. But the beautiful woman was dearer than life to her husband,
dear as long-fathered wealth to a miser.

One day Jewel-guard started for Copper City to pay a loving visit to
his parents. Then the hot summer came, and the roads were blocked for
travellers by the sharp arrows of the sun. The winds blew soft with the
fragrance of jasmine and trumpet-flower, like sighs from the mouths of
mountains separated from the springtime. And wind-swept dust-clouds
flew to the sky like messengers from the burning earth begging for
clouds. And the feverish days moved slowly like wayfarers who cling to
the shade of trees. And the nights clad in pale yellow moonlight became
very feeble without the invigorating embrace of winter.

At this time Love-cluster, anointed with cooling sandal, and clad in
thin garments stood at her lattice-window. And she saw a handsome youth
with a friend whom he trusted. He seemed the god of love born anew and
seeking his bride. He was the son of the king's priest, and his name
was Lotus-lake.

And when Lotus-lake saw the lovely girl, he expanded with delight as
lotuses in a lake expand at the sight of the moon. When the two young
people saw each other, their hearts embraced each other at the bidding
of Love, their teacher.

So Lotus-lake was smitten with love, and was led home with difficulty
by his friend. And Love-cluster was equally maddened by love. First she
learned from her friend his name and home, then slowly withdrew to her
room. There she thought of him and became feverish with love, simply
tossing on her couch, seeing nothing and hearing nothing.

After two or three days spent in this way, she felt bashful and
fearful, pale and thin from the separation, and hopeless of union with
her lover. So, as if drawn on by the moonbeam which shone through her
window, she went out at night when her people were asleep, determined
to die. And she came to a pool under a tree in her garden.

There stood a family image of the goddess Gauri, set up by her father.
She drew near to this image, bowed before the goddess, praised her, and
said: "O Goddess, since I could not have Lotus-lake as my husband in
this life, may he be my husband in some other life!" And she made a
noose of her garment, and tied it to the ashoka tree before the goddess.

At that moment her trusty friend awoke, and not finding her in the
room, hunted about and came luckily into the garden. There she saw the
girl fastening the noose about he