or drawing her picture, and I shall be
much obliged to your Majesty to intercede for me and appease her
resentment." The king springs up and exclaims, "Where is she? Lead me to
her."

Then all advance to Sagarika. She thinks, "He is here--I tremble at his
sight. I can neither stand nor move--what shall I do?" Vasantaka, seeing
her, exclaims, "A most surprising damsel, truly; such another is not to
be found in this world. I am confident that when she was created,
_Brahma_ was astonished at his own performance." The king is struck with
her and observes, "such are my impressions. The four mouths of _Brahma_
must at once have exclaimed in concert, bravo, bravo! when the deity
beheld these eyes more beauteous than the leaves of his own lotus; and
his head must have shaken with wonder, as he contemplated her
loveliness, the ornament of all the world." Sagarika prepares to go away
when the king addresses her thus, "You turn your eyes upon your friend
in anger, lovely maid; yet such is their native tenderness that they
cannot assume a harsh expression. Look thus, but do not leave us, for
your departure hence will alone give me pain." Susangata now advises the
king to take Sagarika by the hand and pacify her. The king approves the
advice and acts up to it. Vasantaka congratulates the king on his
unprecedented fortune.

The king replies, "You say rightly--she is the very deity Lakshmi
herself. Her hand is the new shoot of the _Parijata_ tree, else whence
distil these dewdrops of ambrosia?" Susangata remarks, "It is not
possible, my dear friend, you can remain inexorable whilst honoured thus
with his Majesty's hand."

Sagarika frowns on her friend and asks her to forbear. At this time,
Vasantaka, in testiness of temper, raises a false alarm by proclaiming
that the queen is approaching. The king lets go Sagarika's hand in
alarm. Sagarika and her companion go off hastily behind the _tamala_
tree.

After a short time, the queen approaches the king. By order of the king,
Vasantaka hides the picture quickly under his arm. The king proposes to
visit, in the company of the queen, the Jasmine budded. The queen
declines. Vasantaka takes it as an acknowledgment of defeat on her part
and cries out Huzza! He waves his hand and dances; the picture falls.
Kanchanmala, an attendant of the queen, picks up the picture and shows
it to her mistress. The queen, whose jealousy is excited by the
discovery of the picture, demands an explanation fro