208 
THE ORIENTAL ANNUAL. 
available mode of escaping the payment, at last — 
fortune having averted her face — determined boldly 
to disregard the fulfilment of his father’s injunction, 
believing that he had so long practised deception, 
that open neglect would now remain unnoticed. 
Having comforted his mind with this reflection, he 
fell asleep, and did not awake until nearly sun-rise, 
when, turning upon his pillow, he again endeavoured 
to woo oblivion ; but the misgivings of a not-quite- 
hardened conscience suffered him not to rest, and 
made him hesitate whether he would not still rise 
and discharge his dues to the Brahmins. While 
his mind still hovered between duty and inclination, 
a brilliant burst of sun-light shot into the room; 
and Vanadosini entering, no sooner beheld her father’s 
countenance, than, with an agonized scream, she 
sunk senseless upon the floor of the room. 
Then the amazed father was suddenly overcome with 
terror, for his conscience forewarned him of evil, though 
he knew not what had befallen him. He hastily 
rose, and with tender solicitude hurried to his daugh- 
ter’s assistance ; but when he stretched out his arms 
to raise her, he was stricken aghast with horror on be- 
holding the shrunken deformity of his own limbs as 
they remained extended. Trembling and faint, un- 
manned by his sudden conviction of the dire calamity 
which had overtaken him, now shocked and dismayed 
at his unholy defiance of his dying father’s most solemn 
charge, he cast himself beside his child, and remained 
