MONEA. 
41 
They had not continued their distressing advance 
far beyond the suburbs, when, utterly overpowered 
with fatigue, they were compelled to seek shelter in 
a miserable deserted hovel by the road side. Here 
they were fortunately supplied with water and a small 
quantity of parched grain by a woman, who, commise- 
rating their sufferings, followed them from the town 
after sunset, and with more humanity than her neigh- 
bours endeavoured to sooth and encourage them. 
The exhausted father and child having in the warmest 
terms expressed their gratitude, received an assurance 
that her kindness should be renewed before they de- 
parted on their journey the next morning. Relieved 
and animated by this tender treatment which they so 
little expected, it was with complete resignation, and 
something approaching to happiness that they lay 
themselves down to rest upon the ground, rendered 
little more inviting by the miserable blanket which 
the father carried. 
Here in soft sleep (a while) they escaped the extreme 
misery of their condition. The slumbers of the beau- 
tiful Chahni, gentle and unbroken, were such as had 
not visited her couch for many months ; but the 
anxiety and careful solicitude of the Raja rendered 
his sleep disturbed and restless. Trains of dim 
and confused images crowded through his mind, as- 
suming now the substantial form of waking thought, 
and now the misty, strange, disordered semblance of 
a vision. The miserable hut which covered them 
e 3 
