Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/1029

VII.] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LIFERATURE. 983 already prepared, the intended victim seated on the ground in front of it. Chairs were brought for us, and we sat down near the woman. My two companions, who did not speak the language, then began to press the widow with all the reasons they could urge to dissuade her from her purpose, all of which at their request I made the woman understand in her own language. To this she listened with grave and respectful attention but without being at all moved by it; the priests and many of the spectators also listening to what was sald. At length she showed some impatience and asked to be allowed to proceed tothe pile. Seeing that nothing further could be done, I gave her the permission, but before she had moved, the clergy- man begged me to put to her one more question,— “Did she know what pain she was about to suffer ?” She seated on the ground close to my feet, looked up at me with a scornful expression 11 her intelligent face and said for answer, “ Bring a lamp”: the lamp was brought, of the small sauce-boat fashion used by peasants, and also some ght or melted butter and a large cotton wick. These she herself arranged in the most effective form and then said, “Light it ;’’ which was done and the lamp placed on the ground before her. Then steadfastly looking at me with an air of grave defiance she rested her right elbow on the ground and put her finger into the flame of the lamp. The finger scorched, blistered and blackened and finally twisted up in a way which | can only com- pare to what I have seen happen to a quill pen in the flame of acandle. This lasted for some time,