I answered, smiling, “Even though I should give up all the other stolen property, I will never let the purse go back to that wretch Dhanamittra, my greatest enemy.  You may try all your tortures; you will never get this secret out of me.”

Finding the fear of torture to have no effect, the next day he tried promises; and so went on from day to day, with alternate soothing and threatening.

Meanwhile, my wounds were attended to, and I was well fed; so that I had regained my strength when, one day, Sringalika made her appearance, well dressed, and with cheerful countenance.

To my surprise, she was allowed to speak to me in private.  She said to me, joyfully “Your plan has succeeded.  As you directed, I went to Dhanamittra and told him, from you:  ’You must go to the king, and say, “The magic purse so lately restored has again been stolen by one whom I regarded as a friend—­a certain gambler, the husband of the actress Ragamanjari.  He has taken it from spite, being jealous of his wife, to whom, from kindness, I often made presents.  He is now in prison for other offences; and if, he is put to death immediately, as he deserves, I fear that I shall never recover my purse.  I pray, therefore, that he may not be executed before he has confessed where it is concealed.  For he admits having taken it; but declares that he will not give it up, unless his life is spared.”  Your friend, admiring your ingenuity, and having full confidence in your resources, immediately went to the king and obtained his request, so that your life is safe for the present.’

“Meanwhile, with the help of gifts furnished by my mistress, I have formed an intimacy with the nurse of the Princess Ambalika, and have been introduced by her to the princess, whose favour I have gained by telling her amusing stories, and whom I have induced to feel an interest in the misfortune of my mistress.

“One day, when I was standing near her in the gallery round the court-yard of the palace, Kantaka, having some business or other, passed through below us.  Picking up a flower which the princess had dropped, I let it fall on his head; and when he looked up to see from whose hand it came, I managed to make the princess laugh at something which I said; and the conceited fool, thinking that it was she who had dropped it to attract his attention, went away looking quite pleased and confused.

“That same evening I received a present for my mistress, a small basket marked with the signet of the princess, and containing articles of no great value.  This I took to Kantaka; and begging him to observe the strictest secrecy, made him believe that the princess had sent it to him.  He was even delighted when, another day, I brought him a dirty dress, telling him that she had worn it.

“Finding him quite ready to believe this, and convinced that she was in love with him, I kept up an imaginary correspondence, bringing very loving messages from her, which I invented, and receiving many from him in return, which I took care not to deliver.  His presents, of course, I kept for myself.