eported to be in imminent danger.

Madhava and Makaranda both rush to the rescue. The latter kills the
animal, and thus saves her who is then brought in a half-fainting state
into the garden. He is himself wounded. Mandayantika is thus saved by
the valour of Makaranda. The gallant youth is brought in insensible. By
the care of the women, he revives.

On recovering, Madayantika naturally falls in love with her deliverer.

The two couples are thus brought together. Malati affiances herself
there and then to Madhava.

Soon afterwards, the king prepares to enforce the marriage of Malati
with Nandan. A messenger arrives to summon Madayantika to be present at
the marriage. Another messenger summons Malati herself to the king's
place.

Madhava is mad with grief and in despair makes the extraordinary
resolution of purchasing the aid of ghosts and malignant spirits by
going to the cemetery and offering them living flesh, cut off from his
own body, as food. He accordingly bathes in the river Sindhu and goes at
night to the cemetery. The cemetery happens to be near the temple of the
awful goddess Chamunda, a form of Durga. The temple is presided over by
a sorceress named Kapalkundla and her preceptor, a terrible necromancer
Aghorghanta. They have determined on offering some beautiful maiden as
a human victim to the goddess. With this object they carry off Malati,
before her departure, while asleep on a terrace and bringing her to the
temple, are about to kill her at the shrine when her cries of distress
attract the attention of Madhava, who is, at the moment, in the cemetery
offering his flesh to the ghosts.

He thinks he recognizes the voice of Malati. He rushes forward to her
rescue. She is discovered dressed as a victim and the magician and the
sorceress are preparing for the sacrifice.

He encounters Aghorghanta and, after a terrific hand-to-hand fight,
kills him and rescues Malati.

She flies to his arms. Voices are heard as of persons in search of
Malati. Madhava places her in safety.

The sorceress vows vengeance against Madhava for slaying her preceptor
Aghorghanta.

Malati is now restored to her friends. The preparations for Malati's
wedding with Nandana goes on. The old priestess Kamandaki, who favours
the union of Malati with her lover Madhava, contrives that, by the
king's command, the bridal dress shall be put on at the very temple
where her own ministrations are conducted.

There she persuades Makaranda