goddess form, with thick and luxuriant tresses hanging to her ankles! noiseless and motionless as before! Whence had that sudden apparition come behind him? Nobokumar saw that the woman had her finger on her lips, and understood that she was forbidding him to speak. Nor was there much necessity for such prohibition, for what was Nobokumar to say? There he stood, filled with astonishment. The Kapálik went on in front, and saw nothing of all this. When they were out of his hearing, the woman said something in a soft voice, and these were the sounds that entered Nobokumar's ear—
"Where are you going? Do not go—return—flee!"
Having said this, the speaker disappeared without waiting for a reply. For some moments Nobokumar stood dumfoundered. He was eager to follow the woman, but he could not make out in what direction she had gone. He thought, "Whose magic is this? or am I under a delusion? These words indicate danger, but danger of what? Tantriks can
