Why did Hemadpant initially refuse to visit the Siddha in Bandra, and what lesson did he learn from it?

According to Chapter 21 of the Sai Satcharitra, Hemadpant, who was the Magistrate of Bandra at the time, was repeatedly urged by a servant named Inus to visit a famous Siddha named Pir Maulana. However, Hemadpant refused to go. He questioned why he should go just because thousands of others did, worrying that being pressured by others would cause him to lose his own prestige. Looking back, he attributes this refusal to his own 'ill-luck' standing in the way. The key lesson he draws from this personal experience is that the company of Saints is not accessible to the unfortunate and that good fortune must dawn for such an encounter to happen. He contrasts this past failure with his later 'unbreakable bond' with Shirdi, which came about only when the right time arrived.