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 "Perhaps she couldn't come out," answered Bimala. "But are you not content with having me alone?"

The prince of gallants was mute. After a while, he sighed forth, "O the utensils!"

With hasty steps Bimala soon left the village of Garmandaran behind her. The night was pitch dark;—she walked cautiously by the help of the star-light. On entering the field, she was rather alarmed; her companion was noiselessly following her, without wasting a single word. At such a moment, the human voice is cheering and welcome. Bimala therefore asked Gajapati,

"Gallant, what are you thinking about?"

"I say, the utensils," said the gallant. Without returning any reply, Bimala laughed in her sleeve.

After a while Bimala again opened her lips.

"Diggaja, do you fear ghosts?" asked she.

"Ram! Ram! Ram!" exclaimed he. "Take the name of Ram," and drew a yard nearer to Bimala.

"This way is fearfully infested by ghosts," said she, encouraged by her success. Diggaja came up and caught hold of the flowing end of Bimala's sheet.