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THE WRECK 185

Jogendra. "Talk about betraying one's salt. He's a traitor to his pill!"

Annada Babu laughed happily. That his family should again poke fun at him about his pill-box he took as a sign of renewed harmony and a load was lifted from his mind.

"I see what you're after," he said, "you're trying to undermine his faith. He's the sole survivor of my band of pill-takers and you're out to break his al- legiance."

"No fear of that, Annada Babu," said Akshay, "they'll never change Akshay's allegiance."

Jogendra, "Why is Akshay like a bad rupee? Try to change him and you'll get into trouble!" and an outburst of merriment dispelled the cloud that had loomed over Annada Babu's tea-table.

The symposium might have been a protracted one had Hemnalini not excused herself on the grounds that her hair required attention. Then Akshay remem- bered an engagement and he too departed.

"Dad, we mustn't wait any longer," said Jogendra, when he and his father were left to themselves; "we must get Hem married."

Annada Babu stared at him in consternation.

"There's a lot of gossip going on," Jogendra pro- ceeded, 'about her engagement to Ramesh being broken off. I can't go on fighting single-handed like this. If I were in a position to tell the whole truth I shouldn't mind the scrapping, but for Hem's sake I can't speak out freely, so I have to fight with my mouth shut. Just the other day, you know, I had to trounce Akhil. I heard he had been speaking too freely. If we can get her married soon the talk will subside, and I shan't have to go round playing the part of sole champion, turning up my sleeves and chal- lenging the world. I strongly advise you not to put it off any longer,"

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