THE WRECK
Akshay. "As a friend of Annada Babu I have the right to ask what your intentions are with regard to Hemnalini."
Ramesh resented both the words and the tone, but he had neither the inclination nor the ability to make a sharp retort. He answered quietly, "Is there any- thing that leads you to suppose that I have any evil intentions?"
Akshay. "Look here, you belong to a Hindu fam- ily and your father was a Hindu. It was because he was afraid of your marrying into a Brahmo family that he took you home to have you married there — that I know." — Akshay had good reason to know for it was he who had dropped a hint to the old gentle- man. For a few moments Ramesh was unable to look Akshay in the face.
"Do you think," resumed Akshay» "your father's sudden death has left you free to do what you like? When his wish "
"Look here, Akshay Babu," interrupted Ramesh, whose patience was at an end, "if there's any other subject on which you're entitled to give me advice, you can give it and I'll listen to you, but my relations with my father are no concern of yours."
"Very well," said Akshay, "we'll leave that part out ; but what I want to know is this — ^Do you intend to marry Hemnalini and are you in a position to do so?"
These successive thrusts were too much even for Ramesh's placid temper.
"Look here, Akshay Babu," he said, "you may be a friend of Annada Babu, but you and I have never been so intimate as to entitle you to talk like this. Be so good as to drop the subject."
Akshay."If my dropping the subject meant that the whole question dropped and that you could go on indefinitely enjoying life thoroughly without regard to
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