a
had been of a very calm temper; now the least thing made him angry.

Nor was this all. One night, the hour for the meal being already past,
Nagendra had not come in. Surja Mukhi sat expecting him. At length,
when he appeared, she was astonished at his looks. His face and eyes
were inflamed--he had been drinking, and as he had never been given to
drinking before his wife was shocked. From that time it became a daily
custom.

One day Surja Mukhi, casting herself at his feet, choking down the
sobs in her throat, with much humility entreated, "For my sake give
this up."

Nagendra asked angrily, "What is my fault?"

Surja Mukhi said: "If you do not know what is the fault, how can I? I
only beg that for my sake you will give it up."

Nagendra replied: "Surja Mukhi, I am a drunkard! If devotion should be
paid to a drunkard, pay it to me; otherwise it is not called for."

Surja Mukhi left the room to conceal her tears, since her weeping
irritated her husband, and led him to strike the servants.

Soon after, the _Dewan_ sent word to the mistress that the estate was
going to ruin.

She asked, "Why?"

"Because the Babu will not see to things. The people on the estates do
just as they please. Since the _Karta_ is so careless, no one heeds
what I say."

Surja Mukhi answered: "If the owner looks after the estate, it will be
preserved; if not, let it go to ruin. I shall be thankful if I can
only save my own property" (meaning her husband).

Formerly Nagendra had carefully looked after all his affairs.

One day some hundreds of his _ryots_ came to the _kacheri_, and with
joined palms stood at the door. "Give us justice," they said, "O your
highness; we cannot survive the tyranny of the _naib_ (a law officer)
and the _gomashta_. We are being robbed of everything. If you do not
save us, to whom shall we go?"

Nagendra gave orders to drive them away.

Formerly, when one of his _gomashtas_ had beaten a _ryot_ and taken a
rupee from him, Nagendra had cut ten rupees from the _gomashta's_ pay
and given it to the _ryot_.

Hara Deb Ghosal wrote to Nagendra: "What has happened to you? I
cannot imagine what you are doing. I receive no letters from you, or,
if I do, they contain but two or three lines without any meaning. Have
you taken offence with me? If so, why do you not tell me? Have you
lost your lawsuit? Then why not say so? If you do not tell me anything
else, at least give me news of your health."

Nagendra replied