THE SEARCH.
It is needless to say that when the news of Surja Mukhi's flight had
spread through the house, people were sent in great haste in search of
her. Nagendra sent people in all directions, Srish Chandra sent, and
Kamal Mani sent. The upper servants among the women threw down their
water-jars and started off; the Hindustani _Durwans_ of the North-West
Provinces, carrying bamboo staves, wearing cotton-quilted chintz
coats, clattered along in shoes of undressed leather; the
_khansamahs_, with towel on the shoulder and silver chain round the
waist, went in search of the mistress. Some relatives drove in
carriages along the public roads. The villagers searched the fields
and _gháts_; some sat smoking in council under a tree; some went to
the _barowari puja_ house, to the verandah of Siva's temple, and to
the schools of the professors of logic, and in other similar places
sat and discussed the matter. Old and young women formed a small cause
court on the _gháts_; to the boys of the place it was cause of great
excitement; many of them hoped to escape going to school.
At first Srish Chandra and Kamal Mani comforted Nagendra, saying, "She
has never been accustomed to walk; how far can she go? Half a mile, or
a mile at the most; hence she must be sitting somewhere near at hand,
we shall find her immediately."
But when two or three hours had passed without bringing news of Surja
Mukhi, Nagendra himself went forth. After some stay in the broiling
sun he said to himself, "I am looking here, when no doubt she has been
found by this time;" and he returned home. Then finding no news of
her he went out again, again to return, and again to go forth. So the
day passed.
In fact, Srish Chandra's words were true--Surja Mukhi had never
walked; how far could she go? About a mile from the house she was
lying in a mango garden at the edge of a tank. A _khansamah_ who was
accustomed to serve in the women's apartment came to that place in his
search, and recognizing her, said, "Will you not please to come home?"
Surja Mukhi made no answer.
Again he said, "Pray come home, the whole household is anxious."
Then, in an angry voice, Surja Mukhi said, "Who are you to take me
back?"
The _khansamah_ was frightened; nevertheless he remained standing.
Then Surja Mukhi said, "If you stay there I shall drown myself in the
tank."
The _khansamah_, finding he was unable to do anything, ran swiftly
with the news to Nagendra. Nagendra came with a palanquin for her;
but Surja Mukhi was no longer there. He searched all about, but found
no trace.
Surja Mukhi had wandered thence into a wood. There she met an old
woman who had come to gather sticks. She had heard of a reward being
offered for finding Surja Mukhi, therefore on seeing her she asked--
"Are you not our mistress?"
"No, mother," replied Surja Mukhi.
"Yes, you must be our mistress."
"Who is your mistress?"
"The lady of the Babu's house."
"Am I wearing any gold ornaments that I should be the lady of the
Babu's house?"
The old woman thought, "That is true," and went further into the wood
gathering sticks.
Thus the day passed vainly; the night brought no more success. The two
following days brought no tidings, though nothing was neglected in the
search. Of the male searchers, scarcely any one knew Surja Mukhi by
sight; so they seized many poor women and brought them before
Nagendra. At length the daughters of respectable people feared to
walk along the roads or on the _gháts_. If one was seen alone, the
devoted Hindustani _Durwans_ followed, calling out "_Ma Thakurani_,"
and, preventing them from bathing, brought a palki. Many of those who
were not accustomed to travel in a palki seized the opportunity of
doing so free of expense.
Srish Chandra could not remain longer. Returning to Calcutta, he began
a search there. Kamal Mani, remaining in Govindpur, continued to look
for the lost one.