self of Nala--knows, and his own inward soul,
Of himself to living mortal--Nala will no sign betray."

KESINIA _spake_.

"He that to Ayodhya's city--went, the holy Brahmin first,
Of his faithful wife these sayings--uttered once and once again;
'Whither went'st thou then, O gamester--half my garment severing off;
Leaving her within the forest--all forsaken, thy belov'd?
Even as thou commanded'st, sits she--sadly waiting thy return,
Day and night, consumed with sorrow--in her scant half garment clad.
O to her for ever weeping--in the extreme of her distress,
Grant thy pity, noble hero--answer to her earnest prayer.'
Speak again the words thou uttered'st--words of comfort to her soul,
The renowned Vidarbha's princess--fain that speech would hear again,
When the Brahmin thus had spoken--what thou answered'st back to him,
That again Vidarbha's princess--in the self-same words would hear."

VRIHADASVA _spake_.

Of king Nala, by the handmaid--fair Kesinia thus addressed,
All the heart was wrung with sorrow--and the eyes o'erflowed with tears.
But his anguish still suppressing--inly though consumed, the king,
With a voice half choked with weeping--thus repeated his reply.
"Even in the extreme of misery--noble women still preserve
Over their own selves the mastery--by their virtues winning heaven;
By their faithless lords abandoned--anger feel they not, e'en then;
In the breastplate of their virtue--noble women live unharmed.
By the wretched, by the senseless--by the lost to every joy,
She by such a lord forsaken--to resentment will not yield.
Against him, by hunger wasted--of his robe by birds despoiled,
Him consumed with utmost misery--still no wrath, the dark-hued feels;
Treated well, or ill-entreated--when her husband 'tis she sees,
Spoiled of bliss, bereft of kingdom--famine wasted, worn with woe."
In these words as spake king Nala--in the anguish of his heart,
Could he not refrain from weeping--his unwilling tears burst forth.
Then departing, fair Kesinia--told to Damayanti all,
All that Vahuca had spoken--all th' emotion he betrayed.

BOOK XXIII.

Hearing this, fair Damayanti--all abandoned to her grief.
Thinking still that he was Nala--to Kesinia spake again.
"Go, Kesinia, go, examine--Vahuca, and all his acts,
Silent take thy stand beside him--and observe what