spake to that distressed lady."

SECTION XXII

"Bhima said, 'I will, O timid one, do even as thou sayest. I will
presently slay Kichaka with all his friends. O Yajnaseni of sweet
smiles, tomorrow evening, renouncing sorrow and grief, manage to have a
meeting with Kichaka. The dancing-hall that the king of the Matsya hath
caused to be erected is used by the girls for dancing during the day.
They repair, however, to their homes at night. There in that hall, is an
excellent and well-placed wooden bed-stead. Even there I will make him
see the spirits of his deceased grandsires. But, O beautiful one, when
thou holdest converse with him, thou must manage it so that others may
not espy thee.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Having thus conversed with others, and shed
tears in grief, they waited for the dawn of that night with painful
impatience. And when the night had passed away, Kichaka, rising in the
morning, went to the palace, and accosted Draupadi saying, 'Throwing
thee down in the court I kicked thee in the presence of the king.
Attacked by mighty self, thou couldst not obtain protection. This Virata
is in name only the king of the Matsyas. Commanding the forces of this
realm it is I, who am the real lord of the Matsyas. Do thou, O timid
one, accept me cheerfully. I shall become thy slave. And, O thou of
graceful hips, I will immediately give thee a hundred _nishkas_, and
engage a hundred male and a hundred female servants (to tend thee), and
will also bestow on thee cars yoked with she-mules. O timid lady, let
our union take place.' Draupadi replied, 'O Kichaka, know even this is
my condition. Neither thy friends nor thy brothers should know thy union
with me. I am a terror of detection by those illustrious Gandharvas.
Promise me this, and I yield to thee.' Hearing this Kichaka said, 'I
will, O thou of graceful hips, do even as thou sayest. Afflicted by the
god of love, I will, O beauteous damsel, alone repair to thy abode for
union with thee, O thou of thighs round and tapering like the trunks of
the plantain,--so that those Gandharvas, effulgent as the sun, may not
come to know of this act of thine.' Draupadi said, 'Do thou, when it is
dark, go to the dancing-hall erected by the king of the Matsyas where
the girls dance during the day, repairing to their respective homes at
night. The Gandharvas do not know that place. We shall then without
doubt, escape all censure.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Reflecting on the su