224 
THE ORIENTAL ANNUAL. 
with a request for his handful of meal, nothing could 
exceed his surprise on beholding that most lovely of 
women, with her own sweet little hand distributing 
Purwatti’s bounty. They saw through his fraudulent 
intention, but considering themselves more than abun- 
dantly recompensed for their short measure by the 
honour of receiving it from so fair and delicate a hand, 
and for the sake of a look at so exquisite a beauty, 
they felt disposed neither to blame nor to regret Pur- 
watti’s cunning expedient, but the rather extolled his 
prudence. But above all, every mouth was filled with 
rapturous praises of the incomparable Vanadosini ; 
the fame of her charms spread with astonishing cele- 
rity through all parts of the coqntry, and multi- 
tudes flocked daily to obtain a sight of her; many 
exalted her with celestial attributes, and as her vota- 
ries daily increased, divine homage was paid to her 
by thousands. Artless and unaffected as was the 
sweet girl who excited all this ferment of admiration 
and devotion, she could not remain uninformed of its 
meaning, and not daring to disobey her parent’s com- 
mands, she naturally had recourse to a veil, which so 
completely enveloped her person as to leave not the 
least view of her, except only the little hand with 
which the fine meal was measured. This expedient, 
however, far from removing the annoyance of her 
importunate slaves, rather excited their curiosity and 
inflamed their imaginations, so that her trials were 
daily increased ; and in the midst of the wild tumult 
