"No, thanks"—Charusila replied—"it would be of no use."
The Deputy Babu left her for the present.
The house-maid brought him his tea and refreshments. Ordinarily Charusila herself used to wait on her husband at this time, but to-day she appeared not. Nagendra Babu tried to eat of the dishes set before him—but found it difficult to swallow anything. He felt as though the cavity of his breast was loaded with stones. He then sought consolation in his hooka. He kept on smoking for a good long while. When he could bear it no longer—he got up and approached his wife again. Finding her seated at the same place and in the same condition, he gently touched her arm and said—"Come, come,—don't sulk like that, dear. I had such good news to tell you to-day—I thought it would please you so."
Charusila slowly raised her head and said in a low voice—"What is it?"
"The District Magistrate has written to the Commissioner to-day recommending my promotion to the grade of three hundred."
Charu lowered her head again and this time her tears flowed freely—tears of burning shame at the thought that that was the price for which her husband had sold himself.
