226 
THE ORIENTAL ANNUAL. 
stant care, trial, and fatigue, together with a know- 
ledge of the utter ruin of her father, produced a sad 
effect upon her health and bewildered her mind ; the 
colour fled her beautiful cheek, the life of her smile 
departed, her soft eyes were bedimmed with tears, 
and her finely -rounded form was gradually robbed of 
its loveliest perfections. At length, for the first time, 
she appeared not, at the long looked-for hour of sun- 
rise, to repay the anxious watching of the throng ; an 
alarming fever and delirium had laid her delicate 
form prostrate on the bed of sickness; but in her 
place came Bikhari, and with trembling voice, and 
downcast heart and looks, declared to them, that not a 
fraction of Purwatti’s wealth remained in his treasuiy. 
A general response of lamentation and compassion 
was uttered by the crowd, and with prayers for the 
recovery of Vanadosini, and for the safe return of her 
now almost sainted father, they gradually dispersed. 
Scarcely had they all withdrawn from the cover of 
the banian tree, when the arrival of Purwatti and the 
pearl-merchant was announced to the honest Bikhari, 
who hastened to greet them, delighted to be relieved 
from the weight of his fears on their account. With 
cautious delicacy he communicated to them the evils 
which Purwatti, by his own pernicious device, had 
called down from heaven upon his house ; and the 
unfortunate man, execrating himself for his delin- 
quency, could not but confess the justice of his punish- 
ment, and having invoked forgiveness of the gods, he 
