e able to bear them?

"You seem to be wanting in wisdom and forethought in thus abandoning
home and country. Take courage! be guided by me, and you shall marry
her and live comfortably here. But first we must take her back to her
father's house."

To this he consented without hesitation, and we set out at once.
Guided by her, we entered through the secret passage, carried off
everything of value, and got away without exciting alarm.

Having hidden our booty in some old ruins, we were going home, when we
fell in with some of the city guard. Fortunately, there chanced to be
an elephant tied up at the side of the road. We quickly, therefore,
unfastened the rope, mounted him, and urged him at full speed; and
before the watchmen could recover from their confusion, were out of
sight. Halting the elephant close to the wall of a deserted garden, we
got over it with the help of the trees growing there, escaped on the
other side, and reached home undetected, where we bathed and went to
bed.

The next day we walked out carefully dressed, and were amused at
hearing an exaggerated account of our adventures of the preceding
night, which had caused much alarm and excitement in the city.

I had hoped, by robbing the old man, to prevent the marriage of his
daughter with Arthapati. But this hope was frustrated; for the latter
was not only willing to take Kulapalika without a dowry, but even made
presents to her father; and it was settled that the marriage should
take place at the end of a month.

Finding this to be the case, I felt that something more must be done;
and having hit upon a plan which I thought would be effectual, I gave
Dhanamittra directions how to act.

Accordingly, a few days afterwards, he went to the king, to whom he
was previously known, and having asked for a private audience, said:
"A very wonderful thing has happened to me, of which it seems right
that your majesty should be informed. You have known me as
Dhanamittra, the son of a very rich man. During my prosperity, I was
engaged to the daughter of a wealthy merchant; but when I was reduced
to poverty, he refused his consent to our marriage, and is now about
to give her to another.

"Driven to despair by the double loss of fortune and wife, I went into
a wood near the city, intending to put an end to my wretched life.

"There, when in the act of cutting my throat, I was stopped by a very
aged devotee, who asked the cause of the rash act.

"'Poverty, a