"Not at all!" snapped Gunga, who did not like these personal inquiries; they were a breach of etiquette, and likely to bring bad luck upon the subject. "The health of all the family at the farm is excellent. Strongest of all is the big master; he is like a man of thirty instead of fifty, and he is busy all day long with the rest." "This is good news, sister. My husband will be rejoiced to learn it. We feared that you were having much anxiety." The halting speech betrayed her real feeling, and Gunga was not deceived. With keen enjoyment of the discomfiture of the other she gave more details of her husband's restoration to health. "I felt sure that you and our little brother would be pleased to hear of the improvement," she concluded. "How is the silk farm doing?" asked the other, hoping to defer the cross examination that she knew was pending. She felt unequal to the task of explaining satisfactorily all that had occurred of late. Sooba himself must account for his various unwarranted assumptions in his stewardship. Gunga was quite ready to talk of the silk business with its new developments. She retailed at length the history of its culture on the farm--all they had done and all they hoped to do. She described their plans for further improvements by which their profits might have increased and the industry expanded. "The manager leaves us in a week's time, and my husband will continue to superintend until he returns six months hence." The spirits of the listener rose at this information; it was highly satisfactory as far as Sooba was concerned. Considering that there was no longer any fear apparently of Pantulu's death, the next best thing for his younger brother's interests would be a prolonged absence with the creation of new interests outside Chirapore city. In the midst of their conversation Sooba himself appeared. He had seen the bullocks tethered in the compound, but had not heard who the visitor was. He thought it might be a merchant come from a distance to buy silk or cotton or rice; and with the intention of creating an impression of his own importance he swaggered in, speaking with a loud strident voice that could be heard all over the house. "Wife!" he called. "Where are the men of the family! Why isn't the food ready? What are your lazy women about in the kitchen? We shall have to send some of them out into the fields if they can't do their work in the house. Don't they know that the master is hungry and would eat?" His wife scrambled to her feet and went to meet him. Before she could say a word he recommenced his scolding. "A new bamboo is wanted for this lazy family; and if the mistress will not use it, the master will take it in his own hand. I warn these idlers that the stick will not fall lightly or sparingly." A figure appeared suddenly behind his shrinking wife, tall, stern and commanding, with no fear in her eye.