the shade of the verandah of the inner court. His wife had been watching him with some anxiety. He was too quiet, too wordless to satisfy her. She would

t herself for some trifle; or dealt out correcti

g every one was tired out and ready for sleep. They all awoke satisfied that the atmosphere was clearer and their bala

aunting fear lest something should happen, lest Ananda should die in that distant land as Coomara had done and never come back; lest he himself should die. Then hope would revive and he would spend his idle hours picturing the home-com

This feeble surrender to grief was not at all to her mind, and

itchen woman shall make you a hot

balls that Yama prepares for the cursed after death. I want

morning I rise refreshed and ready to do battle with the evil. The struggle has begun and it has begun well. The boy broke the waterpot, struck the sweeper and commanded him to

e and passed her long soft hands ov

nt starvin

-behaved s

er enjoy his mother's curry. Eiheu!" he drew in his breath and

the lids closing quickly wit

are nothing to what will follow if he remains obstinate," she said vindi

protestation. "Is it necessary?

ies practised upon hi

who is to perform the rites by which your spirit will find happiness? Your great-great-grandfather will not suffer; your ceremonies have released him; but if your son cannot and will not perform the necessary rites, you and three generations behind you will remain in the power of Yama to be plagued as the god of death wills. What does that mean but rebirths innumerable to a life o

stener. No one doubted that the mother would prevail in the end. Even Pantulu himself with all his weakness born of his

he must assuredly be born again as an unhappy beast of burden; or as some loathsome creature whose very existence w

hing! nothing! but before proceeding further I will leave my husband to exercise his authority. Rise! be a man! be a father worthy of the name! Rise and speak to him. Show him clearly all that is involved in his foolish

hurt him once when I struck him in my su

n unchecked down the old cheeks. She uttere

g boy. However, no good can come of lying h

ut his arms about his neck and thank the gods that his boy was safe home again. His anger had evaporated in the ebullition with which the announcement was greeted.

?" he asked

e further end o

. With his hands behind his back Ananda stood looking at the mountain. His thoughts were in the past when he and his father started out for the forest. By some instinct he turned at the approach of the older man and fixed on him

last my prayer is granted, and I am

u have had to wait. Since my

ing him to reason," she said to herself. She called to her brother-in-law. "See! my husband brings his son to the house. They will come into the verandah. Quick! hid

wards the house the former ask

mention the milk lest he should get the pariah into trouble and st

boy has not been obliged to defile himself in that way. For drink, what ha

I have ac

her must

er's orders that

amily, not by the mother alone," said Pan

one of the women servants to attend upon me. It hurt

lies like ours. I cannot interfere; but I can speak to her and a

t does that mea

e madness and allow the caste rest

he jaw with an unconscious toss of the head. He remembered the trick of old and all that it implied. The deep underlying obstinacy that had ever been the one fault of the boy was still t

the verandah was empty. Pantulu took his seat upon a broad bench and drew his feet up beneath him. It

's face, that he might not be discouraged by what was so manifest there. "The ceremonies will be of a character to restore you even if you have sinned gr

ving taken this step there is no going ba

Let me put before you all that it means if you refuse to come back to us. Who is to perform the funeral rites at my death if you cannot be chief mourner? Are they to b

sm. "The man-God of the Christians came to open men's eyes to better things, to assure the world of immediate pardon for sin, and to promise a ha

t without fear at the blasphemy against

e Christians was born. Were the millions, who lived

ok for absorption in the Hindu Deity. Try and realise the joy that you and I, my beloved father, will feel when we meet in that golden future. At Coomara's death I was in despair. Every time I heard a dog shriek or saw a horse overloaded and beaten, I thought of my friend suffering similar pains; and all for no fault of his! It was intolerable in its inju

him. Moreover the charm of hearing his son's voice once more exercised a kind of hypnotic influence, causing him almost to forget the vital issues of their conversation and their varianc

chen. The sound made him start guiltily. What had he been doing? Listening to ran

ief mourner at my death, the law of caste-and it is upheld by our country's law-disinherits you, You cannot inherit any of my wealth, my lands, my houses, my looms, my silk farms, my jewels and hoard of silver. Not a single rupee will be yours if another hand drops the rice and butter into the fire before my dead body immediately after death; if another bears the

in him as he noted the tightening of the lower lip and the obstinate tilt of the chin. Again he spoke, repeating the old arguments, enumera

the duties of chief mourner, o

your

will inherit

ill take my place in the family councils and you

ing that as far as he was conce

r?" cried Pantulu, in sudden dismay, as he realised two facts-his son wa

be duly performed by a fitting and proper member of the family; and he found the greatest difficulty in maintaining his honesty of speech. The temptation to temporise was strong. "It is impossible, even if I desired it, to re-establish my faith in the Hindu teac

e! My life is bound up in yours! I cannot live without you! Keep your beliefs secretly if you will, but I beg, I pra

r son for the first time since his return. Ananda put the palm

t you, most excellen

utations with an exc

have dishonoured! See!" she pointed to Pantulu, who had drooped where he sat till he seemed to crouch in abject misery. "See how he is stricken

ry maledictions drove him to his new leader Christ. His father's entreaties only placed before him anew the tenets that had filled him with such horror. Already he had had experience of the persecution he was likely to

again he was sensible of a blessed peace that soothed and calmed his disordered mind. His courage returned, and he deliberately set himself to recall his father's words. What was it that he had said about disinheritance? He must have made a mistake. T

ooked at his watch; it was three o'clock. The sweeper did not appear and no food was sent. The omis

d not come to perform any of his duties. The excitement of the journey and return home had worn off, and Anand

ned by the falling of some little stones

cow is here. Co

road. A herdsman of his own caste handed him a bottle of milk over the wall, just drawn from the cow for which he paid him the

treatment must be understood. The big mistress hopes to starve your excellency into obedience. This she can only do when there is no more money lef

l with the intention of

e to-day to sweep th

hat no one is to speak with your honour or approach your room. T

n. It was addressed to Dr. Wenaston, Principal of the College of Chirapore; and the