_Vasudeva_--the father of Krishna.]

With this design, Hira set about her arrangements. On some pretext she
induced her grandmother to go to the house of a relative in the
village of Kamarghat, and kept Kunda closely concealed in her own
house. Kunda, seeing all her zeal and care, thought to herself, "There
is no one living so good as Hira. Even Kamal does not love me so
much."

CHAPTER XVII.

HIRA'S QUARREL. THE BUD OF THE POISON TREE.

"Yes, that will do. Kunda shall submit. But if we do not make Surja
Mukhi appear as poison in the eyes of Nagendra, nothing can be
accomplished."

So Hira set herself to divide the hearts hitherto undivided.

One morning early, the wicked Hira came into her mistress's house
ready for work. There was a servant in the Datta household named
Kousalya, who hated Hira because she was head servant and enjoyed the
favour of the mistress. Hira said to her: "Sister Kushi, I feel very
strange to-day; will you do my work for me?"

Kousalya feared Hira, therefore she said: "Of course I will do it; we
are all subject to illness, and all the subjects of one mistress."

It had been Hira's wish that Kousalya should give no reply, and she
would make that a pretext for a quarrel. So, shaking her head, she
said: "You presume so far as to abuse me?"

Astonished, Kousalya said: "When did I abuse any one?"

"What!" said Hira, angrily, "you deny it? Why did you speak of my
illness? Do you think I am going to die? You hope that I am ill that
you may show people how good you are to me. May you be ill yourself."

"Be it so! Why are you angry, sister? You must die some day; Death
will not forget you, nor will he forget me."

"May Death never forget you! You envy me! May you die of envy! May
your life be short! Go to destruction! May blindness seize upon you!"

Kousalya could bear no more. She began to return these good wishes in
similar terms. In the act of quarrelling Kousalya was the superior.
Therefore Hira got her deserts.

Then Hira went to complain to her mistress. If any one could have
looked at her as she went, they would have seen no signs of anger on
her face, but rather a smile on her lips. But when she reached her
mistress, her face expressed great anger, and she began by using the
weapon given by God to woman--that is to say, she shed a flood of
tears.

Surja Mukhi inquired into the cause. On hearing the complaint, she
judged that Hira was in fault. Nevertheless, for her sa