Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/114

90 and with the other covered her breast. There was a little mirror in the room ; Santi recovered it from its long exile and looked well at her dress in it. " Alas," said she, as she looked at it, " How am I to cover these ?" She then threw away the glass and took up the hair she had cut off and made them up into false beards and moustaches. But she could not put them on. "For shame," she thought, "those days are gone and I cannot do it any more. But it is good to have it at hand to give a lesson to the old fellow." She then took out a large deer- skin and tied it to her neck covering with it the whole of her front up to the knees. Thus dressed, this new san- nyasin looked on all sides from within the room. When it was midnight Santi emerged from her house in the dark and entered the deep forest. The nymphs of the wood heard at dead of night the following song sung in melodious strains : "Trotting- on horseback where dost thou go ? " "I go to the battle, tell me not — 'no' ! Hari, Hari, Hari, so shall I cry, And spring to the fight prepared to die I Who art thou ? Who's thine ? Why follow me Victory ! 0 woman, I care not for thee P "Prithee my dearest don't leave behind Thy bride so suffering, be thou O kind !" "Hark thee ! The music, victory it sings, Thirsting for battle my war-horse it springs. At home my mind, O, no more would be Victory 1 O woman, I care not for thee !"