Page:Report of a Tour Through the Bengal Provinces of Patna, Gaya, Mongir and Bhagalpur; The Santal Parganas, Manbhum, Singhbhum and Birbhum; Bankura, Raniganj, Bardwan and Hughli in 1872-73.djvu/136

112 and brothers from confinement. Hearing this he went to his sister-in-law and demanded to be told the circumstances of their confinement; she long tried to evade, but finding him persist, she went and adorned herself superbly and radiant with gems and beauty and came out; he asked her why she had adorned herself, she said—"Your brother and father went west to fight, and I expect them back to-night;" he would not believe but drew his sword, threatening to kill her; then she told him the whole truth. The groom of the horse Jingna Khawas was called and confirmed her story, and Bijaya Mall ordered the horse and arms to be brought, and prepared to go. Soumat Rani begged him to eat before going; he sat down and finished his supper; then she beseeched him to lie down and rest a while; he did so and fell asleep; she then went and laid herself beside him; on waking and seeing her he said—"I consider you as my mother; don't be uneasy, I will go and rescue your husband and my father in four days;" she then left him and he went to Garh Paravat.

At that time a covered passage led from the palace of Báwan Subáh to the tank at Afsand. Kunwar Bijaya Mall, on arriving, alighted near that tank; a female servant of Báwan Subáh's daughter soon arrived at the tank to carry water, and seeing him there, asked him who he was, and how he dared to walk about near that tank; this led to hot words between them, and the young man, having very ungallantly seized the damsel and torn her clothes, she beat a hasty retreat, and went and informed her mistress Rani Tilko; meanwhile Rani Tilko, the wife of Kunwar Bijaya Mall, had seen the young man from the roof of her house, and had taken a fancy to him, and when the maid complained of his conduct, she pacified her and desired her not to let her father hear of it; she then went with her companions, all dressed exactly like her, to the tank on pretence of bathing, but really to see the audacious young man. On reaching the place she saw the young man still there, and went up to him to ask him his name, and whence he came. On hearing his name she immediately covered her face, as she saw she had met her husband, and on being asked in her turn who she was, her reply showed Kunwar Bijaya Mall that he had met his wife. There was then a very tender scene between them, she beseeching him to take her and fly, and he refusing to run away with her like a thief, but expressing his determination to win her with his sword. Tilko Rani returned