120 THE PRACTICE OF SUTTEE

her from this act of suicide or run up to fetch the assistance of the police? Or did some one try and was prevented from helping the poor woman? We are indeed told that all efforts to dissuade her proved un- availing, but was this dissuasion not very much like consent? Finally, the police did not arrive in time to save her life. Could it be that all the preparations were made single-handed by the woman, and yet the police had no inkling of it till the moment when it was too late? '