after sunset.

Hiramani had prepared the ground for a further attack. She left the
house with a certainty that she had made a good impression.

Thenceforward hardly a day passed without at least one visit to
Debendra Babu's. Hiramani wormed all Kamini's little harmless secrets
out of her and obtained enough knowledge of the girl's tastes and
habits to serve her own designs.

One day, finding herself alone with Pulin, she threw out dark hints
against his wife's character. The young man's suspicion was excited. He
pressed for more explicit information, but Hiramani shook her head
mysteriously without replying. Pulin insisted on being told the truth,
whereon Hiramani poured out a whispered story of Kamini's intrigues,
mentioning names of male relatives who were known to frequent the
house. Pulin was stung to the quick. Regardless of a stranger's
presence, he called Kamini into the room, abused her roundly, and
declared that he would never live with her again. Then gathering up
a few belongings in a bundle, he quitted the house, leaving his wife
in a flood of tears. Hiramani was overjoyed by the results of her
machinations. She affected sympathy with the deserted wife, who was
too young and innocent to suspect her of having caused the quarrel.

Debendra Babu had a servant, Rám Harak by name, who had been in the
family for nearly forty years and was treated as one of them. He had
watched the growing intimacy between Hiramani and the young couple and,
knowing the old woman's character well, endeavoured to counteract her
evil influence. Finding this impossible he sought Debendra Babu in
the parlour, salámed profoundly, and stood erect, without uttering