He made no direct reply. "The boat was worth two thousand rupees," he said. "I now see my mistake, and if excused this time I will never ..." with which he threw himself at my feet. I asked him to come ten days later. If only we could pay him that two thousand rupees at once, we could buy him up body and soul. This is just the sort of man who could render us immense service, if won over. We shall never be able to make any headway unless we can lay our hands on plenty of money. As soon as Bimala came into the sitting-room, in the evening, I said as I rose up to receive her: "Queen! Everything is ready, success is at hand, but we must have money. "Money? How much money?" "Not so very much, but by hook or by crook we must have it!" "But how much?" "A mere fifty thousand rupees will do for the present." Bimala blenched inwardly at the figure, but tried not to show it. How could she again admit defeat? "Queen!" said I, "you only can make the impossible possible. Indeed you have already done so. Oh, that I could show you the extent of your achievement--then you would know it. But the time for that is not now. Now we want money!" "You shall have it," she said. I could see that the thought of selling her jewels had occurred to her. So I said: "Your jewels must remain in reserve. One can never tell when they may be wanted." And then, as Bimala stared blankly at me in silence, I went on: "This money must come from your husband's treasury." Bimala was still more taken aback. After a long pause she said: "But how am Ito get his money?" "Is not his money yours as well?" "Ah, no!" she said, her wounded pride hurt afresh. "If not," I cried, "neither is it his, but his country's, whom he has deprived of it, in her time of need!" "But how am Ito get it?" she repeated. "Get it you shall and must. You know best how. You must get it for Her to whom it rightfully belongs. __Bande Mataram__! These are the magic words which will open the door of his iron safe, break through the walls of his strong-room, and confound the hearts of those who are disloyal to its call. Say __Bande Mataram__, Bee!" "__Bande Mataram__!" Chapter Seven Sandip's Story VIII