Tilottama waited for the disappearance of the menial. When she had gone out after doing what she came for, Tilottama took the ring and issued from the room. She then became subject to apprehensions; her feet trembled; her heart quaked; her face grew blank; she advanced one pace and receded another. By degrees, summoning courage, she reached so far as the gate of the inner apartment. The inmates, the eunuchs, the negro-slaves,—all were knee-deep in merriment; nobody saw her; and if any did, he did not care to notice her. But it seemed to Tilottama as if she was marked by every one. She however got courage to proceed to the gate. There the guards who had been making merry over 'potations pottle-deep,' were either asleep, or awake but insensible, or half insensible: no body marked her. One person only was standing at the gate; he too was dressed like a guard. On seeing Tilottama, he said,
"Have you got a ring, madam?"
In a flurry, Tilottama presented the ring given by Bimala. The man carefully examined it and showed her another on his finger.
"Come with me, madam, no fear," said he.
Tilottama followed him in agitation. The guards in the other parts of the fort were as lax as those who guarded the inner apartment. More particularly, as the gates were thrown open that night to all, no one said any thing to the pair. The guard crossed many a threshold, many a room, many a yard, and at last reached the main gate of the fortress. He then said,
"Where would you go?"
Tilottama could not bring to mind the instruction of Bimala; she first remembered Jagat Singha. She burned to say, "take
