CHAPTER VI. house; and when she hears that he was formerly in the service of Chárudatta, she herself pays his debt. Strangely enough this ruined gambler takes the vows of a Buddhist mendicant, and enters the order of Sákya Muni. Next the keeper of Vasantaséná's elephant runs in, and relates how the animal had broken his chain, and rushed through the streets of Ujain; but how he, the keeper, knocked down the unwieldy beast with an iron bar, and was rewarded by Chárudatta with the gift of a scented garment. Vasanta-séná accordingly takes the garment as a memento of the man she loves, and gives the keeper a rich jewel in return."

Robbery of the casket.

The third act reverts to the house of Chárudatta. It is night, and Chárudatta and Maitreya are returning from a concert. Chárudatta is praising the beauty of the singing they have heard, whilst Maitreya is yawning from weariness. They retire to rest on couches which have been prepared for them in the outer apartment; and Maitreya as usual retains charge of the casket of Vasanta-séná. A burglar makes his appearance over the garden wall, and approaches the house. He is a dissipated Bráhman, named Servillaka, and is in love with Madaniká, the maid of Vasanta-séná. He is anxious to raise sufficient funds by robbery to purchase Madaniká from her mistress, in order to make her his wife. He tries to cut an opening in the wall of the house, where the brick-work is softened by recent damp, and the fall

6 This reference to the elephant of Vasanta-séná is somewhat curious. Arrian asserts that any woman in India would sacrifice her modesty if presented with an elephant (India, c. xvii.). This statement seems in itself to be unintelligible. Possibly the nomination to the post of chief courtesan was accompanied by the state present of an elephant, which no maiden could refuse.

He is also CHAPTER VI.
He finds a

ing fragments would make no noise.
anxious to keep clear of any women.
rat-hole, and widens it by extracting the bricks
around it; and at last works his way into the house.
He first opens the outer door from the inside, in order
to provide a way of escape. He then enters the room.
where the two Bráhmans are lying, and turns his
lamp upon their faces to ascertain if they are really
asleep. He then looks around, and sees nothing
but a drum, a tabor, a lute, pipes, and a few books.
He had supposed the householder to be a rich man,
but finds that he is only a poet or dancer. At this
moment Maitreya is dreaming, and cries out in a
half-conscious state:-"Master, they are breaking
into the house: I can see the thief: Take charge of
the casket!" The burglar hears the words, takes
the casket from the unconscious hand of the
Brahman, and at once makes off with his prize.

wife.

Next morning the two Brahmans discover the Alarm of the theft. Charudatta is in agony at the loss, for he one will believe that the casket has

fears no
been really stolen.
news to the wife of Chárudatta, who is in the inner
apartments. The poor lady is greatly alarmed lest
her husband should lose his reputation. Her jewels
are now nearly all exhausted. She has only one
string of diamonds left, and she fears that Cháru-
datta will not accept it, as it was given to her before
she left her mother's home. She sends for Mai-
treya, and induces him to palm it off on Chárudatta,
as a gift which he had himself received in alms.
The ruse is successful. Chárudatta accepts the dia-
monds, though with great reluctance; and he directs
Maitreya to carry them to Vasanta-séná, with the

The maid-servant carries the

CHAPTER VI. strange apology that he had heedlessly lost the casket at play, and requested her to accept the diamonds in its stead.

Incidents in the house of the

heroine.

Restoration of the casket.

The fourth act takes place in the house of Vasanta-séná. This lady is now talking with her maid Madaniká, respecting a portrait which she has procured of Chárudatta. At this juncture she receives a message from her mother, that the prince has sent a chariot for her with a number of costly presents; but she declines his offers with every expression of disgust.

