Page:The Wreck.djvu/199

THE WRECK

averted her eyes from it."Come, dad," she said, and father and daughter left the room.

Jogendra's eyes blazed. "I can't stay a moment longer under this roof!" he exclaimed. 'I'll clear out and earn my living as a school-master somewhere."

"You're taking it too much to heart, old man," said Akshay. "I told you, you know, that in my opin- ion you were mistaken. I yielded to your insistence, but I'm convinced now that Hemnalini will never care for me. You must put that idea out of your head. If we want to do the right thing, our next task must be to make her forget Ramesh."

"That's true enough; how are we to proceed, though?"

"Well, we needn't assume that I'm the only mar- riageable young man in the world. Of course if you were your sister things would be different and my ancestors would not be anxiously counting the days till I cease to be a bachelor. But as it is, what we really want is a suitor who will meet her taste — not one on whose appearance she flies off to air the clothes !"

Jogendra "One can't go into a shop and order a bridegroom."

Akshay. "You're very easily discouraged Though our real object is to find a husband for Hemnalini, still, if you are too precipitate, the whole thing will end in smoke. You mustn't broach the subject of marriage prematurely or you'll scare both parties away. Let their acquaintance ripen gradually and watch your op portunity to make a proposal."

Jogendra. "Sound tactics, I admit, but tell me his name."

Akshay. "You don't know him well but you've seen him — Dr. Nalinaksha."

Jagendra. "Nalinaksha

Akshay. "You seem surprised! There's some scandal about him in the Brahmo Samaj, but never

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