HURDWAR. 
201 
so that since the time when he had wooed her mother, 
he had restrained himself from all absurd extrava- 
gance. But it is seldom among the gifts of imperfect 
mortals to avoid one extreme without falling into the 
other ; if we quit the open road of folly, we are in 
danger of selecting the bye path across the morass of 
insidious evil. As Purwatti had been contemptibly 
prodigal before, so did he now become meanly avari- 
cious and uncharitable ; and this failing induced him 
to study all sorts of deceitful inventions, by which he 
might defraud the Brahmins of their tithes. 
One day a pearl -merchant from Manaar, in the 
island of Ceylon, having arrived with ornaments of 
great lustre and value, entered the bania's shop to 
purchase some rice, and beholding the beautiful face of 
Vanadosini, he became desirous of conversing with so 
charming a person ; he immediately offered to exhibit 
his costly wares, saying, with the ill grace of one from 
an uncivilized country, that although the daughter of 
a bania could not be expected to purchase gems of 
such inestimable price, reserved for the wealthy, still 
she might be permitted to admire them ; and forthwith 
he laid out before her the richest contents of his jewel 
case. Now although Vanadosini, whom every one 
flattered and extolled as far superior to all earthly 
princesses, was vexed with the rude speech of the 
merchant, she became absorbed in astonishment at his 
magnificent treasures, and continued in praise and 
admiration of each successive ornament which he dis- 
