excellence brings you enmity. I indeed, my friend, shall never return

to you, since you are now established in the palace of your husband : good women do not visit the house of a friend's husband, fair one ! besides I have been forbidden by my own lord. And it is not possible for me to come here secretly, induced by my affection for you, inasmuch as my husband possesses divine insight and would find it out ; with difficulty in truth did I obtain his permission to come here to-day. And since I can be of no use to you now, my friend, I will return home, but if my husband should give me permission, I will come here again, disregarding modesty." Thus Somaprabha, the daughter of the Asura king, spake weeping to Kalingasena, the daughter of the mortal king, whose face also was washed with tears, and after embracing her, departed swiftly to her own palace, as the day was passing away.

Then the princess Kalingasena, who had deserted her own country and relations, remembering her dear friend Somaprabha who had left her, and finding the great festival of her marriage with the king of Vatsa delayed, remained in Kausambi like a doe that had strayed from the forest.

And the king of Vatsa, feeling a little bitter against the astrologers, who were so dexterous in deferring the marriage of Kalingasena, being despondent with love-longing, went that day to divert his mind, to the private apartments of Vasavadatta. There the queen, who had been tutored beforehand by the excellent minister, let fall no sign of anger, but sin-wed especial sedulity in honouring her husband with her usual atten- tions. And the king, wondering how it was that, even though she knew the episode of Kalingasena, the queen was not angry, being desirous of knowing the cause, said to her ; "Do you know, queen, that a princess named Kalingasena has come here to choose me for her husband ?" The moment she heard it. she answered, without changing the hue of hi'r ' 9 O O countenance, " I know it ; I am exceedingly delighted, for in her the goddess of Fortune has come to our house ; for by gaining her you will also get her father Kalingadatta under your influence, and the earth will be more completely in your power. Now I am delighted on account of his great power and your pleasure, and long ago did I know this circum- stance with regard to you. So am I not fortunate, since I have such a husband as you, whom princesses fall in love with, that are themselves sought