Page:Durgesa Nandini.djvu/105

 in other directions, one of them took a lamp and looked under the couch. Discovering the object of his search, the man said,

"They are here, Sir."

"Are they?" enquired Osman Khan eagerly.

Answer. "Yes, Sir, they are."

Osman's countenance brightened.

"Come out," said he, "no fear."

Bimala first came out and then bringing out Tilottama, made her sit down. The latter was reviving, and could therefore sit up.

"Where are we?" she slowly asked Bimala.

"Never fear," whispered Bimala into her ear, "just veil yourself."

"May it please Your Excellency" said the man who had discovered the women, "I have discovered the women."

"You are asking for a reward," said Osman. "What's your name?"

"My name is Karim Baksh," replied the man. "But no one knows me by that name. Formerly I was in the Mogal army, and people call me ‘the Mogal officer,’ by way of jest."

Bimala shuddered. Abhiram Swami's astrological calculation came to her recollection.

"Well, I’ll remember," said Osman.