the hungry stones and other stories-第21部分

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he　ancient　families　of　Nayanjore。　The　girl　was　seated　before　him；　looking　up　into　his　face；　and　listening　with　rapt　attention。　She　was　determined；　out　of　love　for　the　old　man；　to　play　her　part　to　the　full。

My　heart　was　deeply　touched；　and　tears　came　to　my　eyes。　I　stood　there　in　silence　in　the　passage；　while　Thakur　Dada　finished　all　his　embellishments　of　the　Chota　Lord　Sahib's　wonderful　visit。　When　he　left　the　room　at　last；　I　took　the　stolen　goods　and　laid　them　at　the　feet　of　the　girl　and　came　away　without　a　word。

Later　in　the　day　I　called　again　to　see　Kailas　Balm　himself。　According　to　our　ugly　modern　custom；　I　had　been　in　the　habit　of　making　no　greeting　at　all　to　this　old　man　when　I　came　into　the　room。　But　on　this　day　I　made　a　low　bow；　and　touched　his　feet。　I　am　convinced　the　old　man　thought　that　the　coming　of　the　Chota　Lord　Sahib　to　his　house　was　the　cause　of　my　new　politeness。　He　was　highly　gratified　by　it；　and　an　air　of　benign　severity　shone　from　his　eyes。　His　friends　had　flocked　in；　and　he　had　already　begun　to　tell　again　at　full　length　the　story　of　the　Lieutenant…Governor's　visit　with　still　further　adornments　of　a　most　fantastic　kind。　The　interview　was　already　becoming　an　epic；　both　in　quality　and　in　length。

When　the　other　visitors　had　taken　their　leave；　I　made　my　proposal　to　the　old　man　in　a　humble　manner。　I　told　him　that；　〃　though　I　could　never　for　a　moment　hope　to　be　worthy　of　marriage　connection　with　such　an　illustrious　family；　yet　。　。　。　etc。　etc。〃

When　I　made　clear　my　proposal　of　marriage；　the　old　man　embraced　me；　and　broke　out　in　a　tumult　of　joy：　〃　I　am　a　poor　man；　and　could　never　have　expected　such　great　good　fortune。〃

That　was　the　first　and　last　time　in　his　life　that　Kailas　Babu　confessed　to　being　poor。　It　was　also　the　first　and　last　time　in　his　life　that　he　forgot；　if　only　for　a　single　moment；　the　ancestral　dignity　that　belongs　to　the　Babus　of　Nayanjore。



LIVING　OR　DEAD？

I

The　widow　in　the　house　of　Saradasankar；　the　Ranihat　zemindar；　had　no　kinsmen　of　her　father's　family。　One　after　another　all　had　died。　Nor　had　she　in　her　husband's　family　any　one　she　could　call　her　own；　neither　husband　nor　son。　The　child　of　her　brother…in…law　Saradasankar　was　her　darling。　Far　a　long　time　after　his　birth；　his　mother　had　been　very　ill；　and　the　widow；　his　aunt　Kadambini；　had　fostered　him。　If　a　woman　fosters　another's　child；　her　love　for　him　is　all　the　stronger　because　she　has　no　claim　upon　him…no　claim　of　kinship；　that　is；　but　simply　the　claim　of　love。　Love　cannot　prove　its　claim　by　any　document　which　society　accepts；　and　does　not　wish　to　prove　it；　it　merely　worships　with　double　passion　its　life's　uncertain　treasure。　Thus　all　the　widow's　thwarted　love　went　out　to　wards　this　little　child。　One　night　in　Sraban　Kadambini　died　suddenly。　For　some　reason　her　heart　stopped　beating。　Everywhere　else　the　world　held　on　its　course；　only　m　this　gentle　little　breast；　suffering　with　love；　the　watch　of　time　stood　still　for　ever。

