Page:The Wreck.djvu/279

CHAPTER LIII

On the night following his conversation with his daughter Annada Babu had a recurrence of the severe pain which had attacked him in Calcutta. He spent the night in agony but the morning brought relief, and he had his chair taken into the garden and sat there in view of the road, basking in the mild Decem- ber stmshine while Hemnalini prepared his tea. His face was pale and wrung with the torture he had suf- fered, there were dark rings round his eyes, and he seemed to have aged several years in the night.

Every time Hemnalini's eyes fell on her father's worn countenance she felt a stab of remorse. She at- tributed his relapse to disappointment at her rejection of the proposed marriage and her conscience was troubled by the reflection that mental worry had ag- gravated the old man's bodily weakness. The prob- lem of finding some means of alleviating his distress dominated all others in her thoughts, but she was totally unable to solve it.

The sudden appearance of Akshay and Uncle took her by surprise, and she was about to hasten away when Akshay interposed:

"Please, don't go. This gentleman is our worthy fellow-countryman, Chakrabartti of Ghazipur, whose name is well known throughout these provinces. He has something very important to tell you."

The new arrivals seated themselves on a stone para- pet near which Atmada Babu's chair had been placed, and Uncle proceeded to explain their errand.

"I am informed," he began, "that you are old friends