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118 dissuaded her, I went to the boat to turn her back, she did not listen. Strike, strike, strike as much as you can, I am a witness to her sin, oh, beat her, beat her.” With folded hands, her face upturned and with streaming eyes, Shaibalini implored her to desist, but Sundari would not relent and only cried out, “Strike, strike, strike the unchaste one. I am chaste, but she is not; lay on, lay on.” Again her face withered up, again her dilated eyes were ﬁxed in a stare, and Shaibalini remained as one spell-bound. Chandrashekhar grew anxious and knew that the symptoms boded no good.

“Shaibalini, come with me,” said Chandrashekhar.

At first Shaibalini did not hear him. Then Chandrashekhar caught her with his hands, and shaking her once or twice, repeated, “Come with me.”

Suddenly Shaibalini stood up and in a scared voice cried, “Come, come, come; be quick, let us leave this place at once.” With these words she quickly ran towards the mouth of the cave. Without waiting for Chandrashekhar, she walked with rapid steps, and in her haste the ﬂints in the cave hurt her feet in the dim light. Presently she slipped her foot and fell down senseless. Her speech was gone and Chandrashekhar found that she had again swooned.

Then Chandrashekhar took her up in his arms, and going out of the cave carried her to a spot where an exiguous rill silently welled out of the hill-side.

The sprinkling of water on her face and the free air of the open space soon brought her round, and opening her eyes she asked, “Where am I?"

“I have brought you out of the cave,” replied Chandrashekhar.

Shaibalini shuddered and was again terriﬁed. “Who are you?” she asked. Chandrashekhar grew concerned