Lest　they　should　be　harassed　by　the　poike；　four　of　the　zemindar's　Brahmin　servants　took　away　the　body；　without　ceremony；　to　be　burned。　The　burning…ground　of　Ranihat　was　very　far　from　the　village。　　There　was　a　hut　beside　a　tank；　a　huge　banian　near　it；　and　nothing　more。　　Formerly　a　river；　now　completely　dried　up；　ran　through　the　ground；　and　part　of　the　watercourse　had　been　dug　out　to　make　a　tank　for　the　performance　of　funeral　rites。　　The　people　considered　the　tank　as　part　of　the　river　and　reverenced　it　as　such。

Taking　the　body　into　the　hut；　the　four　men　sat　down　to　wait　for　the　wood。　　The　time　seemed　so　long　that　two　of　the　four　grew　restless；　and　went　to　see　why　it　did　not　come。　　Nitai　and　Gurucharan　being　gone；　Bidhu　and　Banamali　remained　to　watch　over　the　body。

It　was　a　dark　night　of　Sraban。　　Heavy　clouds　hung　In　a　starless　sky。　The　two　men　sat　silent　in　the　dark　room。　　Their　matches　and　lamp　were　useless。　　　The　matches　were　damp；　and　would　not　light；　for　all　their　efforts；　and　the　lantern　went　out。

After　a　long　silence；　one　said：　　〃Brother；　it　would　be　good　if　we　had　a　bowl　of　tobacco。　　In　our　hurry　we　brought　none。〃

The　other　answered：　　〃I　can　run　and　bring　all　we　want。〃

Understanding　why　Banarnali　wanted　to　go　（From　fear　of　ghosts；　the　burning…ground　being　　considered　haunted。）；　Bidhu　said：　　〃I　daresay！　Meanwhile；　I　suppose　I　am　to　sit　here　alone！〃

Conversation　ceased　again。　　Five　minutes　seemed　like　an　hour。　　　In　their　minds　they　cursed　the　two；　who　had　gone　to　fetch　the　wood；　and　they　began　to　suspect　that　they　sat　gossiping　in　some　pleasant　nook。　　There　was　no　sound　anywhere；　except　the　incessant　noise　of　frogs　and　crickets　from　the　tank。　　Then　suddenly　they　fancied　that　the　bed　shook　slightly；　as　if　the　dead　body　had　turned　on　its　side。　　　Bidhu　and　Banamali　trembled；　and　began　muttering：　　〃Ram；　Ram。〃　　A　deep　sigh　was　heard　in　the　room。　　　In　a　moment　the　watchers　leapt　out　of　the　hut；　and　raced　for　the　village。

After　running　aboat　three　miles；　they　met　their　colleagues　coming　back　with　a　lantern。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　they　had　gone　to　smoke；　and　knew　nothing　about　the　wood。　But　they　declared　that　a　tree　had　been　cut　down；　and　that；　when　it　was　split　up；　it　would　be　brought　along　at　once。　Then　Bidhu　and　Banamali　told　them　what　had　happened　in　the　hut。　Nitai　and　Gurucharan　scoffed　at　the　story；　and　abused　Bidhu　and　Banamali　angrily　for　leaving　their　duty。

Without　delay　all　four　returned　to　the　hut。　As　they　entered；　they　saw　at　once　that　the　body　was　gone；　nothing　but　an　empty　bed　remained。　They　stared　at　one　another。　Could　a　jackal　have　taken　it？　But　there　was　no　scrap　of　clothing　anywhere。　Going　outside；　they　saw　that　on　the　mud　that　had　collected　at　the　door　of　the　but　there　were　a　woman's　tiny　footprints；　newly　made。　Saradasankar　was　no　fool；　and　they　could　hardly　persuade　him　to　believe　in　this　ghost　story。　So　after　much　discussion　the　four　decided　that　it　would　be　best　to　say　that　the　body　had　been　burnt。

Towards　dawn；　when　the　men　with　the　wood　arrived　they　were　told　that；　owing　to　their　delay；　the　work　had　been　done　without　them；　there　had　been　some　wood　in　the　but　after　all。　No　one　was　likely　to　question　this；　since　a　dead　body　is　not　such　a　valuable　property　that　any　one　would　steal　it。


