ttle property
which, as a Purdanashin (lit. "one sitting behind the veil"), she
was unable to do herself. After mature reflection she sent for Ramda,
who had known her from infancy. He obeyed the summons with alacrity
and gave the poor woman sound advice regarding the direction of
the Zemindary. By acting on it she was able to increase her income
and live in tolerable comfort. Observing that Ramda was a frequent
visitor, Nagendra Babu hinted to his sister-in-law that, if she cared
for her reputation, she would not be so thick with him. She flared
up instantly. "I will talk to any of my friends I please," said she,
"and you shan't poke your nose into my affairs!"

"Very well," replied Nagendra angrily, "but you may rely on my making
it hot for that old scoundrel shortly!"

This threat was of course repeated to Ramda, who merely laughed. As
far as he was concerned Nagendra might act as he pleased.

A few days afterwards the bailiff of Nagendra Babu's estate, known
as Lakhimpur, called on Ramda with a verbal request that he should
surrender his ancestral tenure and, meeting with a curt refusal,
left the house threatening all sorts of evil consequences. Next
day, indeed, Ramda received a notice from Nagendra Babu, calling
on him to show cause against the cancellation of his lease on the
ground that, by mismanaging the land, he had rendered it unfit for
cultivation. Ramda called some of his neighbours together, to whom
he exhibited the document. They expressed the greatest indignation
and assured him that they would spend their last rupee in defending
his interests. Ramda gave them a heartfelt blessing and promised a
divine reward for their sympathy.

Calling on Samarendra's widow the same day, he was distressed to
find that she had received a similar notice, which aimed at robbing
her of a small estate, on the ground that it had been surrendered
by her husband in part payment of his debt to Nagendra Babu. She
knew nothing of any such arrangement and assured Ramda that, if the
property was lost, her income would fall to little more than Rs. 100,
meaning starvation for herself and little ones. Her trusty counsellor
told her not to lose heart, for she might rely on his help.

In due course the suit against Ramda came on for hearing before the
Munsiff. His pleader established by documentary evidence that the
tenure was one without any condition whatever; while the neighbours
came forward to prove that the land in dispute