So we thought he had been detained for the night.  It was the Durgapooja season and some presents for the children at home had to be purchased and, we thought, that was what was detaining him.  And so at about 10 P.M. we all retired to bed.  The bed that had been made for me in the “Baithak” remained there for Uncle in case he turned up by the 11 P.M. train.  As a matter of fact we did not expect him till the next morning.

But as misfortune would have it Uncle did arrive by the 11 o’clock train.

All the house-hold had retired, and though the old servant suggested that I should be waked up, Uncle would not hear of it.  He would sleep in the bed originally made for me, he said.

The bed was in the central Baithak or hall.  My Uncle was very fond of sleeping in side-rooms.  I do not know why.  Anyhow he ordered the servant to remove his bed to one of the side-rooms.  Accordingly the bed was taken to one of them.  One side of that room had two windows opening on the garden.  The garden was more a park-like place, rather neglected, but still well wooded abounding in jack fruit trees.  It used to be quite shady and dark during the day there.  On this particular night it must have been very dark.  I do not remember now whether there was a moon or not.

Well, Uncle went to sleep and so did the servants.  It was about 8 o’clock the next morning, when we thought that Uncle had slept long enough, that we went to wake him up.

The door connecting the side-room with the main Baithak was closed, but not bolted from inside; so we pushed the door open and went in.

Uncle lay in bed panting.  He stared at us with eyes that saw but did not perceive.  We at once knew that something was wrong.  On touching his body we found that he had high fever.  We opened the windows, and it was then that Uncle spoke “Don’t open or it would come in—­”

“What would come in Uncle—­what?” we asked.

But uncle had fainted.

The doctor was called in.  He arrived at about ten in the morning.  He said it was high fever—­due to what he could not say.  All the same he prescribed a medicine.

The medicine had the effect of reducing the temperature, and at about 6 in the evening consciousness returned.  Still he was in a very weak condition.  Some medicine was given to induce sleep and he passed the night well.  We nursed him by turns at night.  The next morning we had all the satisfaction of seeing him all right.  He walked from the bed-room, though still very weak and came to the Central Baithak where he had tea with us.  It was then that we asked what he had seen and what he had meant by “It would come in.”

Oh how we wish, we had never asked him the question, at least then.

This was what he said:—­