Hira’s dwelling was surrounded by a wall.  Inside were a couple of clean mud-built huts.  The walls of the rooms were decorated with figures of flowers, birds, and gods.  In the court-yard grew red-leaved vegetables, and near them jasmine and roses.  The gardener from the Babu’s house had planted them.  If Hira had wished, he would have given her anything from the Babu’s garden.  His profit in this was that Hira with her own hand prepared his huka and handed it to him.

In one of the huts Hira slept; in the other her grandmother.  Hira made up a bed for Kunda beside her own.  Kunda lay there, but did not sleep.  Kunda desired to remain hidden, and therefore consented to be locked in the room on the following day when Hira went to her work, so that she should not be seen by the grandmother.  At noon, when the grandmother went to bathe, Hira, coming home, permitted Kunda to bathe and eat.  After this meal Kunda was again locked in, and Hira returned to her work till night, when she again made up the beds as before.

Creak, creak, creak—­the sound of the chain of the outer door gently shaken.  Hira was astonished.  One person only, the gatekeeper, sometimes shook the chain to give warning at night.  But in his hand the chain did not speak so sweetly; it spoke threateningly, as though to say, “If you do not open, I will break the door.”  Now it seemed to say, “How are you, my Hira?  Arise, my jewel of a Hira!” Hira arose, and opening the outer door saw a woman.  At first she was puzzled, but in a moment, recognizing the visitor, she exclaimed, “Oh, Ganga jal![11] how fortunate I am!”

[Footnote 11:  Ganga jal—­Ganges water; a pet name given by Hira to Malati.  To receive this at the moment of death it essential to salvation; therefore Hira expresses the hope to meet Malati in the hour of death.]

Hira’s Ganga jal was Malati the milk-woman, whose home was at Debipur, near Debendra Babu’s house.  She was a merry woman, from thirty to thirty-two years of age, dressed in a sari and wearing shell bracelets, her lips red from the spices she ate; her complexion was almost fair, with red spots on her cheeks; her nose flat, her temples tattooed, a quid of tobacco in her cheek.  Malati was not a servant of Debendra’s, not even a dependent, but yet a follower; the services that others refused to perform, he obtained from her.

At sight of this woman the cunning Hira said:  “Sister Ganga jal! may I meet you at my last moment; but why have you come now?”

Malati whispered, “Debendra Babu wants you.”

Hira, with a laugh:  “Are you not to get anything?”

Malati answered, “You best know what you mean.  Come at once.”

As Hira desired to go, she told Kunda that she was called to her master’s house, and must go to see what was wanted.  Then extinguishing the light, she put on her dress and ornaments, and accompanied Ganga jal, the two singing as they went some love song.