewhere, but not where I want to be—as if I am looking out for somebody, hut I know not whom."
Sundari was amazed and looked inquiringly at Chandrashekhar. He motioned her to him. “She has gone mad,” whispered Chandrashekhar in her eat when she approached him.
Then everything became clear to her. She remained silent for some time. At first her eyes glistened, then a moisture gathered under the lids and lastly drops of tear began to trickle down. Sundari wept. Woman-hood is the very jewel of this earth. Another day this very Sundari had devoutly prayed that Shaibalini might find a watery grave along with her boat, but to-day no one felt more keenly for Shaibalini than she.
Wiping her tears Sundari slowly went to Shaibalini and sat close to her. Softly she spoke and gently she reminded her of past events. Nothing came back to Shaibalini; her memory was not altogether gone—else how could Parvati’s name occur to her?-but the real facts went out of her grasp, they were twisted out of shape and came back in a confused juxtaposition with the wrong ones. She remembered Sundari but could not recognise her.
First of all Sundari sent Chandrashekhar to her house for his bath and meal. Then she busied herself in fitting up the shattered habitation for Shaibalini. Gradually the female neighbours came in one after another and lent a hand; the necessary articles flowed in.
In the meantime Protap returned home from Monghyr after disposing the clubmen in their proper position. On his arrival he heard that Chandrashekhar
