After this, Dhanamittra, making no secret of his acquisition of the purse, disposed of all his property somewhat ostentatiously, leaving himself absolutely nothing but the clothes which he wore; and in the morning, having filled the purse with gold--the proceeds of the robbery--he showed it to his neighbours, who were fully convinced of its magic powers. The fame of the purse was thus spread abroad; and we were able to account for our newly-acquired wealth, without incurring any suspicion as to the manner of obtaining it. At this time; for reasons which will presently appear, I induced Vimardaka to enter the service of Arthapati; and directed him to use all possible means to excite his master against Dhanamittra. In this he had no difficulty; for the father of Kulapâlika, hearing of his sudden acquisition of wealth, did not even wait to be asked, but of his own accord renewed the former engagement, and rejected Arthapati. About that time it was publicly announced that a younger sister of Kâmamanjari--Râgamanjari by name--would make her first appearance as a dancer and singer. Great expectations having been raised, a large number of spectators, including myself and my friend Dhanamittra, were present at the performance. I was struck by her beauty the instant she appeared on the stage; but when I heard her sweet voice, and saw her graceful movements, I was perfectly enchanted, and unable to take my eyes off her for a moment. The performance being ended, she withdrew, followed by the longing eyes and loud applause of the spectators; and giving, as I fancied, a significant look at me. The next day I was anxious, restless, and unable to eat; and could do nothing but roam about listlessly, or lie on the couch, thinking of her, and making the excuse of a bad headache. My friend, seeing me in this state, easily guessed the reason of it, and said to me in private: "I know the cause of your uneasiness, and can give you good hopes. That girl is virtuous, whatever her mother and sister may be; and having watched her closely at the performance, I am convinced that she was much struck with you; therefore, if you are willing to make her your wife, there will be no great difficulties to overcome as far as she is concerned; for, resisting all seductions and the persuasions of her wicked mother and sister, she has declared: 'No man shall have me except as a wife; and I must be won by merit, not by money.' "On the other hand, her mother and sister, fearing lest she should be withdrawn from the stage, have gone to the king, and obtained, through many tears and entreaties, a decree that if any man shall take the girl, either in marriage or not, without her mother's consent, he shall be put to death like a robber. Therefore, when you have gained her love, you must also obtain the mother's consent; and that can only be done by means of a large bribe; she will not listen to any other inducement."