Page:Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan.djvu/93

Rh "Far otherwise, my lord is poor,
 * And him at home thou shalt not find;

Ask for my father; at the door
 * Knock loudly; he is deaf, but kind.

Seest thou that lofty gilded spire
 * Above these tufts of foliage green?

That is our place; its point of fire
 * Will guide thee o'er the tract between."

"That is the temple spire."—"Yes, there
 * We live; my father is the priest,

The manse is near, a building fair
 * But lowly, to the temple's east.

When thou hast knocked, and seen him, say,
 * His daughter, at Dhamaser Ghat,

Shell-bracelets bought from thee to-day,
 * And he must pay so much for that.

Be sure, he will not let thee pass
 * Without the value, and a meal,

If he demur, or cry alas!
 * No money hath he,—then reveal,

Within the small box, marked with streaks
 * Of bright vermilion, by the shrine,

The key whereof has lain for weeks
 * Untouched, he'll find some coin,—'tis mine.