as played so poorly, that it failed almost as soon as it
began, since it needed but a touch of my finger to make thee drop thy
mask, and reveal thyself to be, what all the time I knew thee, a lover
in the depths of despair. For love is very hard to hide, and thou
couldst scarcely hope to deceive even those who are very easy to
deceive, as I am not. And as I watched thy clumsy effort, sitting as it
did so ill on one so simple and direct as thou art, I could not prevent
my compassion from mixing with a very little laughter, remembering the
ass in the Panchatantra, who clothed him in a lion's skin, forgetting
that his ears betrayed him, to say nothing of his voice. And now for the
second time I have given thee something that I would have refused thee
altogether, had caresses of compassion been any argument of love. But
understand well, that there will be no third opportunity: for this is
thy farewell. Go as thou hast come, for I will not attempt to penetrate
thy secret, nor have thy footsteps dogged.

XXIX

And as I listened, I knew that all was over, and that her words were
my doom: for I understood that she was stronger far than I, and in a
position absolutely impregnable by any efforts I might make. And I
stood gazing at her silently with a tumult in my soul that could find
no utterance in words. And I said at last, in a very low voice: Is thy
decision irrevocable, and am I really never to see thee any more? And
she said: Even this time is more than I had allowed thee, and I am
afraid for thee. Aye! I fear that thy life is the forfeit thou wilt
pay. Yet blame not me for anything that may occur. For Narasinha would
have slain thee already, as he is furiously jealous of anything that
comes near me in the form of a man, had I not myself expressly
interfered in thy behalf, making him swear to overlook thy former
trespass on a ground that he considers as his own. But he will not
listen to me now. And to-morrow, as soon as he discovers what has
taken place to-night, for I cannot hide it, he will take measures to
prevent thy ever coming back, very likely such as thou thyself hinted
at, of me, a little while ago. Thou art looking at me now for the
very last time; and remember, I told thee myself, I will take no
blame, if thy temerity turns out to have cost thee dear. Farewell, and
if thou canst, forget me, and go away to a great distance, without the
loss of a single moment. For in a very little while, thou mayst find,
ther