The Poison Tree | Page 9

gifts and beauty. She resolved to give her

to Tara Charan in marriage.
[Footnote 3: A religious periodical published in Calcutta.]
CHAPTER V.
OH! LOTUS-EYED, WHO ART THOU?
Kunda arrived safely with Nagendra at Govindpur. At the sight of
Nagendra's dwelling she became speechless with wonder, for she had
never seen one so grand. There were three divisions without and three
within. Each division was a large city. The outer mahal (division) was
entered by an iron gate, and was surrounded on all sides by a handsome
lofty iron railing. From the gate a broad, red, well-metalled path
extended, on each side of which were beds of fresh grass that would
have formed a paradise for cows. In the midst of each plat was a circle
of shrubs, all blooming with variously coloured flowers. In front rose
the lofty demi-upper-roomed boita khana (reception-hall), approached
by a broad flight of steps, the verandah of which was supported by
massive fluted pillars. The floor of the lower part of this house was of
marble. Above the parapet, in its centre, an enormous clay lion, with
dependent mane, hung out its red tongue. This was Nagendra's boita
khana. To left and right of the grass plats stood a row of one-storied
buildings, containing on one side the daftar khana (accountant's office)
and kacheri (court-house); on the other the storehouse, treasury, and
servants' dwellings. On both sides of the gate were the doorkeepers'
lodges. This first mahal was named the kacheri bari (house of
business); the next to it was the puja mahal (division for worship). The
large hall of worship formed one side of the _puja mahal_; on the other
three sides were two-storied houses. No one lived in this mahal. At the
festival of Durga it was thronged; but now grass sprouted between the
tiles of the court, pigeons frequented the halls, the houses were full of
furniture, and the doors were kept locked. Beside this was the thakur
bari (room assigned to the family deity): in it on one side was the
temple of the gods, the handsome stone-built dancing-hall; on the
remaining sides, the kitchen for the gods, the dwelling-rooms of the
priests, and a guest-house. In this mahal there was no lack of people.

The tribe of priests, with garlands on their necks and sandal-wood
marks on their foreheads; a troop of cooks; people bearing baskets of
flowers for the altars; some bathing the gods, some ringing bells,
chattering, pounding sandal-wood, cooking; men and women servants
bearing water, cleaning floors, washing rice, quarrelling with the cooks.
In the guest-house an ascetic, with ash-smeared, loose hair, is lying
sleeping; one with upraised arm (stiffened thus through years) is
distributing drugs and charms to the servants of the house; a
white-bearded, red-robed Brahmachari, swinging his chaplet of beads,
is reading from a manuscript copy of the _Bhagavat-gita_ in the Nagari
character; holy mendicants are quarrelling for their share of ghi and
flour. Here a company of emaciated Boiragis, with wreaths of tulsi (a
sacred plant) round their necks and the marks of their religion painted
on their foreheads, the bead fastened into the knot of hair on their heads
shaking with each movement, are beating the drums as they sing:
"I could not get the opportunity to speak, The elder brother Dolai was
with me."
The wives of the Boiragis, their hair braided in a manner pleasing to
their husbands, are singing the tune of Govinda Adhi Kari to the
accompaniment of the tambourine. Young Boisnavis singing with elder
women of the same class, the middle-aged trying to bring their voices
into unison with those of the old. In the midst of the court-yard idle
boys fighting, and abusing each other's parents.
These three were the outer mahals. Behind these came the three inner
ones. The inner mahal behind the kacheri bari was for Nagendra's
private use. In that only himself, his wife, and their personal attendants
were allowed; also the furniture for their use. This place was new, built
by Nagendra himself, and very well arranged. Next to it, and behind the
puja bari, came another _mahal_; this was old, ill-built, the rooms low,
small, and dirty. Here was a whole city-full of female relations,
mother's sister and mother's cousin, father's sister and cousin; mother's
widowed sister, mother's married sister; father's sister's son's wife,
mother's sister's son's daughter. All these female relatives cawing day
and night like a set of crows in a banian tree; at every moment screams,

laughter, quarrelling, bad reasoning, gossip, reproach, the scuffling of
boys, the crying of girls. "Bring water!" "Give the clothes!" "Cook the
rice!" "The child does not eat!" "Where is the milk?" etc., is heard as an
ocean of confused sounds. Next to it, behind the Thakur bari, was the
cook-house. Here a woman, having