so cruel as the heart of a wicked
woman."

The Rakshas appeared to be satisfied with this story, and said: "Go
on, tell me about Gomini." I continued therefore:

"There was formerly in the country of the Dravidas a young brahman of
great wealth. Somehow he was not married when a mere boy, as is often
the case, and when he grew up he thought to himself: 'Those who have
no wives and those who have bad wives are equally unfortunate, I will
not let my friends choose for me, but travel about and look out for
myself till I find a girl who may suit me.'

"Having formed this resolution, and changed his name, he set out alone,
taking very little with him, but a small bag containing two or three
pounds of rice in the husk.

"Whenever he saw a maiden of his own caste whose appearance he liked,
either in the houses where he was admitted or elsewhere, he would say
to her: 'My dear, could you make me a good dinner with this rice?'
This he did many times, but though parents in general would have been
willing to give him their daughters, he was always laughed at, and
often treated with contempt. One day, while sitting in a public
place in a town which he had lately entered, he observed a young girl
whose parents had fallen into poverty, which was shown by her scanty
dress and slender ornaments. She passed by him accompanied by an old
woman, and stood for a time very near him.

"The more he looked at her the more he was pleased, and thought to
himself: 'This is just the wife to suit me; she is neither too tall
nor too short, too stout or too thin; her limbs are rounded and well
knit; her back is straight, with a slight hollow; her shoulders are
low; her arms plump and soft; the lines of her hands indicate good
fortune; her fingers are long and slender; her nails are like polished
gems; her neck is smooth and rounded as a slender shell; her bosom
full and well shaped; her face has a sweet expression; her lips are
full and red; her chin small and compact; her cheeks plump; her
eyebrows glossy black, gracefully curved, meeting in the middle; her
eyes are long and languishing, very black and very white; her
forehead, adorned by beautiful curls, resembles a piece of the moon;
her ears are delicately formed, and well set off by the ear-rings; her
hair is glossy black, brown at the ends--long, thick, and not too much
curled. My heart seems to be drawn towards her; if she is what she
seems to be, I will certainly marry her; but I must not