The next visitor is Servillaka, the dissipated Bráliman and burglar. His first object is to see Madaniká alone; and this he accordingly accomplishes, although Vasanta-séná overhears the whole of the conversation. He inquires about the cost of her manumission, confesses that he has stolen the jewels, and requests her to take the casket to her mistress, and ascertain if it will suffice to purchase her freedom. Madaniká now discovers that he has stolen the very casket that Vasanta-séná had left with Chárudatta. She is horrified at the idea of her lover having committed robbery, but becomes half reconciled at knowing it was undertaken for her sake. At last she persuades Servillaka to appear before her mistress in the character of a messenger from Chárudatta, and to return the jewels in his name on the plea that his house is insecure. As Vasanta-séná has heard all that passed, she is prepared how to act. Accordingly when Servillaka presents himself, she takes the casket, and makes him a present of Madaniká. The enfranchised maiden is placed in a covered carriage drawn by oxen, and taken away by Servillaka to be his wife.

At this moment a loud proclamation is heard in the CHAPTER VI. streets. A seer has prophesied that a cowherd, named Aryaka, will ascend the throne; and the Raja of Ujain has prevented disturbances by placing Aryaka in prison. Servillaka is a warm friend of Aryaka. He accordingly sends away his bride to the care of the chief of the city musicians, and hastens off to effect, if possible, the release of Aryaka.

Maitreya.

The plot now begins to be tedious, although it Message of is perfectly adapted to Hindú tastes. Maitreya arrives at the house of Vasanta-séná, and delivers his message, and apologizes for the loss of the casket at play, and makes over the diamonds." The lady, being already in possession of the casket, knows that the gambling story is a falsehood, and accordingly accepts the diamonds with a smile. She then promises to visit Chárudatta in the evening, and Maitreya departs with this message in high displeasure.

hero and

The fifth act reverts to the house of Chárudatta. Meeting of the Maitreya enters, and vents his spleen against heroine. Vasanta-séná. She had pounced upon the diamonds without the slightest compunction, and had

7 As Maitreya approaches the house he is supposed to express the utmost admiration, and dilates upon its magnificence with apparent exaggeration. It is said to have consisted of eight courts or quadrangles. The entrance was adorned with flags and garlands. The first quadrangle was surrounded by white palaces, having upper apartments with windows looking in the streets below. The second court was occupied with stables for oxen and horses. The third was surrounded with seats, and formed a place of resort for all the young men of Ujain. The fourth was gay with singing and dancing girls, whilst other damsels were reading plays and poems. The fifth court was the kitchen, sending forth delicious odours. The sixth court was filled with working jewellers, whilst damsels and their gallants were talking, laughing, and drinking wine. The seventh court was an aviary. In the eighth court the mother and brother of Vasanta-séná were sitting. The interview between Maitreya and Vasanta-séná took place in the garden.

CHAPTER V. not deigned to offer him any refreshment. Moreover, her attendant damsels had been mightily amused, and seemed to have been laughing at him. Presently Vasanta-séná is announced. She enters splendidly dressed, and throws flowers at Chárudatta, and rallies him upon his gambling. She then produces the stolen casket. Vasanta-séná and Chárudatta now understand each other. The rain descends in torrents, and Vasanta-séná remains all night in the inner apartments.

The courtesan and the wife.

The sixth act opens with some commotion. Vasanta-séná awakes in the house of her lover, and is told that Chárudatta has gone away to a public garden, and left a covered bullock-carriage for her to follow him. She is naturally afraid that she has caused some vexation in the family. She tries to soften matters by sending the string of diamonds to the wife of Chárudatta, with the message that she is the handmaid of Chárudatta, and has consequently become her slave. The injured matron refuses to accept the gift, and declares that she values no ornament except her husband. Vasanta-séná falls back upon the little son of Chárudatta. The lad is crying over his toy-cart, because it is made of pottery, whereas he wants one of gold. She fills his cart with jewels, and tells him to buy a golden cart. She then leaves the house in the bullockcarriage. The wife of Chárudatta is evidently aware of her husband's amour, and that he will spend the day with her rival in the pleasuregarden without the city. But she gives vent to no

8 This complaint seems to indicate a period when Brahmans would take food from the hands of a Sudrá. This was the case in the time of Alexander the Great. See ante, page 169.