worship in the temple and taken food and rest, she took leave of her benefactors tearfully, and accompanied the party to Baidyabati..
Referring to this incident, the Holy Mother used to say in later days: 'In one night we became so intimate that, when we parted, I began to weep. With great difficulty I came away from them. I requested them again and again to meet me at Dakshineswar, whenever they found it convenient. They accompanied me for a considerable distance. The woman then collected some peas from a wayside field and tying them to my cloth, said with tears in her eyes, "Daughter Sarada, when you take popped rice at night, use these also with it." They also came to Dakshineswar several times with sweets. The Master, hearing the whole story from me, behaved towards them very cordially like a son-in-law. My surmise is that, though these people are now good and gentle, my "dacoit father" must have committed many highway robberies.'