NALA AND DAMAYANTI 95
carried out, sat down with arms folded and head bent. At the sound of a woman's voice he looked up. A maid sent from within the palace was asking him, in the name of Damayanti, why and for what purpose had he and Rituparna come. « We came/' answered the charioteer bitterly, " because the King heard that the Princess of the Vidarbhas would for a second time hold a swayatnvara I " ^^ And who art thou ? " again asked the maiden. '* Who art thou ? And who yon servant yonder ? Might either of ye by chance have heard aught of Nala ? It may even be that thou knowest whither King Nala is gone 1 "
" Nay, nay I " answered Vahuka. " That King in his calamity wanders about the world, disguised, and despoiled even of his beauty. Nala's self only knoweth Nala, and she also that is his second self. Nala never disco vereth his secret to any I "
" And yet," replied the maid, ^' we sent a Brahmin to Ayodhya, and when he sang —
- Ah, beloved Gambler, whither art thou gone.
Taking with thee half my veil, And leaving me, who loved thee,
Sleeping in the woods ? Speak thou, great King, the words I long to hear, For I who am without stain pant to hear them ! '
When he sang thus, thou didst make some reply. Repeat thy words now, I beseech thee. My mistress longeth again to hear those words 1 "
