At last， as the pradhan's son had foreseen， he was summoned by the young Raja， whom he found upon his bed， looking yellow and complaining bitterly of headache. Frequent discussions upon the subject of the tender passion had passed between the two youths， and one of them had ever spoken of it so very disrespectfully that the other felt ashamed to introduce it. But when his friend， with a view to provoke communicativeness， advised a course of boiled and bitter herbs and great attention to diet， quoting the hemistich attributed to the learned physician Charndatta

　　A fever starve， but feed a cold，

　　the unhappy Vajramukut's fortitude abandoned him； he burst into tears， and exclaimed，" Whosoever enters upon the path of love cannot survive it； and if （by chance） he should live， what is life to him but a prolongation of his misery？"

　　"Yea，" replied the minister's son， "the sage hath said ——

　　The road of love is that which hath no beginning nor end； Take thou heed of thyself， man I ere thou place foot upon it.

　　And the wise， knowing that there are three things whose effect upon himself no man can foretell ——namely， desire of woman， the dice-box， and the drinking of ardent spirits - find total abstinence from them the best of rules. Yet， after all， if there is no cow， we must milk the bull."

　　The advice was， of course， excellent， but the hapless lover could not help thinking that on this occasion it came a little too late. However， after a pause he returned to the subject and said， "I have ventured to tread that dangerous way， be its end pain or pleasure， happiness or destruction." He then hung down his head and sighed from the bottom of his heart.

　　"She is the person who appeared to us at the tank？" asked the pradhan's son， moved to compassion by the state of his master.

　　The prince assented.

　　"O great king，" resumed the minister's son， "at the time of going away had she said anything to you？ or had you said anything to her？"

　　"Nothing！" replied the other laconically， when he found his friend beginning to take an interest in the affair.

　　"Then，" said the minister's son， "it will be exceedingly difficult to get possession of her."

　　"Then，" repeated the Raja's son， "I am doomed to death； to an early and melancholy death！"

　　"Humph！" ejaculated the young statesman rather impatiently， "did she make any sign， or give any hint？ Let me know all that happened： half confidences are worse than none."

　　Upon which the prince related everything that took place by the side of the tank， bewailing the false shame which had made him dumb， and concluding with her pantomime.

　　The pradhan's son took thought for a while. He thereupon seized the opportunity of representing to his master all the evil effects of bashfulness when women are concerned， and advised him， as he would be a happy lover， to brazen his countenance for the next interview.

　　Which the young Raja faithfully promised to do.

　　"And， now，" said the other， "be comforted， O my master！ I know her name and her dwelling-place. When she suddenly plucked the lotus flower and worshipped it， she thanked the gods for having blessed her with a sight of your beauty."

　　Vajramukut smiled， the first time for the last month.

　　"When she applied it to her ear， it was as if she would have explained to thee， 'I am a daughter of the Carnatic： [FN#54] and when she bit it with her teeth， she meant to say that 'My father is Raja Dantawat， [FN#55]' who， by-the-bye， has been， is， and ever will be， a mortal foe to thy father."