And here we would gladly let fall the curtain; the impure, the unseemly we will not depict. We will relate only what is unavoidable, briefly indicating the charms of this place amid the groves of asokâ, bâkul, hill jasmine and jhânti trees, the humming of bees, the voice of the cuckoo, the cackling of the geese as they floated on the waves of the little stream; the wonderful glory of the sunbeams streaming into the house through panes of tinted glass, the beauty of the well-arranged bunches of flowers in gold and crystal vases, the brightly polished furniture that beautified the house, and the pure strains of the singers. For all these surrounding influences, combining with the sweetness of the restless glances of the young woman he was so intently watching, had filled the young man's heart with animation.
The young man was Gobind Lâl, the young woman Rohini. Gobind Lâl had purchased the house and here they had taken up their abode.
Suddenly Rohini's tabla sounded out of tune, a string of the guitar snapped, the teacher's voice faltered, the song ceased, the
