hakur
Jamai_?[8] Say so, and Kamal will arrange it."

[Footnote 8: _Thakur Jamai_--Kamal Mani's husband.]

"Then I will see," said Hira; "but there is already in the house a
husband suited to my mind."

"Who is it?" asked Surja.

"Death," was Hira's reply.

CHAPTER XIII.

NO!

On the evening of that day, Kunda was sitting near the _talao_[9] in
the middle of the garden. The _talao_ was broad; its water pure and
always blue. The reader will remember that behind this _talao_ was a
flower-garden, in the midst of which stood a white marble house
covered with creepers. In front, a flight of steps led down to the
water. The steps were built of brick to resemble stone, very broad
and clean. On either side grew an aged _bakul_ tree. Beneath these
trees sat Kunda Nandini, alone in the darkening evening, gazing at the
reflection of the sky and stars in the clear water. Here and there
lotus flowers could be dimly seen. On the other three sides of the
_talao_, mango, jak, plum, orange, lichi, cocoanut, kul, bel, and
other fruit-trees grew thickly in rows, looking in the darkness like a
wall with an uneven top. Occasionally the harsh voice of a bird in the
branches broke the silence. The cool wind blowing over the _talao_
caused the water slightly to wet the lotus flowers, gave the reflected
sky an appearance of trembling, and murmured in the leaves above Kunda
Nandini's head. The scent of the flowers of the _bakul_ tree pervaded
the air, mingled with that of jasmine and other blossoms. Everywhere
fireflies flew in the darkness over the clear water, dancing,
sparkling, becoming extinguished. Flying foxes talked to each other;
jackals howled to keep off other animals. A few clouds having lost
their way wandered over the sky; one or two stars fell as though
overwhelmed with grief. Kunda Nandini sat brooding over her troubles.
Thus ran her thoughts: "All my family is gone. My mother, my brother,
my father, all died. Why did I not die? If I could not die, why did I
come here? Does the good man become a star when he dies?" Kunda no
longer remembered the vision she had seen on the night of her father's
death. It did not recur to her mind even now. Only a faint memory of
the scene came to her with the idea that, since she had seen her
mother in vision, that mother must have become a star. So she asked
herself: "Do the good become stars after death? and if so, are all I
loved become stars? Then which are they among those h