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THE WRECK

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His words had made a deep impression on Hemna- lini. As she sat in a silent reverie on the housetop under the star-studded heavens, her heart was full, and earth and sky seemed to her no longer an empty void.

As they were returning from the lecture Jogendra had remarked to Akshay:

"Well, you've hit on a most eligible man and no mistake! But what a mystic he is! Half of what he said was Greek to me."

"One has to diagnose the case before one can pre- scribe the medicine that the patient needs," returned Akshay. "Hemnalini is suffering from a delusion about Ramesh and it requires a mystic to arouse her from it. Simple folk like you and me couldn't do it. Did you look at her face while the fellow was spout- ing?"

Jogendra. "I did indeed. It was quite clear that she appreciated the stuff; but it doesn't follow that because she appreciated the lecture, she'll be prepared to bestow her hand on the lecturer."

Akshay. "She wouldn't have been enraptured with the lecture if you or I had delivered it. Asceticism has a great attraction for women, you know. Kalidas describes in his poem how Uma mortified the flesh for the sake of an ascetic I tell you, Jogen, if you pro- duce any one else Hemnalini will contrast him with Ramesh and he won't come well out of the comparison. Now Nalinaksha is not like an ordinary person — it would never occur to one to compare him with any one else. If you presented any other young man to her she would guess your motive and her whole mind would rise in revolt. But if you can invent some pretext for bringing Nalinaksha here and introducing him to her she'll suspect nothing. Then from respect- ful admiration to an engagement the transition will be gradual and easy."

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