On arriving, after two days' journey, at Jooneer, she went to the
address that Sufder had given her; but was coldly received by his
wife.

"As it is Sufder's order, of course I must take you in," she said,
"but when he returns, I shall tell him that I do not want another
woman and child in the house. Why do you not go to your own people?
As you are Sufder's cousin, you must be the sister of Ramdass. Why
should you not go to him?"

"I will gladly do so, if you will tell me where he lives."

"He has a small farm. You must have passed it, as you came along.
It is about a mile from here."

"I will go to him at once," Soyera said.

"No, no," the woman exclaimed; "that will never do. You must stop a
day or two here. Sufder would be angry, indeed, were he to find
that you did not remain here; and would blame me for it. I should
be willing enough for you to stay a week, or a month; that is a
different thing from becoming an inmate of the house."

"I will wait till tomorrow, for I have made a long two days'
journey from the top of the Ghauts and, as I am not accustomed to
walking, my feet are sore. In the morning I will go and see my
brother. I did not so much as know that he was alive. I feel sure
he will take me in, willingly; for he is but two years older than
myself, and was always kind to me."

Accordingly the next morning she retraced her steps, and had no
difficulty in finding the farm of Ramdass. Choosing the time when
he would be likely to be in for his dinner, Soyera walked up to the
door of the house, which was standing open.

As she stood there, hesitating, Ramdass came out. He was a man of
some forty years of age, with a pleasant and kindly face. He looked
at her enquiringly.

"Do you not know me, Ramdass?" she asked.

"Why, 'tis Soyera!" he exclaimed. "And so you have come back, after
all these years--thirteen, is it not, since you went away?

"Welcome back, little sister!" and he raised his voice, and called,
"Anundee!"

A young woman, two or three and twenty years of age, came to the
door.

"Wife," he said, "this is my sister Soyera, of whom you have often
heard me speak.

"Soyera, this is my wife. We have been married six years; but come
in, and let us talk things over.

"You have come home for good, I hope," he said. "So you too have
married and, as you come alone with your child, have, I suppose,
had the misfortune to lose your husband?"

"Yes, I was alone in the world, and came hither