Gopi. You are very foolish. I don’t want to hear any more? Go out, the Saheb will come very soon.
Cowherd. Now, I am going. You must attend to my milk bill, and also give me one rupi to-morrow. We shall go to bathe in the Ganges.
(Exit Cowherd.)
Gopi. I think the thunder-bolt will strike this head, which is aching. No one will be able to stop the Saheb in sowing the Indigo seed on the sides of your tank. The Sahebs did something improper. These persons engaged themselves to sow Indigo on fifty bigahs of land, although they did not get the full price for the last year. Yet the Sahebs are not satisfied; these disputes arose only for certain pieces of grounds; and it would have been good for Nobin Bose to have given them these—to keep the goddess Sitola[[41]] well-pleased is the best. Nobin will bite once more even after his death. (Seeing the Saheb at a distance). Here the white-bodied man with a blue dress is coming. I think, I am to remain as a companion with the former Dewan for some days.
Enter Mr. Wood.
Wood. There will be a great quarrel at Matanagara: and all the latyals will be there. Let no one hear this? For this place, make a collection of ten of the poda caste of (Surki) brickpowder makers or sellers. I, Mr. Rose, and you are to go there. The fool while he has taken his cacha[[42]] will not be able to increase the row greatly. He is sick; then how can he go to bring assistance from the Darogah.
Gopi. The extreme weakness to which these are reduced, makes it unnecessary to bring any surkiwallá among the Hindus, for a person to die with a rope round his neck, especially within a prison is very disgraceful; so he is greatly punished by this occurrence.
Wood. You do not understand this. The rascal is become very happy on the death of his father. He took the advances for a long time only through fear of his father; now that fear is gone, and he will do as he likes. The rascal has given a bad name to my Factory, and I will imprison him to-morrow and keep him along with Mojumdar. If the Magistrate be of the same character with him of Amaranagara, the wicked people will be able to do every thing.
Gopi. With respect to what they planned about the case of Mojumdar, I cannot say how very terrible it would have been, had not Nobin Bose fallen into this great danger. I cannot say what they still will do? Moreover, as the Magistrate, who is coming, we have heard, is on the side of the ryots; and when he comes to the villages, he brings along with him his tents.—Observing this, we may say, it might occasion great confusion, and also it is somewhat fearful.
Wood. You are always puzzling me with speaking of fear; the Indigo Planters, in nothing whatever, have any fear. If you don’t desire it, leave your business, thou great fool!