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THE WRECK

Next moment her head fell forward, and she sank unconscious to the .ground.

Annada Babu's distress was pitiful. He raised his daughter's head from the floor and laid it on his breast exclaiming, "What is it, dear, what is it? Don't believe a word they say ! It's all a lie."

Jogendra thrust his father aside and at once lifted Hemnalini on to the sofa. A jug of water was handy and he sprinkled drops on her face, while Akshay fanned her vigorously with a hand punkah.

Hemnalini soon opened her eyes and started up in consternation. She turned to her father crying, "Daddy, daddy, do tell Akshay Babu to go away."

Akshay promptly put the punkah down and went out into the passage.

Annada Babu sat down on the sofa beside Hem- nalini and gently stroked her head and neck. He could only sigh and ejaculate, "My dear, my dear!"

Suddenly her eyes filled with tears and her bosom began to heave. She leaned her breast against her father's knee in an attempt to repress her uncontrol- lable grief.

"Never mind, dear, never mind," murmured Annada Babu in broken accents. "I know Ramesh well and he would never deceive us. Jogen must have made a mistake."

Jogendra's patience was at an end. "Don't delude her with false hopes, dad," he exclaimed. "If you try to spare her feelings now it'll only be the worse for her in the end. Give her a chance to think it over."

Hemnalini raised her head from her father's knee, sat up, and looked Jogendra in the face. "I tell you plainly that I'll never believe it till I hear it from his own lips," and she staggered to her feet. Annada Babu sprang up with an exclamation and saved her from falling.

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