I'll speak to
Hiramani myself."
"Babuji, you are treading the matter far too lightly. I would never
have complained on my own account, but I cannot bear to see her
plotting against your daughter's happiness, which she has, perhaps,
destroyed for ever!"
Debendra Babu went into his inner apartments and, seeing Hiramani
engaged in close conversation with his daughter, he asked her why she
had used bad language to Ram Harak. The old woman beckoned him to come
outside; and after making sure that no one was listening, she poured
into his ears a long tale of Ram Harak's misdoings. He was robbing
his master, she declared, taking dasturi (commission on purchases) at
twice the customary rates. What was far worse, the "faithful servant"
had spoken freely of Debendra Babu's relations with Siraji in the
village, and it was he who instigated the anonymous letter which was
about to bring the police down on his master. Though all this was the
purest fiction, Debendra Babu swallowed it greedily. He shouted for
Ram Harak and, on the man's appearance, charged him with fraud and
unfaithfulness to his salt. Ram Harak stood silent with folded hands,
not deigning to exculpate himself, which so enraged Debendra Babu
that he gave the poor old man a sharp blow on the head with his shoe,
bidding him begone and never to cross his threshold again.
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