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THE WRECK

She had been building for herself castles in the air and had just put the finishing touches when Ramesh entered. Had he broken in more gently upon her vision all might have been well, but at his supposition that she had sent for him her castles crumbled to earth. His attempt to keep her a prisoner at school during the holidays, his indifference to her on the steamer, these and other memories crowded in upon her. Spontane- ous intimacy was one thing, mere obedience to a sum- mons was quite another. It was only since coming to Ghazipur that she had realised the world of difference between the two.

But Saila would never be able to understand. That there could be a real barrier between Ramesh and Kamala was beyond her powers of comprehension.

With an effort she lifted Kamala's head on to her lap exclaiming,"Tell me, dear, did Ramesh Babu say anything unkind to you? Perhaps he was annoyed because my husband went to fetch him. You should have told him it was all my doing."

"No, no, he said nothing about that but why did you send for him?"

"It was wrong of me," said Sailaja contritely, "you must forgive me."

Kamala sat up at once and threw her arms round Saila's neck. "Run away now, dear," she said, "Bipin Babu will be getting impatient."

Meanwhile Ramesh had been idly scanning the pages of the Pioneer till at last he roused himself and flung the paper from him. "Enough of this," he said to himself; "I'll go to Calcutta to-morrow and get through my business there. The longer I delay to make Kamala my wife the more of a scoundrel I feel!" .

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