Girt round with _Bela_ trees;
Gleamed far a light-the door not shut
Was open to the breeze.

PART III.

"Oh why does not our child return?
Too long he surely stays."--
Thus to the _Muni_, blind and stern,
His partner gently says.

"For fruits and water when he goes
He never stays so long,
Oh can it be, beset by foes,
He suffers cruel wrong?

"Some distance he has gone, I fear,
A more circuitous round,--
Yet why should he? The fruits are near,
The river near our bound.

"I die of thirst,--it matters not
If Sindhu be but safe,
What if he leave us, and this spot,
Poor birds in cages chafe.

"Peevish and fretful oft we are,--
Ah, no--that cannot be:
Of our blind eyes he is the star,
Without him, what were we?

"Too much he loves us to forsake,
But something ominous,
Here in my heart, a dreadful ache,
Says, he is gone from us.

"Why do my bowels for him yearn,
What ill has crossed his path?
Blind, helpless, whither shall we turn,
Or how avert the wrath?

"Lord of my soul--what means my pain?
This horrid terror,--like
Some cloud that hides a hurricane;
Hang not, O lightning,--strike!"

Thus while she spake, the king drew near
With haggard look and wild,
Weighed down with grief, and pale with fear,
Bearing the lifeless child.

Rustled the dry leaves neath his foot,
And made an eerie sound,
A neighbouring owl began to hoot,
All else was still around.

At the first rustle of the leaves
The _Muni_ answered clear,
"Lo, here he is--oh wherefore grieves
Thy soul, my partner dear?"

The words distinct, the monarch heard,
He could no further go,
His nature to its depths was stirred,
He stopped in speechless woe.

No steps advanced,--the sudden pause
Attention quickly drew,
Rolled sightless orbs to learn the cause,
But, hark!--the steps renew.

"Where art thou, darling--why so long
Hast thou delayed to-night?
We die of thirst,--we are not strong,
This fasting kills outright.

"Speak to us, dear one,--only speak,
And calm our idle fears,
Where hast thou been, and what to seek?
Have pity on these tears."

With head bent low the monarch heard,
Then came a cruel throb
Tha