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THE WRECK

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joyless place and lite a burden when her ear caught something which arrested her attention. Nabinkali had summoned the bearer to her room and was issuing instructions to him, and this is what Kamala over- heard:

"Hi, you, Tulsi, run off to the city and fetch Dr. Nalinaksha at once; tell him your master's not at all well."

Dr. Nalinaksha! The sunbeams danced before Kamala's eyes like golden lute-strings struck by in- visible fingers. She flung down her vegetables and posted herself at the kitchen-door to waylay Tulsi as he descended. No sooner had he appeared than she inquired where he was bound for.

"l'm off to fetch Dr. Nalinaksha," said Tulsi.

"Who may he be?"

"Why, he's by way of being the best doctor in the place."

"Where does he live ?" asked Kamala.

"In the city, about a mile away."

Kamala made a habit of dividing among the servants such small quantities of food as were left over when their superiors' wants had been satisfied. Frequent scoldings had failed to deter her from this practice, her resolution being fortified by the fact that under Nabin- kali 's harsh rule the underlings never had enough to eat. Moreover the master and mistress were seldom punctual at their meals and the servants had to wait their turn. Hence Kamala was beset every day with plaintive appeals for a snack to stave off hunger, which she had not the heart to refuse. Kindly acts of this nature soon made all the servants her willing slaves.

"What are you plotting there at the kitchen-door, you, Tulsi?" shrilled a voice upstairs. "You think I haven't got my eye on you? You can't go to the city without consulting the cook first? No wonder so many things are missing! Look here, young lady,

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