Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/301

 } i A ¥ When the marriage ceremony was being celebra- ted in the great pavilion which had been built for the occasion, the golden umbrella over the _bride- groom’s head gave way—the silver rod which sup- ported it, having suddenly broken from some mysterious cause; and this was the second inaus- picious sign. When Behula, the bride, was being carried round Laksmindara, she carelessly wiped from her forehead with her own hand the sacred vermilion- mark, the sign of the married woman whose _hus- band is living. This was the third inauspicious sign. As soon as the marriage was over, Chand _ took Laksmindara and Behula to the steel-house on mount Santali. This was the terrible night, when the question of life and death for Laksmindara would be solved ; the astrologers had said, if his life could be saved that night, he would live a hundred years. There Behula and Laksmindara were left to themselves. The coy maiden beheld her husband: the garland of rangan flowers, which he wore, hung loosely round his neck touching his right arm and breast,—his silken attire of deep scarlet half cover- ed his handsome person, and Behulg looked upon her husband with that feeling of adoration which a Brahmin feels when he approaches his household- god. Laksmindara’s eyes also drank deep of the beauty of the maiden, and he asked her to come closer to him so that he might embrace her. The bashful maiden would not listen to any such thing— she hid her face with her tender hands and turned away. Fatigued by the labours and fasting 34 _ IV.] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. 26 The second one, The third one, The pair taken to the steel. house. The couple left to them- selves.