Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/634

To the grocer’s shop. 594 BENGALI LANGAUGE & LITERATURE. [ Chap, food! Don’t you feel hungry ?” She only smiled sweetly at the query without saying anything. It was nearly evening and the husband had not yet returned. Vishu seemed to grow impatient and said that by detaining them in the place she was practically starving his dying parents to death. At these words the eyes of the damsel grew tearful; with the leaves of ca/a trees formed into a sort of cup she brought a little water for them and poured it on their parched lips and looked at them with such an affectionate tenderness as seemed to soothe their very hearts and would have had a healing effect on them if they had really been what they seemedto be. Visnu said ‘‘ It is evening now, I can stay no longer. I must go away with my parents.” She fell at the feet of Visnu and said ‘‘ Brahmin, my vow of serving guests is going to be broken; if vou would kindly help me to be true to it, wait a moment; not far off is the shop of the grain-seller; I will go to it though I never did so before, and will come presently back with articles of food. [am sure the grocer knows my husband and will give me credit.’ She went to the shop through mazy paths, through briers and flowers, like a silvan goddess. Her curling hair fell down to her waist; she wore no ornaments save a rosary round her arms, but her youthful charms did not want any artificial help; they fascinated the eyes that looked upon her ; she was innocent and full of piety and did not know the wicked ways of the world. When she arrived at the shop, the grocer was struck with her beauty, all the people assembled there felt the charm of her presence, and the man asked her what it- was that she wanted,