Page:Karl Gjellerup - The Pilgrim Kamanita - 1911.djvu/282



this time one of the brothers came over to us once a week, and expounded the doctrine.

After some time Angulimala's turn came, and then I did not go into the common hall, but remained lying in my cell, and begged a neighbouring sister to say to Angulimala—

"Sister Vasitthi, O Reverend One, lies sick in her cell, and cannot appear in the assembly. Wilt thou, after the address, go to sister Vasitthi's cell and expound the doctrine to her, the sick one, also?"

And after the address the good Angulimala came to my cell, greeted me deferentially, and sat down by my bed.

"Thou dost see here, brother," I said then, "what no one of us would desire to see—a love-sick nun—and of this my sickness thou thyself art the guilty cause, seeing that thou didst rob me of the object of my love. True, thou hast since brought me to this great physician who heals all life's ills, but even his marvellous powers cannot now influence me further. In his great wisdom he has doubtless recognised this, and has given me a remedy by means of which to bring the fever to a crisis, and so to get rid of the insidious germs of disease at present in my blood. As a result, then, thou dost at this moment see me with a fever of longing raging within. And I wish to remind thee of a promise thou didst once give me 272