101 



AMRA. 

 Continued from page 64. 



SHE replied, " To Adhar, priest of Indore, and the friend of Sarma. 

 I was married to him while yet an infant, after the manner of our 

 tribe/' Then perceiving his increasing disturbance, she continued, 

 hurriedly, and with downcast eyes : " I have never seen him : he 

 has long dwelt in the countries of the south, whither he was called 

 on an important mission ; but he will soon return to reside here in 

 the sacred city of his fathers, and will leave it no more. Why then 

 should Govinda be sad ?" She laid her hand timidly upon his arm 

 and looked up in his face. 



Govinda would fain have taken that beautiful little hand, and 

 covered it with kisses and with tears ; but he was restrained by a 

 feeling of respect, which he could not himself comprehend. He 

 feared to alarm her; he contented himself with fixing his eyes on 

 the hand which rested on his arm ; and he said, in a soft melancholy 

 voice, " When Adhar returns, Govinda will be forgotten." 



"Oh, never! never!" she exclaimed, with sudden emotion, arid 

 lifting towards him eyes, that floated in tears. Govinda bent down 

 his head, and pressed his lips upon her hand. She withdrew it has- 

 tily and rose from the ground. 



At that moment her nurse, Gautami, approached them. " My 

 child," said she, in a tone of reproof, u dost thou yet linger here, 

 and the auspicious moment almost past ? If thou delayest longer, 

 evil demons will disturb and consume the pious oblation, and the 

 dead will frown upon the abandoned altar. Hasten, my daughter ; 

 take up the basket of offerings, and walk before us." 



Amra, trembling, leaned upon her maids, and prepared to obey ; 

 but when she had made a few steps, she turned back, as if to salute 

 her brother, and repeated in a low emphatic tone the word " Never ! " 

 then turned away. Govinda stood looking after the group, till 

 the last wave of their white veils disappeared ; and listened till the 

 tinkling of their silver anklets could no longer be distinguished. 

 Then he started as from a dream : he tossed his arms above his head ; 

 he flung himself upon the earth in an agony of jealous fury ; he gave 

 way to all the pent-up passions, which had been for years accumu- 

 lating in his heart. All at once he rose : he walked to and fro ; he 

 stopped. A hope had darted into his mind, even through the gloom 

 of despair. " For what," thought he, " have I sold myself? For 

 riches ! for honour ! for power ! Ah ! what are they in such a mo- 

 ment ? Dust of the earth, toys, empty breath! For what is the 



