CHAPTER XXIX.
Bancharam in Possession.
BANCHARAM BABU's hunger had not yet been appeased: he was always looking out for the chance of a successful stroke, or else revolving in his mind the kind of stratagem it would be best for him to adopt in order to accomplish his wished-for object. His cunning intellect became keener than ever by this practice. He was one day overhauling all Baburam Babu's affairs which had passed through his hands, when a fine plan suddenly presented itself to him: in the midst of his calculations, as he sat there propped up by a cushion, he suddenly slapped his thigh, and exclaimed. "Ah! at last I see before me a road to a fine fortune. There is an estate in the China Bazar belonging to Baburam, and there is the family house too: they have both been mortgaged, and the limit of time has expired. I will speak to Herambar Babu, and have a complaint lodged in court, and then for a few days at any rate my hunger may be appeased." With these words, he threw his shawl over his shoulders, and making a visit to the Ganges the nominal excuse for his departure, he tramped off with a firm determination to succeed in his plan, or perish in the attempt.
He soon reached Herambar Babu's house. Entering at the door, he enquired of a servant where the master of the house was. Hearing Bancharam Babu's voice Herambar Babu at once descended the stairs. He was a very open-hearted and generous man, and he always acceded to every suggestion made to him. Bancharam took him by the hand and said to him very affectionately:-- "Ha, Choudhury Mahashay! you once lent some money to Baburam upon my recommendation. The family and their affairs are now in a very bad way: the honour and reputation of his house have departed with Baburam: the elder boy is a perfect ape, and the younger a fool: they have both gone abroad. The family is deeply involved in debt: there are other creditors all prepared to bring suits against the family, and they may put many difficulties in the way of a settlement: I can therefore no longer advise you to keep quiet. Give me the mortgage papers. You will have to record a complaint in our office to-morrow: kindly give us a foil power-of-attorney." In similar circumstances, all men alike would be afraid of losing their money. Herambar Babu was neither deceitful nor artful himself, and so the words which Bancharam had just spoken at once caught his attention: he agreed straightway, and entrusted the mortgage papers into Bancharam Babu's hands. As Hanuman, having obtained the fatal arrow of Ravan, all gleefully hurried away from Lanka[72], so Bancharam, putting the papers under his arm as if they had been a cherished charm[73], hurried off smilingly home.
Nearly a year had elapsed since Matilall's departure. The main door of the Vaidyabati house was still close shut: lichen covered the roof and the walls and all about the place there was a dense jungle of thorns and prickly shrubs. Inside the house, were two helpless young women, Matilall's stepmother, and his wife, who when it was necessary for them to go out at any time, used the back door only. They found the greatest difficulty in getting food, and had only old clothes to wear. For fifteen days in the month they went without food altogether. The money they had received at Beni Babu's hands had all been expended in the payment of debts, and in defraying the cost of their living for some months. They were now experiencing unparalleled, hardships, and being utterly without resources, were in great anxiety. One day, Matilall's wife said to his step-mother:-- "Ah, lady! we cannot reckon the number of sins we must have committed in our other births: I am married, it is true, but I have never seen my husband's face: my lord has never once turned to look at me: he has never once asked whether I am alive or dead. However bad a husband may be, it is not for a woman to reproach him: I have never reproached my husband. It is my wretched destiny: where is his fault? I have only this much to say, that the hardships which I am now suffering would not appear hardships, if only my husband were with me." Matilall's step-mother replied: "Surely there are none so miserable as we are: my heart breaks at the thought of our misery: the only resource of the helpless and poor is the Lord of the poor." Men-servants and maid-servants will only remain in service with people as long as they are well off. Now that these two girls had been reduced to their present state, their servants had all left them. One old woman alone remained with them out of pure kindness of heart: she herself managed to pick up a living by begging.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were engaged in the conversation we have recorded, when suddenly this old servant came to them, trembling all over, and said, "Oh, my mistresses, look out of the window! Bancharam Babu, accompanied by a sergeant of police and some constables, has just surrounded the house. On seeing me, he said, 'Go and tell the ladies to leave the house.' I said to him, 'Sir! And where will they go?' Then he got angry, and threatened me, adding, 'Do they not know that the house is mortgaged? Do they suppose that the creditor will throw his money into the Ganges? Well, I am only acting upon his wish; let them go away at once, or shall I have to put them out by the scuff of the neck?'" The two women trembled all over with fright when they heard this. The house was soon full of the noise made by the men who were breaking in the front door: a crowd of people too had collected in the street. Bancharam was ostentatiously ordering the men to hammer at the door, and was gesticulating and saying: "No one can possibly prevent me from taking possession: I am not a child that I can be easily trifled with: it is the order of the Court: I will force an entry into the house: is a gentleman who has advanced money on the house to be called a thief? What wrong is being done? Let the members of the family depart at once." A great crowd had now collected, and some of the people were very angry, and exclaimed: "Ho, Bancharam! No baser wretch exists on earth than you: by your counsel you have ruined this house altogether. You have had heaps of money out of this family by your long-continued malpractices, and now you are turning the household adrift: why the very sight of your face would render it necessary to perform the Chandrayan penance: no place will be found for you even in hell." Bancharam paid no heed to their remarks; and when he had at last burst in the door, he rushed into the house, with the sergeant of police, and went into the zenana.
Just at that moment, Matilall's wife and his stepmother, taking hold of the hands of the old woman, and wiping the tears from their eyes, as they exclaimed, "Oh, Lord God, protect these poor helpless women!" went out of the house by the back door. Matilall's wife then said, "Friends, we are women of good family: we are utterly ignorant: where shall we go? Our father and all his race are gone: we have no brothers: we have no sisters: we have no relatives at all: who will protect us? Oh, Lord God, our honour and our lives are now in Thy hands. Welcome death by starvation before dishonour." When they had gone a few paces, they stopped beneath a banyan tree, and began to consider what was to be done. Just then Barada Babu approached them with a dooly: with bowed head and sorrowful face he said to them: "Ladies, do not be anxious: regard me as you would a son: I beg that you will get into this dooly at once, and go to my house: I have separate quarters ready for you: stay there for a while, until your plans are arranged." When Matilall's wife and stepmother heard these words of Barada Babu, they were like people just rescued from a watery grave. Overwhelmed with gratitude, they said: "Sir, how we should like to be prostrate at your feet: we have no words to express our gratitude to you: you must surely have been our father in a previous birth." Barada Babu hurriedly placed them in the dooly, and sent them to his house; while he himself, fearing he might meet some one on the road who would question him, hurried home by back streets.