roughly denied her
entrance; and when she threatened to report him to his mistress, he
ran her out by the neck. Hiramani went home in a state of impatient
anger and despair, and for several days she dared not show her face
in the village. The spell cast by her malice was broken.

CHAPTER XIII

Debendra Babu in Trouble.

One chilly morning in February a Mohammadan neighbour of Nalini's
named Sadhu Sheikh burst into his parlour crying, "Chota Babu, Chota
Babu (lit. 'little babu,' used for younger brother, to distinguish
him from the elder, styled 'bara babu'), Siraji is dying!"

"Who is she?" asked Nalini looking up from a law book which he was
studying.

"Surely you know my sister, Chota Babu?"

"Yes, of course, what's the matter with her?"

"She has been ill for three days, with excruciating internal pains;
what am I to do, Babuji?"

"Who is treating her?" asked Nalini.

"Abdullah has been giving her the usual remedies."

"Why, he is a peasant and knows nothing of medicine. You should not
have called him in."

"Sir, we are poor folk. Abdullah is very clever and his fee is a
mere trifle."

"What drugs has he been administering?"

"Homopotik (homoeopathic), they are called."

"Now you had better return home at once to find out how she is
progressing. Let me know if she grows worse and I will send Hriday
Doctor. Don't trouble about his fees; I will pay them myself. Why
did you not come to me earlier?"

Sadhu muttered some words, which Nalini could not distinguish, and
left the room hurriedly. After waiting for an hour for news, Nalini
threw a wrapper over his shoulders and went to Siraji's cottage. On
nearing it he learnt from Sadhu's loud lamentations that she was beyond
the reach of medicine; so, after a few words of sympathy, he went home.

Presently Sadhu sallied forth to ask the neighbours' help in carrying
the dead body to burial. One and all refused to lay a hand on it
because, they said, she had lived with an unbeliever. In dire distress
Sadhu again appealed to Nalini, who summoned the chief inhabitants
of the Musalmanpara (Mohammadan quarter) to his house and ordered
them to take Siraji's body to the burial ground. They reluctantly
agreed to do so, and assembled at Sadhu's cottage; but at the last
moment all of them refused to touch the corpse. Nalini was puzzled by
their behaviour. He asked for an explanation, whereon the Mohammadans
whispered together and nudged a grey-beard, who became