Page:The Wreck.djvu/127

THE WRECK

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about the affair that appealed to her; it was to please her that the scapegrace had planned and carried out his raid on the gardens, nearly losing the steamer thereby.

"There's some of yesterday's curds left over, Umesh'" she said, "and you can have them, but re- member never to do such a thing again."

"Didn't you eat the curds yesterday, mother?" he asked penitently.

"I'm not as fond of them as you are. Look here now, we have everything except fish. How are we to get some fish for your master's breakfast ?"

"I can get you some fish, mother, but you'll have to pay for it this time."

Kamala had to administer another scolding. "I never saw such a silly boy as you, Umesh," she said, trying to knit her beautiful brows. "As if I ever told you to get things without paying for them!"

The previous day's incident had somehow given Umesh the notion that Kamala found it a difficult undertaking to extract money from Ramesh, and for this and other reasons he had conceived a dislike for his employer. Only the two dependents — himself and Kamala— came within the purview of the schemes that he devised for keeping the wolf from the door. There was no place for Ramesh in them.

The provision of vegetables was a comparatively simple matter but fish was not so easily procured. A world so constituted that without money one could not obtain even a small quantity of fish and curds for the object of one's adoration appeared to Kamala's youth- ful worshipper a hard and unsympathetic place.

"If you could only get five annas out of master," he said disconsolately, "I could get you a big carp, mother."

"That won't do," said Kamala reprovingly, "I can't allow you to leave the steamer again. They won't let you on board another time if you're left behind."

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