Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/453

 and Súryaprabha stood motionless like a painted picture. Kalávatí came to his side, thinking —" Now that I have been seen, how can I escape, shall I display shame or jealousy? And she said with a spiteful intonation to Mahalliká— " How are you, my friend, how comes it that you have come here at night?" Then Mahalliká said— " This is my house; as you have arrived here from another mansion of the under-world, you are to-day my guest here." When Kalávatí heard that, she laughed and said— " Yes, it is clearly the case that you entertain with appropriate hospitality every guest, as soon as he arrives here." When Kalávatí said this, Mahalliká answered " When I spoke to you kindly, why do you answer in such an unkind and spiteful way, shameless girl? Am I like you? Did I, without being bestowed in marriage by my parents, come from a distance, and in a strange place sleep in the bed of a strange man alone at night? I came to see my father's guest, as he was going away, in accordance with the duty of hospitality, a moment ago, accompanied by two female friends. When this minister entered, after first reproaching me, I guessed the real state of the case; you have now of yourself revealed it." When thus addressed by Mahalliká, Kalávatí departed, looking askance at her beloved with an eye red with anger. Then Mahalliká too said to Súryaprabha in wrath, " Now I will depart, man of many favourites," and went away. And Súryaprabha remained in heartless despondency, as was reasonable, for his heart, devoted to his loved ones, went with them.

Then he woke up his minister Prabhása, and sent him to discover what Kalávatí had done, after she had separated from him in anger; and in the meanwhile he sent Prahasta to find out about Mahalliká, and he remained with Prajnádhya awaiting their report. Then Prabhása returned from investigating the proceedings of Kalávatí, and being questioned, he said as follows: " From this place I went to the private apartment of Kalávatí in the second under- world, concealing myself by my science. And outside it I heard the conversation of two maids. The one said, ' My friend, why is Kalávatí distressed to-day?' Then the second said— ' My friend, hear the reason. There is at present in the fourth under-world an incarnation of Sumundíka, named Súryaprabha, who in beauty surpasses the god of Love; she went secretly and gave herself to him. And when, she had repaired to him to-day of her own accord at night-fall, Mahalliká, the daughter of Prahláda, chose to come there too. Our mistress had a jealous quarrel with her, and was in consequence preparing to slay herself, when she was seen by her sister Sukhávatí and saved. And then she went inside, and flinging herself down on a bed, she remained with that sister, who despondent when she had learnt by enquiry what had taken place.' When I had heard this conversation of the two maids, I entered the apartment, and beheld Kalávatí and Sukhávatí, who resembled one another exactly."