AMRA. 145 



himself upon the earth in an agony of self humiliation ; he crawled 

 to the feet of his preceptor, he kissed them, he clasped his knees. 

 In broken words he revealed himself, and confessed the treacherous 

 artifice of which he was at once the instrument and the victim. The 

 Brahman stood motionless, scarcely comprehending the words spo- 

 ken. At length he seemed to awaken to the sense of what he heard, 

 and trembled from head to foot with an exceeding horror; but he 

 uttered no word of reproach : and after a pause, he suddenly drew 

 the sacrificial poniard from his girdle, and would have plunged it 

 into his own bosom, if Faizi had not arrested his arm, and without 

 difficulty snatched the weapon from his shaking and powerless grasp. 



"If yet there be mercy for me," he exclaimed, "add not to my 

 crimes this worst of all make me not a sacrilegious murderer ! 

 Here," he added, kneeling and opening his bosom, " strike ! satisfy 

 at once a just vengeance, and end all fears in the blood of an abhor- 

 red betrayer ! Strike, ere it be too late ! " 



The old man twice raised his hand, but it was without strength. 

 He dropped the knife, and folding his arms and sinking his head 

 upon his bosom, he remained silent. 



" O yet ! " exclaimed Faizi, lifting with reverence the hem of his 

 robe and pressing it to his lips, " if there remain a hope for me, tell 

 me by what penance terrible, prolonged, and unheard-of I may 

 expiate this sin ; and hear me swear, that, henceforth, neither temp- 

 tation, nor torture, nor death itself, shall force me to reveal the secrets 

 of the Brahmin faith, nor divulge the holy characters in which they 

 are written : and if I break this vow, may I perish from off the earth 

 like a dog ! " 



The Brahman clasped his hands, and turned his eyes for a moment 

 on the imploring countenance of the youth, but averted them instantly 

 with a shudder. 



" What have I to do with thee," he said, at length, " thou serpent ! 

 Well is it written i Though the upas-tree were watered with nectar 

 from heaven instead of dew, yet would it bear poison.' Yet swear " 



" I do I will " 



" Never to behold my face again, nor utter with those guileful and 

 polluted lips the name of my daughter," 



" My father ! " 



" Father ! " repeated the old man, with a flash of indignation, but 

 it was instantly subdued. " Swear ! " he repeated, " if vows can bind 

 a thing so vile ! " 



" My father, I embrace thy knees ! Not heaven itself can annul 

 the past, and Amra is mine beyond the power of fate or vengeance 

 to disunite us but by death ! " 



