Having thus performed the promise to my friend, I increased my own wealth, and kept up the reputation of the purse by going on with my robberies, and so impoverished the rich misers, that some of them were glad to receive a morsel of food from the beggars to whom they had formerly refused help, and who were now enriched by my liberality.

Still no suspicion fell on me; but fate is all-powerful, and it was decreed that I should be caught at last.

One night, sitting with my charming wife, intoxicated, partly with wine and partly with her sweet caresses, I was seized with madness, and started up, saying:  “All the wealth in the city is not too much for you; I will fill the house with jewels for your sake.”  Then, like a furious elephant who has broken his chain, I rushed out, in spite of her remonstrances, with a drawn sword, and attacked a body of police, who happened to be passing.  Shouting out, “This is the robber!” they soon overpowered me, and I fell to the ground.

The shock sobered me at once, and all the horror of the situation into which I had brought myself by my folly came into my mind.  I thought to myself, my intimacy with Dhanamittra is well known; suspicion will fall on him; and unless I can turn it off, he, as well as my wife, will be arrested to-morrow; and I quickly formed a plan by which they, and perhaps I myself, might be saved.  But no time was to be lost; and as they were about to take me away, I called out to my wife’s nurse, Sringalika, who had followed me, “Begone, old wretch! and tell that vile harlot your mistress, and her paramour, Dhanamittra, that she will never see her ornaments, nor he his magic purse again.  I care not for life, if I am revenged on those two wretches.”

The old woman being remarkably quick-witted, at once understood my object in speaking thus, and very humbly accosting the police said:  “Worthy sir, I entreat you to wait a moment, while I ask your prisoner where he has hid the ornaments of my mistress.”

To, this they assented, and coming to me, she said:  “O, sir, your jealousy is without cause; whatever attentions that man may have paid my mistress, she is not to blame.  Now that you are taken from her, she will have no means of support, and must go on the stage again.  How can she do this without her ornaments?  Take compassion on her, and say where you have hid them.”

Then, as if my anger were appeased, I answered:  “Why should I, who am about to die, harbour resentment?  Come close, and I will whisper where I have put them.”  In this manner I managed to give her a few hurried instructions.  She went away, with many blessings on me, and thanks to the men for their kindness; and I was taken to the king’s prison.

At that time the governor of the prison was a very conceited young man, named Kantaka, who had lately succeeded to the office by the death of his father.  When I was brought in, looking at me in a very contemptuous manner, he said:  “So you are the thief who has committed so many robberies.  If you do not give up the stolen property, and especially the magic purse, you shall suffer every possible variety of torture before you are put to death.”