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128 twenty minutes dropped him in front of his house. He called to his wife, who, startled at his sudden appearance, opened the door of her room and joyfully received him. Together they passed the night, and at dawn, communicating to the girl the motive and means of so sudden a return, he once more got on the back of the bird and departed. On the way Manik spoke thus to him: "Your wife will bear you a godlike child, but great afflictions are in store for her. Unlimited will be her sufferings during your absence. Leave the garland of shells with me, or you will lose it to your subsequent undoing."

Shankha would not part with it as it was very dear to him as his wife's gift, and the bird, instead of pressing him further, reached the ships, and placing him in one of those, his own ship, left him with the assurance that as soon as he should utter the name "Manik," the bearer of it would appear before him, no matter how far away he might be. The ships were launched the next morning, and prosperous gales drove them onwards.

Let us now have a peep into the house of Shankha's mother, and see what was going on there on the morning succeeding his visit to his wife. His sister, getting up early and sweeping the yard, saw shoe-marks leading up to Shakti's door, which at once produced in her the suspicion that the latter had during the previous night received a lover. Knocking at the door, and having it opened, she saw a candle burning. This confirmed her suspicions, and in very opprobrious terms she abused Shakti, and roused her mother and the whole neighbourhood with outcries that rent the air. Quickly a conclave of the dames and damsels, most of whom delighted in scandals, took place, and mercilessly Shakti's character was torn to shreds. All except the girl's mother-in-law voted that she should be turned out into the streets, but that old lady, more mercifully disposed, decided that she should be kept at home, but under severe restraint. From this time the girl's sufferings were very great. She was not allowed sufficient food, nor any clothing save tattered