Seeing the profound emotion--of that wisest king of men, Passing back in haste, Kesinia--told to Damayanti all: Then again did Damayanti--mission to Kesinia give, To approach her royal mother--in her haste her lord to see. "Vahuca we've watched most closely--Nala we suspect him still; Only from his form we doubt him--this myself would fain behold. Cause him enter here, my mother--to my wishes condescend; Known or unknown to my father--let it be decided now." By that handmaid thus accosted--then the queen to Bhima told All his daughter's secret counsel--and the raja gave assent. Instant from her sire the princess--from her mother leave obtained, Bade them make king Nala enter--in the chamber where she dwelt. Sudden as he gazed upon her--upon Damayanti gazed, Nala, he was seized with anguish--and with tears his eyes o'erflowed. And when Damayanti gazed on--Nala, thus approaching near, With an agonizing sorrow--was the noble lady seized. Clad, then, in a scarlet mantle--hair dishevelled, mire-defiled,[133] Unto Vahuca this language--Damayanti thus addressed: "Vahuca beheld'st thou ever--an upright and noble man, Who departed and abandoned--in the wood, his sleeping wife? The beloved wife, and blameless--in the wild wood, worn with grief? Who was he who thus forsook her?--who but Nala, king of men? To the lord of earth, from folly--what offence can I have given? That he fled, within the forest--leaving me, by sleep oppressed? Openly, the gods rejected--was he chosen by me, my lord: Could he leave the true, the loving--her that hath his children borne! By the nuptial fire, in presence--of the gods, he clasped my hand, 'I will be,'[134] this truth he plighted--whither did he then depart?" While all this in broken accents--sadly Damayanti spoke, From her eyes the drops of sorrow--flowed in copious torrents down. Those dark eyes, with vermeil corners--thus with trembling moisture dewed, When king Nala saw, and gazed on--to the sorrowful he spake. "Gaming that I lost my kingdom--'twas not mine own guilty deed, It was Kali wrought within me--hence it was I fled from thee; Therefore he, in th' hour of trial--smitten by thy scathing curse, In the wild wood as thou wanderest--grieving night and day for me, Kali dwelt within my body--burning with thy powerful curse, Ever burning, fiercer, hotter--as when fire is heaped on fire. He, by my religious patience--my devotion, now subdued, Lo! the end of all our sorrows--beautiful! is now at hand. I, the evil one departed, hither have made haste to come; For thy sake, O round-limbed! only;--other business have I none. Yet, O how may high-born woman--from her vowed, her plighted lord, Swerving, choose another husband--even as thou, O trembler, would'st? Over all the earth the heralds--travel by the kings command,