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RADHARANI

whole tale to her mother, and, gazing anxiously in her face, exclaimed, "What are we to do now?"

The mother replied, "What can we do, my child? I cannot believe that he gave the money by mistake. Doubtless he is a generous gentleman, who took pity on us when he heard our story. We are but beggar folk now, my daughter. We must accept the gift without false shame."

While mother and daughter were talking thus, someone suddenly knocked at the door and put them in great confusion. Radharani ran to open the door, thinking that her friend had doubtless returned to claim his money. Alas, it was nothing of the sort. To the girl's dismay, she found only the village draper standing in the doorway.

The cottage was not very far from the bazaar, one of the nearest shops in which was that of Padma Lochan, the draper. It was that worthy tradesman in person who now stood at the door, bearing a lovely pair of newly

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