Page:Vikram and the vampire; or, Tales of Hindu devilry (IA vikramvampireort00burtrich).pdf/320

 this charge, the philanthropic Muldev became angry, and said, 'I have warned the youth about his purity; what harm can come of it?'

'Thou hast,' retorted Shashi, with irritating coolness, 'placed a sharp weapon in a fool's hand.'

'I have not,' cried Muldev, indignantly.

'Therefore,' drawled the malevolent, 'you are answerable for all the mischief he does with it, and mischief assuredly he will do.'

'He will not, by Brahma!' exclaimed Muldev.

'He will, by Vishnu!' said Shashi, with an amiability produced by having completely upset his friend's temper; 'and if within the coming six months he does not disgrace himself, thou shalt have the whole of my book-case; but if he does, the philanthropic Muldev will use all his skill and ingenuity in procuring the daughter of Raja Subichar as a wife for his faithful friend Shashi.'

Having made this covenant, they both agreed not to speak of the matter till the autumn.

The appointed time drawing near, the Pandits began to make inquiries about the effect of the magic pills. Presently they found out that Sita, alias Manaswi, had one night mysteriously disappeared from the grand treasurer's house, and had not been heard of since that time. This, together with certain other things that transpired presently, convinced Muldev, who had cooled down in six