Page:The Wreck.djvu/284

280 THE WRECK

night. Of course I try to shield her from anything that might excite her but the world being what it is, it is hardly possible to do so altogether."

"You're not looking very fit yourself to-day," re- marked Hemnalini.

Nalinaksha. "Oh, I'm perfectly well! I'm prac- tically never out of sorts, I sat up for part of the night and that probably explains why I am not look- ing my best."

Hernnalini. "It would be better if your mother had a woman in constant attendance on her. You can't nurse her properly by yourself and you have your work to do besides."

Hernnalini had spoken without any thought of her- self and there was no gainsaying the appositeness of her remark, but no sooner had she uttered the words than she blushed crimson with shame; for it suddenly struck her that Nalinaksha might draw some inference from what she had said He, too, when he noticed her confusion, was irresistibly reminded of his mother's proposal.

Hernnalini hastened to cover her indiscretion by adding, "Shouldn't she have a maidservant to wait on her?"

"I've often tried to persuade her to engage a woman," said Nalinaksha, "but so far without success. She is very scrupulous about ceremonial purity and she could not trust a paid servant to be as particular as she is herself. Moreover she has an instinctive dislike to accepting any service that is not entirely voluntary."

Hemnalini did not pursue the subject further, and after a short pause she went on : "When I endeavour to act according to your teaching I find myself con- tinually brought up against obstacles and I allow them to turn me aside from my quest They terrify me and reduce me to despair. Do you think I shall never

Digitized by Google