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“ WHEN Navendu Sekhar was allied in matrimony to Arunlekha, the God of marriage smiled a little from behind the sacrificial fire. Alas, what is sport for the gods is not always a joke to us, poor mortals.
Purnendu Sekhar, the father of Navendu, was a man well-known amongst the English officials of the Government. ”

“ The butterfly with its wings bruised buzzes round the flower in blind fury, unable to depart.
The society of his sisters-in-law so infatuated him that at last Navendu began to disavow his craving for European favours. On occasions when he went to salaam the Burra Sahib, he used to pretend that he was off to listen to a speech by Mr. Surendranath Banerjea. When going to the railway station to pay respects to the Chota Sahib returning from Darjeeling, he would tell his sisters-in-law that his youngest uncle was expected. ”

“ A couple of days after this, an anti-Congress Anglo-Indian paper reached Navendu through the post. There was a letter in it signed "One who knows"—contradicting the above report. "Those who have the pleasure of Babu Navendu Sekhar's personal acquaintance"—the writer went on—"cannot for a moment believe this absurd libel to be true. For him to turn a Congresswalla is as impossible as it is for the leopard to change his spots. He is a man of genuine worth and neither a disappointed candidate for Government employ nor a briefless pleader. ”

“ He was at great pains to demonstrate every day that he was inefficient and helpless as a new-born babe in the matter of mixing spices in proportion, handling the sauce-pan and regulating the heat so as to prevent things getting burnt—and he was duly rewarded with pitiful smiles and scoldings. ”

“ Nilratan snatched it away from Navendu's hand, remarking—"There are poorer men in the world—I will give it to them for you."
Navendu felt greatly distressed in not being able to appease these ghostly retainers of the angry Siva. When the peons were leaving with thunder in their eyes, he looked at them languishingly as much as to say—"You know every thing, gentlemen, it is not my fault."
The Congress was to be held at Calcutta this year. Nilratan went down to the metropolis with his wife to attend the sittings. Navendu accompanied them. ”

“ While there is life there is hope, you know."
"That's what I am afraid of, you think, do you? Very well, you shall see"—said Navendu desperately and forthwith sat down to write his contradiction. When he finished, Labanya and Nilratan read it through and said—"It isn't strong enough. We must give it them pretty hot, mustn't we?"—and they kindly undertook to revise the composition. It ran—"When one connected to us by ties of blood turns our enemy he becomes far more dangerous than any outsider can possibly be. ”

“ Finding an auspicious day, she put on the mantel-shelf of Navendu's bedroom, two pairs of English boots [2] bedaubed with vermilion, and arranged before them flowers, sandal-paste, incense and a couple of burning candles, in right ceremonial fashion. When Navendu came in, the two sisters-in-law stood on either side of him and said with mock solemnity—"Bow down to your gods and may your position [3] increase through their blessings." ”