II

Every　one　knows　that；　even　when　there　is　no　sign；　life　is　often　secretly　present；　and　may　begin　again　in　an　apparently　dead　body。　Kadambini　was　not　dead；　only　the　machine　of　her　life　had　for　some　reason　suddenly　stopped。

When　consciousness　returned；　she　saw　dense　darkness　on　all　sides。　It　occurred　to　her　that　she　was　not　lying　in　her　usual　place。　She　called　out　〃　Sister；〃　but　no　answer　came　from　the　darkness。　As　she　sat　up；　terror…stricken；　she　remembered　her　death…bed；　the　sudden　pain　at　her　breast；　the　beginning　of　a　choking　sensation。　Her　elder　sister…in…law　was　warming　some　milk　for　the　child；　when　Kadambini　became　faint；　and　fell　on　the　bed；　saying　with　a　choking　voice：　〃Sister；　bring　the　child　here。　I　am　worried。〃　After　that　everything　was　black；　as　when　an　inkpot　is　upset　over　an　exercise…book。　Kadambini's　memory　and　consciousness；　all　the　letters　of　the　world's　book；　in　a　moment　became　formless。　The　widow　could　not　remember　whether　the　child；　in　the　sweet　voice　of　love；　called　her　〃　Auntie；〃　as　if　for　the　last　time；　or　not；　she　could　not　remember　whether；　as　she　left　the　world　she　knew　for　death's　endless　unknown　journey；　she　had　received　a　parting　gift　of　affection；　love's　passage…money　for　the　silent　land。　At　first；　I　fancy；　she　thought　the　lonely　dark　place　was　the　House　of　Yama；　where　there　is　nothing　to　see；　nothing　to　hear；　nothing　to　do；　only　an　eternal　watch。　But　when　a　cold　damp　wind　drove　through　the　open　door；　and　she　heard　the　croaking　of　frogs；　she　remembered　vividly　and　in　a　moment　all　the　rains　of　her　short　life；　and　could　feel　her　kinship　with　the　earth。　Then　came　a　flash　of　lightning；　and　she　saw　the　tank；　the　banian；　the　great　plain；　the　far…off　trees。　She　remembered　how　at　full　moon　she　had　sometimes　come　to　bathe　in　this　tank；　and　how　dreadful　death　had　seemed　when　she　saw　a　corpse　on　the　burning…ground。

Her　first　thought　was　to　return　home。　But　then　she　reflected：　〃I　am　dead。　How　can　I　return　home？　That　would　bring　disaster　on　them。　I　have　left　the　kingdom　of　the　living；　I　am　my　own　ghost！〃　If　this　were　not　so；　she　reasoned；　how　could　she　have　got　out　of　Saradasankar's　well…guarded　zenana；　and　come　to　this　distant　burningground　at　midnight？　Also；　if　her　funeral　rites　had　not　been　finished；　where　had　the　men　gone　who　should　burn　her？　Recalling　her　death…moment　in　Saradasankar's　brightly…lit　house；　she　now　found　herself　alone　in　a　distant；　deserted；　dark　burning。　ground。　Surely　she　was　no　member　of　earthly　society！　Surely　she　was　a　creature　of　horror；　of　ill…omen；　her　own　ghost！

At　this　thought；　all　the　bonds　were　snapped　which　bound　her　to　the　world。　She　felt　that　she　had　marvellous　strength；　endless　freedom。　She　could　do　what　she　liked；　go　where　she　pleased。　Mad　with　the　inspiration　of　this　new　idea；　she　rushed　from　the　but　like　a　gust　of　wind；　and　stood　upon　the　burning。　ground。　All　trace　of　shame　or　fear　had　left　her。

But　as　she　walked　on　and　on；　her　feet　grew　tired；　her　body　weak。　The　plain　stretched　on　endlessly；　here　and　there　we