Page:The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago.djvu/178

Rh streets, men and women rushed out of their houses, and gazed pathetically at her, expressing their consternation and horror for the unjust execution of her husband. The sun had set when she approached the place where her husband lay a corpse. She embraced her husband’s body and was shocked to find it cold. She fell down weeping by the side of the corpse, an her lament was heard throughout the long night.

“See’st thou my sorrow,” cried she, “alas! thy handsome body now rolls in the dust. Alone and friendless, I am weeping by thy side, in the dark night, and thy body lies on the bare earth. Tears flow from my eyes, when I see blood dropping from thy wound, and thy body covered with dust.”

In the frenzy of her despair, she again embraced tue body of her husband, and fancied that he stood up and wiped the tears from her face, and as she clasped his feet he told her to remain, and his spirit ascended to heaven. She had hoped to be the faithful companion of his life, to be the partner of his joy and sorrow and to solace his grief, but these hopes were now dashed to the ground. She thought of her dream which had come to pass all too soon. She had no wish to live; but one burning passion now possessed her, and it was to prove her husband’s innocence, and curse the wicked king who had caused his death.

During the same night, the Pandyan queen had frightful dreams and saw bad omens. She hastened, therefore, on the next morning to the king’s presence, surrounded by the dwarfs, eunuchs, hunchbacks and women who were her usual attendants. She found the king already seated on his throne and related to him her dream While she was relating it, Kannaki appeared at the palace gate, “Thou guard!“ said she addressing the sentinel at the gate, “Thou guard who servest the stupid and senseless king who knows not his duty to his subjects! say to your king that a woman who haw lost her husband is come, carrying an anklet in her hand."

One of the guards went to the royal presence and making, the usual obeisance, addressed the king: “Long life to our king of Korkai! long life to the lord of the Pothiya hill! long life to the Cheliya! long life to the sovereign of the southern region! long