"He that to Ayodhya's city--went, the holy Brahmin first, Of his faithful wife these sayings--uttered once and once again; 'Whither went'st thou then, O gamester--half my garment severing off; Leaving her within the forest--all forsaken, thy belov'd? Even as thou commanded'st, sits she--sadly waiting thy return, Day and night, consumed with sorrow--in her scant half garment clad. O to her for ever weeping--in the extreme of her distress, Grant thy pity, noble hero--answer to her earnest prayer.' Speak again the words thou uttered'st--words of comfort to her soul, The renowned Vidarbha's princess--fain that speech would hear again, When the Brahmin thus had spoken--what thou answered'st back to him, That again Vidarbha's princess--in the self-same words would hear." VRIHADASVA _spake_. Of king Nala, by the handmaid--fair Kesinia thus addressed, All the heart was wrung with sorrow--and the eyes o'erflowed with tears. But his anguish still suppressing--inly though consumed, the king, With a voice half choked with weeping--thus repeated his reply. "Even in the extreme of misery--noble women still preserve Over their own selves the mastery--by their virtues winning heaven; By their faithless lords abandoned--anger feel they not, e'en then; In the breastplate of their virtue--noble women live unharmed. By the wretched, by the senseless--by the lost to every joy, She by such a lord forsaken--to resentment will not yield. Against him, by hunger wasted--of his robe by birds despoiled, Him consumed with utmost misery--still no wrath, the dark-hued feels; Treated well, or ill-entreated--when her husband 'tis she sees, Spoiled of bliss, bereft of kingdom--famine wasted, worn with woe." In these words as spake king Nala--in the anguish of his heart, Could he not refrain from weeping--his unwilling tears burst forth. Then departing, fair Kesinia--told to Damayanti all, All that Vahuca had spoken--all th' emotion he betrayed. BOOK XXIII. Hearing this, fair Damayanti--all abandoned to her grief. Thinking still that he was Nala--to Kesinia spake again. "Go, Kesinia, go, examine--Vahuca, and all his acts, Silent take thy stand beside him--and observe whate'er he does; Nor, Kesinia, be there given him--fire his labours to assist: Neither be there given him water--in thy haste, at his demand: All, when thou hast well observed him--every act to me repeat, Every act that more than mortal--seems in Vahuca, relate." Thus addressed by Damayanti--straight Kesinia went again, Of the tamer of the horses--every act observed, came back; Every act as she had seen it--she to Damayanti told: Every more than mortal wonder--that in Vahuca appeared. KESINIA _spake_.