“You are my father and mother,” replied Ram Harak with his eyes full of tears.  “Let me explain fully.  I have long since suspected Hiramani of making mischief in this house, and have kept a close watch on her movements.  The very day of Pulin Babu’s departure I overheard her whispering all manner of false insinuations against my young mistress.  Then came the quarrel between husband and wife, which ended in Pulin Babu’s leaving your house.  After he had gone I ventured to remonstrate with Hiramani for poisoning jamai (son-in-law) Babu’s mind against his wife; whereon she overwhelmed me with abuse and actually threatened to get me dismissed!  I want to know whether this woman is mistress of the family?  Am I to have no redress?”

“Leave all this to me, Ram Harak, and go to your work.  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.  Ram Harak went to his hut, collected his possessions in a bundle, and left the house where forty years of his life had been spent.  Hiramani’s plans of vengeance were prospering.

Soon after these unpleasant events the new Sub-Inspector of police arrived at Debendra Babu’s house with a warrant for his arrest, and took him to the station despite loud protests of innocence.  There he applied for bail, which was of course refused, and he spent the night in the lock-up.  Knowing well that he had a very bad case, he humbled himself so far as to send for Nalini, whom he implored with folded hands to save him from destruction.  Nalini was deeply moved by his appeal.  He heartily despised the fellow’s unutterable baseness, but reflected that he had been an old friend of his father’s.  He undertook the prisoner’s defence.