she went and told her husband, whose name was
Spotless.

So Spotless went and saw how his son was acting, and said: "My son, why
should you be downcast? Your desire is not hard to obtain. For if I ask
Clean-cloth, he will surely give you his daughter. We are not inferior
to him in birth, wealth, or social position. I know him and he knows
me. So there is no difficulty about it." Thus Spotless comforted his
son, made him eat and take care of himself, went with him the next day
to Clean-cloth's house, and asked that the girl might be given to his
son White. And Clean-cloth graciously promised to give her to him.

Then when the time came, Clean-cloth gave White his charming daughter,
a wife worthy of him. And when he was married, White went happily to
his father's house with his sweet bride.

Now as he lived there happily, Lovely's brother came to visit. And when
they had all asked him about his health and his sister had greeted him
with a kiss, and after he had rested, he said: "My father sent me to
invite Lovely and White to a festival in our house." And all the
relatives said it was a good plan and entertained him that day with
appropriate things to drink and eat.

The next morning White set out for his father-in-law's house, together
with his brother-in-law and Lovely. And when he came to the city
Beautiful, he saw the great temple of Gauri. And he said to Lovely and
her brother: "We will see this goddess. I will go first and you two
stay here." So White went in to see the goddess. He entered the temple
and bowed before the goddess whose eighteen arms had killed the
horrible demons, whose lotus-feet were set upon a giant that she had
crushed.

And when he had worshipped her, an idea suddenly came to him. "People
honour this goddess with all kinds of living sacrifices. Why should I
not win her favour by sacrificing myself?" And he fetched a sword from
a deserted inner room, cut off his own head, and let it fall on the
floor.

Presently his brother-in-law entered the temple to see why he delayed
so long. And when he saw his brother-in-law with his head cut off, he
went mad with grief, and cut off his own head in the same way with the
same sword.

Then when he failed to come out, Lovely was alarmed and entered the
temple. And when she saw her husband and her brother in that condition,
she cried: "Alas! This is the end of me!" and fell weeping to the
floor. But presently she rose, lamenting for the pair so unexpe