intercourse with each other. But more was yet to be done, and when the
time was nearly arrived at which it had been arranged between me and
the old brahman that he was to come to fetch me, I said to my darling:
"To-morrow, as you know, there will be a procession to a certain holy
place near the river; you and your attendants will join in it and have
an opportunity of bathing there. While we are in the water, I will
scream out, as if drowning, and, diving underneath the surface, will
come up among the bushes a long way off, without being seen. Do you
appear greatly distressed at my death; but fear nothing, I shall soon
come to you again."

Accordingly, the next day, while bathing in the Ganges, I made it
appear as if I were accidentally carried out of my depth and drawn in
by one of the eddies of the river, and screamed out loudly for help.
My cries and screams and subsequent disappearance caused a great
commotion, and long search was made for my body; but of course in
vain, for I had dived under, and come to the surface unobserved among
the thick bushes at the place which had been agreed upon. There,
having gone on shore, I soon found the old brahman, who was waiting
for me with a suit of men's clothes, and, putting them on, I walked
quietly with him into the town.

The next day, as if he had heard nothing of the loss of his pretended
daughter, he went to the king, accompanied by me, and said "My lord, I
have returned from Oujein, and have brought with me this young man,
the intended husband of my daughter, with whom I am much pleased, and
whom I can confidently recommend to your favour, for I have heard an
exceedingly good report of him there. He is not only very learned in
the vedas and commentaries, advanced in science and arts, well
instructed in politics and history, clever in reciting stories and