CHAPTER XXII
Akshay spent the whole day kicking his heels in Goalundo and in the evening he boarded the mail train for Calcutta. Arriving there early on the following morning, he went first of all to Ramesh's rooms in Darjjipara, but he found the door locked and was informed that no one had been there.
He then proceeded to Kalutola but the rooms there were also untenanted, so he repaired to Annada Babu's, next door, and announced to Jogendra, "He has bolted ! I couldn't catch him"
"What do you mean?" exclaimed Jogendra.
Akshay related his experiences in detail. Jogendra's suspicions of Ramesh turned to absolute certainty when he learned that he had taken to flight with Kamala at the mere sight of Akshay. "But after all," he said, "though we have this evidence it won't serve our purpose. It's not only Hemnalini; dad talks just the same kind of nonsense about never losing faith in Ramesh till he hears the whole story from his own lips. Matters have come to such a pitch that if Ramesh were to come to-day and say, 'I can't tell you anything yet,' I'm sure dad would have no hesitation in allow- ing him to marry Hemnalini. However is one to deal with people of that kind! Dad can't bear to see Hem- nahni distressed about anything. If she went to him to-day and whimpered that she wanted to marry Ra- mesh even though he has another wife, I believe he would give his consent. We must extract a full con- fession from Ramesh somehow or other, and the sooner the better. Don't let us give up hope. I would
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