"I have some business with him, therefore I also made that inquiry,
but no one can tell me."
"How long is it since he left?"
"About a month."
"Could any one show me the house of Haro Mani _Boisnavi_, of this
village?"
"Haro Mani's house stood by the roadside; but it exists no longer, it
has been destroyed by fire."
Nagendra pressed his forehead. In a weak voice he asked, "Where is
Haro Mani?"
"No one can say. Since the night her house was burned she has fled
somewhere. Some even say that she herself set fire to it."
In a broken voice Nagendra asked, "Did any other woman live in her
house?"
"No. In the month _Sraban_ a stranger, falling sick, stayed in her
house. She was placed there by the _Brahmachari_. I heard her name was
Surja Mukhi. She was ill of consumption; I attended her, had almost
cured her. Now--"
Breathing hard, Nagendra repeated, "Now?"
"In the destruction of Haro Mani's house the woman was burnt."
Nagendra fell from his chair, striking his head severely. The blow
stunned him. The doctor attended to his needs.
Who would live in a world so full of sorrow? The poison tree grows in
every one's court. Who would love? to have one's heart torn in pieces.
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