g dasturi (commission on purchases) at
twice the customary rates. What was far worse, the "faithful servant"
had spoken freely of Debendra Babu's relations with Siraji in the
village, and it was he who instigated the anonymous letter which was
about to bring the police down on his master. Though all this was the
purest fiction, Debendra Babu swallowed it greedily. He shouted for
Ram Harak and, on the man's appearance, charged him with fraud and
unfaithfulness to his salt. Ram Harak stood silent with folded hands,
not deigning to exculpate himself, which so enraged Debendra Babu
that he gave the poor old man a sharp blow on the head with his shoe,
bidding him begone and never to cross his threshold again. Ram Harak
went to his hut, collected his possessions in a bundle, and left the
house where forty years of his life had been spent. Hiramani's plans
of vengeance were prospering.

Soon after these unpleasant events the new Sub-Inspector of police
arrived at Debendra Babu's house with a warrant for his arrest, and
took him to the station despite loud protests of innocence. There
he applied for bail, which was of course refused, and he spent the
night in the lock-up. Knowing well that he had a very bad case, he
humbled himself so far as to send for Nalini, whom he implored with
folded hands to save him from destruction. Nalini was deeply moved by
his appeal. He heartily despised the fellow's unutterable baseness,
but reflected that he had been an old friend of his father's. He
undertook the prisoner's defence.

In due course Debendra Babu, with Abdullah, was brought before the
Deputy Magistrate of Ghoria on various grave charges. The evidence
established a strong prima facie case against both, and Nalini Babu
reserved his defence. They were committed for trial. When the case came
before the Sessions Judge the Government Pleader (public prosecutor)
adduced many witnesses proving the prisoner's guilt, the last of
whom was Hiramani, who admitted on cross-examination that she had
caused the anonymous letter to be sent to headquarters, which led to
the charge being reopened. She protested that she had done so from a
feeling that so great a crime should not be hushed up. Nalini Babu,
in his turn, put forward some witnesses for the defence; but their
statements were not of material advantage to the prisoner. It was,
in fact, a losing game, but he played it manfully. After all evidence
had been recorded, the Government Pleader w