HURDWAR. 
205 
chaplet he had spoken at random, without considering 
the exact demand he ought to make ; for he little 
thought that Vanadosini was able to buy so valuable 
an ornament: and having cast these things in his 
mind, while the lahk of rupees was being counted, 
he turned to the bania and requested that he would 
satisfy himself as to the real worth of the trinket : but 
the bania replied that he purchased not the bauble 
for its worth sake but because his child had desired 
it, and at the same time he expressed confidence in 
the fair dealing of the merchant. Then when the 
money had been told, the merchant desired that 
seventy thousand rupees only might be made over 
to him, as that was the precise value of the chaplet, 
explaining how he had inconsiderately named a larger 
sum. This candid and generous hehaviour of one 
from whom they so little expected it, whose fellow- 
dealers are notoriously dishonest, won the admiration 
and friendship of Purwatti and Bikhari, the banker, 
who was a man of considerable wealth and influence ; 
and they, expressing these sentiments with much 
warmth, begged that he would tarry with them a few 
days, since they were desirous of improving their ac- 
quaintance with so excellent a man. They found 
little persuasion necessary for their purpose as far as 
it was in his power to comply, but at the same time, 
he declared his inability to remain beyond the dawn 
of the next day, since he had a long journey to perform 
in a very short time ; he gladly accepted their hos- 
T 
