607
And during the night he took Kamalalochaná a long distance, and they reached a certain city by the morning, when that chaste woman said to the servant, " Where is my husband your master? Why do you not take me to him?" When the cunning rogue heard this, he said to her who was alone in a foreign country, " I am going to marry you myself: never
mind about him; how can you get to him now?" When the discreet woman heard this, she said, " Indeed I love you very much."*[1] Then the rascal left her in the garden of the city, and went to the market to buy the
things required for a wedding. In the meanwhile that maiden fled, with
the mule, and entered the house of a certain old man who made garlands. She told him her history, and he made her welcome, so she remained there. And the wicked servant, not finding her in the garden, went away from it disappointed, and returned to his master Kusumáyudha. And when his master questioned him, he said, " The fact is, you are an upright man yourself, and you do not understand the ways of deceitful women. No sooner did she come out and was seen, than I was seized there by those other men, and the mule was taken away from me. By good luck I managed to escape and have come here." When Kusumáyudha beard this, he remained silent, and plunged in thought.
One day his father sent him to be married, and as he was going along, he reached the city, where Kamalalochaná was. There he made the bride- groom's followers encamp in a neighbouring garden, and while he was roaming about alone, Kamalalochaná saw him, and told the garland-maker in whose house she was living. He went and told her intended husband what had taken place, and brought him to her. Then the garland-maker collected the necessary things, and the long-desired marriage between the youth and the maiden was immediately celebrated. Then Kusumáyudha punished that wicked servant, and married in addition that second maiden, who was the cause of his finding Kamalalochaná, and in order to marry whom he had started from home, and he returned rejoicing to his own country with those two wives.
" Thus the fortunate are reunited in the most unexpected manner, and so you may be certain, Keśața, of regaining your beloved soon in the same way." When Yajnaśvamin had said this, Kandarpa, Sumanas and Keśața remained for some days in his house, and then they set out for their own country. But on the way they reached a great forest, and they were separated from one another in the confusion produced by a charge of wild elephants. Of the party Keśața went on alone and grieved, and in course of time reached the city of Káśí and found bis friend Kandarpa there.
- ↑ * No. 1882 and the Sanskrit College MS. give tarhi for team hi and priyam for priyah. No. 3003 agrees with the above MSS. in the first point and in the second with Brockhaus.
