"Seeing the drawn sword held over him he was much alarmed, and said: 'I must have been mad to act as I did and reject such a son-in-law; I will now acknowledge you, and you shall duly marry my daughter.' "He kept his word, the next day announced the intended marriage to all the court, and shortly afterwards publicly gave me his daughter. "Târâvali remained with me, became great friends with her fellow-wife, told her the story which she had related to me, and how her son had been preserved and was taken care of by Queen Vasumati. "Thus I have for some years lived happily, holding, as you know, a very important office." [End of the story of Kâmapâla as told to his servant.] * * * * * "Some time after this, the death of the old king occurred, and as the eldest son had died during his father's lifetime, of consumption brought on by dissipation and debauchery; my master, together with the other ministers, placed Sinhaghosha, a boy about five years old, on the throne, and had him carefully educated. "As the young king grew older, he was surrounded by companions nearer his own age, and they not liking the restraint put upon them by the wise and prudent Kâmapâla, endeavoured secretly to excite a prejudice against him, saying, 'This fellow, who sets himself up to be so wise and virtuous, is a wicked wretch, who first seduced the princess, and then, having escaped the death he so well deserved, managed to get to the bedside of the sleeping king, and to frighten him into compliance with his demands. This Kâmapâla intends to make himself king; he poisoned your eldest brother, and only spared you in order to obtain the support of the people, knowing that the real power would remain in his own hands. Depend on it you will not be suffered to live when you are old enough to shake off his authority. If you wish to be safe you should get rid of him at once.' "With these, and other similar speeches, they so prejudiced the young king against his guardian and minister, that he would gladly have got rid of him at once, but was deterred by fear of the power of his Yaksha wife. "One day the queen, seeing the Princess Kantimati very sad, asked her the reason of her sadness, saying, 'Tell me the truth; you cannot deceive me; what is the cause of this depression?' 'Did I ever deceive you?' she answered; 'my friend and fellow-wife, Târâvali, has taken offence at something done or said by our husband, and though we tried to soothe her, she went away, and has not returned; this is the cause of my distress.' "The queen hearing this, immediately told her husband, 'Kâmapâla has quarrelled with his fairy wife, and she has left him. There is nothing now to prevent your proceeding against him as you please.'