The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-06-27


 and slightly pale, captivating to the eye of men like a streak of the new moon, was seen by the Rsja's overseers going to the Ganges to bathe, and likewise by the supreme magistrate and the lords ministers, and immediately all were stricken by the arrows of love. She some how or other took long time to bathe tn at day, and when she returned at the close of day, the princes minister seired her with violence. She addressed him with great deal of confidence and as- surance: My dear sir, this is wished for by me as much as it is by you, for l am born of good family, and my hus- band is dwelling abroad, how can thus conduct myself2 Some one perhaps might see us and then assuredly misfor- tune would happen to ycu as we'll as to me. Hence you must by all means come to my house in the first watch of the night at the time of the spring festival when all the citizens are revihng and abusing one another" Thus having spoken, and offering herself as pledge she was dismissed by him. By the will of fate as soon as she had gone little distance she was stopped by the princes priest, and in like manner an appoint ment was arranged by her with him for the second watch of the same night, and with some difficulty he released her. Proceeding some little distance further, third persen, the chief magistrate, stopped the much perplexed woman. And so she made with this one third appointment for the third watch of the same night. By good luck she was re- leased by him and trembling went home. She told her servant the arrangement she had made of her own accord, and said, it is better for a woman of good family 10 be dead, when her husband is away, than to be the object for the eyes of men who lust after beauty. So thinking about and remembering me, this faithful wo- man, grieving over her own beauty, passed the night fasting Early the next morning, in order to honor the Brah- mans, she sent her maid to the merchant Hiranyagupta to beg some money. This merchant came to her and in private said to her, "lf yon will give me your love l will return to you the money left with me by your husband" When she heard that she considered that she had no witness to prove that her husband had deposited any money with him, and perceiving tha. the merchant was villain, boiling with anger, she despised him, aud SO she made with him another appointment for the last watch of the same night, and he went away. Then she made, with the assist ance of her servant in a large vessel, lamp-black mixed with oil compounded with musk and other perfumes. She took four pieces of old cloth and anointed them with it. She caused to be made a large box with an outside bolt. So on that day of the spring festival the minister of the prince came in the first watch of the night dressed in splendid garments. Upakosa said to him after he had entered unseen, "I will not shake hands with you until you have bathed." The fool consented and was taken by the female attendant into an interior room of the house, hidden and dark. In this they took oH his undefgarments and orna- ments and gay. him for undergarments a single torn piece of old cloth, and smeared the body of the fellow from head to foot with lamp-black mixed with oil he not being able to see what 1t was. They stood rubbing it into every one of his limbs. The second watch of the night having come, the prince's priest arrived, and so her msid-servant said to him, This is the chief priest just arrived, a great friend of Varanchis. so enter in here" They hastily put the princes minister in the box all naked, and fast. ened 1t with an outside bolt. The chief priest was also led into the dark room, under the pre,ence of having to bathe, and so was stripped of his clothing etc, and by rubbing him with oil and lamp black, he, wearing only . torn piece of cloth, was befoolsd by the maid-servant until the third watch of the night, when the chief magiserate came. The servant girls immediateiy mads him afraid by telling him of this arrival and the chief priest was put into the box in the same manner as the first ore. Alter locking him in, they brought in under the pre- tense of bathing the chief priest there in that room, and rubbing him with oil and lamp-black, and clothed with only a torn and ragged piece of cloth, they be-