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THE WRECK

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Annada Babu was hugely gratified at this an- nouncement, but if he had happened to glance at his daughter he would have noticed a momentary spasm of pain pass over her countenance. The next-door house was the one in which Ramesh had lived.

Tea was announced at this point and an adjourn- ment was made to the ground floor.

"Hem, dear, give Nalin Babu a cup of tea," was An- nada Babu's next remark.

The guest, however, politely declined the preferred refreshment.

Annada, "What's this, Nalin Babu? Won't you really have some tea? A cake, at least?"

Ndinaksha. "I must really ask you to excuse me." Annada, "You're a doctor, so I can't lay down the law to you. But, personally, I look on tea as a pretext for drinking a modicum of hot water three or four hours after the midday meal, and I find it of benefit to my digestion. If you're not in the habit of drinking tea we can make it specially weak for you."

Nalinaksha glanced diffidently at Hemnalini and read in her expression that she was exercised over his reluctance and that she had been guessing at the cause of it. With his eyes on her face he proceeded: "I fear I have given you a wrong impression. Don't sup- pose for a moment that I have any prejudices against your customs. I used to take tea regularly at one time, I still enjoy its aroma, and I sympathise with your liking for it. You probably do not know, how- ever, that my mother's views on ceremonial purity are very strict; and she is practically alone in the world but for me. I have to avoid any act that would im- pair the intimacy of our relations, and that is why I abstain from tea nowadays. In so far as you derive pleasure from drinking tea I can share in that pleasure and my scruples do not debar me in the least from en- joying your hospitality," Digitized by Google