“He served you rightly, naughty boy!” observed his mother administering a sharp slap which sent the child off bellowing loudly.

Hiramani remarked, “You ought not to beat him for so trivial a fault”.

“That’s a terrible boy,” explained the mother.  “He is up to all manner of tricks, and if he is not checked, he will grow up a regular Badmash.”

“God forbid!” remarked Hiramani; “but has he not been too cruelly used by his uncle?  You must have noticed the welts on his naked back.  I counted five as broad as my forefinger.  How could a grown-up man torture a child like that?”—­and she looked meaningly at her hostess.

The mother was evidently impressed by these words.  She undertook to speak to Nalini about his treatment of her son.  Hiramani was delighted to see that the poison was beginning to work.  She went straight from the Basus’ house to Debendra Babu and reported her success.  He praised her warmly, presented her with a rupee, and offered further instructions.

Hiramani soon became a regular visitor of the Basu ladies.  She lost no opportunity of poisoning the mind of Jadu Babu’s wife, by retailing Nalini’s iniquities.  At the outset her insinuations were disregarded; but in time the elder wife fell so completely under Hiramani’s influence as to accept her stories as gospel truth.  One day, indeed, she ventured to ask her husband to separate from his brother and, on meeting with a peremptory refusal, declared that she would take no food while Nalini remained in the house.  Ending that she really meant to carry out this awful threat, Jadu Babu apparently yielded, promising to eject his brother.  When the villagers saw Hiramani so thick with the Basu ladies, they prophesied ill-luck for the family, and on learning Jadu Babu’s resolve they remarked that the old woman had not belied her reputation.  As for Nalini, he knew that something was in the wind, but carefully avoided broaching the subject to his brother, lest he should widen the breach.  Like a sacrificial goat, he waited for the stroke to fall on his devoted head.  Shortly afterwards, Jadu Babu told his wife to make arrangements for setting up a separate establishment.  Her heart leapt for joy.  She cooked twice the number of dishes usually prepared for her husband’s midday meal, and anxiously waited for him in her kitchen.

Jadu Babu went about his duties as usual, never mentioning the coming separation to Nalini.  After bathing at 11 A.M. he took Nalini into the latter’s kitchen, and asked his sister-in-law to give them something to eat.  The pair sat down to a hastily-prepared repast, Jadu Babu chatting and joking with his brother according to his wont.  After dinner he took his betel box and adjourned to the parlour for rumination and a siesta.  Nalini and his wife were surprised by Jadu Babu’s behaviour.  They dared not ask him why he had invited himself to eat with them, but waited anxiously for further developments.