he said: "The _Brahmachari_ must have
learned from her where she went, and what she did. Tell me all he said
to you."

"Why talk of it now?" said Srish; "take some rest."

Nagendra frowned, and commanded Srish Chandra to speak.

Srish perceived that Nagendra had become like a madman. His face was
dark as a thunder-cloud. Afraid to oppose him, he consented to speak,
and Nagendra's face relaxed. He began--

"Walking slowly from Govindpur, Surja Mukhi came first in this
direction."

"What distance did she walk daily?" interrupted Nagendra.

"Two or three miles."

"She did not take a farthing from home; how did she live?"

"Some days fasting, some days begging--are you mad?" with these
words Srish Chandra threatened Nagendra, who had clutched at his own
throat as though to strangle himself, saying--

"If I die, shall I meet Surja Mukhi?"

Srish Chandra held the hands of Nagendra, who then desired him to
continue his narrative.

"If you will not listen calmly, I will tell you no more," said Srish.

But Nagendra heard no more; he had lost consciousness. With closed
eyes he sought the form of the heaven-ascended Surja Mukhi; he saw her
seated as a queen upon a jewelled throne. The perfumed wind played in
her hair, all around flower-like birds sang with the voice of the
lute; at her feet bloomed hundreds of red water-lilies; in the canopy
of her throne a hundred moons were shining, surrounded by hundreds of
stars. He saw himself in a place full of darkness, pain in all his
limbs, demons inflicting blows upon him, Surja Mukhi forbidding them
with her outstretched finger.

With much difficulty Srish Chandra restored Nagendra to consciousness;
whereupon Nagendra cried loudly--

"Surja Mukhi, dearer to me than life, where art thou?"

At this cry, Srish Chandra, stupefied and frightened, sat down in
silence.

At length, recovering his natural state, Nagendra said, "Speak."

"What can I say?" asked Srish.

"Speak!" said Nagendra. "If you do not I shall die before your eyes."

Then Srish said: "Surja Mukhi did not endure this suffering many days.
A wealthy Brahman, travelling with his family, had to come as far as
Calcutta by boat, on his way to Benares. One day as Surja Mukhi was
lying under a tree on the river's bank, the Brahman family came there
to cook. The _grihini_ entered into conversation with Surja Mukhi,
and, pitying her condition, took her into the boat, as she had said
that she also was going to B