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me on a pleasure journey." When my friend had heard this from the youth's friend, she, being questioned by him in turn, told my name and descent as I have now told it to you.
Then I and the hermit's son became still more in love with one another from hearing one another's descent, and while we were lingering there, a second attendant came and said to me, " Rise up, your father, fair one, is waiting for you in the dining-room of the palace." When I heard that, I said " I will return quickly," and leaving the youth there, I went into the presence of my father out of fear. And when I came out, having taken a very little food, the first attendant came to me and said of her own accord: " The friend of that hermit's son came here, my friend, and standing at the door of the court said to me in a state of hurried excitement— ' Raśmimat has sent me here now, bestowing on me the power of travelling in the air, which he inherits from his father, to see Manorathaprabhá: he is reduced to a terrible state by love and cannot retain his breath a moment longer, without that mistress of his life.' " The moment I heard this, I left my father's palace, and, accompanied by that friend of the hermit's son, who showed me the way, and my attendant, I came here, and when I arrived here, I saw that that hermit's son, separated from me, had resigned, at the rising of the moon, the nectar of his life. So I, grieved by separation from him, was blaming my vital frame, and longing to enter the fire with his body. But at that very moment a man, with a body like a mass of flame, descended from the sky, and flew up to heaven with his body.
Then I was desirous to hurl myself into the fire alone, but at that moment a voice issued from the air here; " Manorathaprabhá, do not do this thing, for at the appointed time thou shalt be re-united to this thy hermit's son." On hearing this, I gave up the idea of suicide, and here I remain full of hope, waiting for him, engaged in the worship of Śiva. And as for the friend of the hermit's son, he has disappeared somewhere.
When the Vidyádhara maiden had said this, Somaprabha said to her, " Then, why do you remain alone, where is that female attendant of yours? When the Vidyádhara maiden heard this, she answered: " There is a king of the Vidyádharas, named Sinhavikrama, and he has a matchless daughter named Makarandika; she is a friend of mine, dear as my life, who sympa- thizes with my grief, and she to-day sent her attendant to learn tidings of me. So I sent back my own attendant to her, with her attendant; it is for that reason that I am at present alone." As she was saying this, she pointed out to Somaprabha her attendant descending from heaven. And she made the attendant, after she had told her news, strew a bed of leaves for Somaprabha, and also give grass to his horse.
Then, after passing the night, they rose up in the morning, and saw approaching a Vidyádhara, who had descended from heaven. And that
