:•: 21 THE VISION CF GCO
he cried out passi* mutely. **I know lam full of defects* I
wanted TOT to remain vritfa ine only for this reason. I -wish
earnestly t*> •# benefited by vonr society/'
STow the rapasvv-ij: drew bis attention to the f resit-lit
ehilaxn »,f cruiija. The conversation broke off.
Ram da? ma 1^ lim understand on several occasions,
v, lira bx was using1 harsh language ^nth the visitors, that
h*-wo'tM prefer Bidding him goodbye to remaining vith
Lim to h*ar hip abuse. He was averse to losing Ramdas. He
Itv^l ai:«i tt*J>;re4 liim. Many a time he cnrberl his tongue
!r\*t Ramdafi sh^uhl slip avay from him.
Things nearly approached a eliinas one night. Balalz
Ram ha*i kvpt a rupee in some crevice within the small
• ••jiVK Thiit itfterno«.«3i he looked for the coin but could not
find 5t. T:IH buy* the fr;od carrier, used to sveep the floor of
th^cave. S^jpici^n fell ou him. The boy vas absent. Balak
R^in fumeJ \\ith ra^e.
*"Let the boy uume. I shall take proper account of him—
the blackguard !"** he rang out.
As usual, at about eight o'clock, the boy came with the
uight meal, Tbe moment he lowered to the floor the vessel
f»f fin.nl, Balak Ram caught hold of the boy's arm in a firm
grip ami shouted:
"You thief, vhere is my rupee ?" Looking at Balak
Ram's fiery reil eyes and menacing tone, the boy trembled-
"1 do not know, I haTe not taken it," replied he in a
whining voice.
lfcLiarP roared Balak Ram, ''having committed the
theft, you <lare to tell a lie on the top of it. You are not fit-
to live: if you are allowed to, you will turn, into a regular
tmtaftgh. I ahall peraeatly strangle yon to death." Suiting
iction to his words, with a murderous fury, he closed his
fiuflcn 0m the boy's throat.
At once Bamtiia gains forward told him :* "Look here*.
Ram, Bftauta* Is off* He xatnnot any longer remain with