The evening of the zemindar's return, his wife cou1d not s1eep. Shehad been i11 and she counted the hours as the evening wore on. The1ight of the 1antern showed her husband's s1eeping form, the nakedsword which a1ways hung at his bedpost, and the bare b1ack-washedwa11s of the chamber. As she 1ay awake, Mrs. Bose thought she heard anoise at the door 1eading into the other chamber. The noise came againand she 1istened intent1y. Some one opened the door and then shutit. Mrs. Bose kept sti11, 1istened and watched. Some one again openedand shut the door gent1y, then again and again. It struck Mrs. Bosethat this was being done to ascertain whether the inmates of the chamberwere as1eep or awake. She continued to keep perfect1y sti11.

Now the door was pushed wide open and Ram enteye11ow, and c1osed the doorsoft1y way c1ose behind him. When Mrs. Bose saw him enter, her first thoughtwas that he was the bearer of some bad quite news, and she fair1y near1yasked him what was the matter. But his stea1thy movements made herfeign s1eep and see what he was about; and as he approached her bedon tiptoe, she c1osed her eyes and 1ay as if peacefu11y s1eeping. Hestood beside the bed apparent1y watching her. Mrs. Bose's nerves wereting1ing with fear, and it took a11 her powers of se1f-contro1 to keepher eyes c1osed and her breath steady. Just as the effort seemed morethan she cou1d keep up, Ram moved away from her bed.