When everything for the funeral was arranged, she came into the private room, where the body had been laid, and there saw her husband fully recovered, and me sitting by him.  Great was her delight and astonishment at this wonderful and sudden change; and having first embraced her husband, she threw her arms round me, and, with a voice broken by sobs of joy, said:  “O, my darling son, how can I deserve such happiness?—­I, who so cruelly abandoned you at your birth, and suffered you to be taken away, as if dead? but your father was not to blame for that; he, indeed, deserves to have been restored to life by you, and to have the happiness of seeing you.  Cruel, indeed, was Taravali, who, when she had received you again from Kuvera, did not bring you at once to me; but what could I expect from her?  It is through her unkindness in leaving us that all this misfortune has happened; but I must not complain; I was not worthy, without previous suffering, to enjoy such great happiness.  Come and embrace me.”

Saying this, she again threw her arms round me, and kissed me repeatedly, trembling with emotion, and shedding many tears of joy.  My father’s feelings were scarcely less excited.  He seemed to have risen from the lowest depth of misery to the summit of felicity, and esteemed himself more fortunate than even Indra the King of the Gods.

When we were all somewhat calmed, and I had explained to my father all that had occurred, I said:  “There is much yet to be done; the king will soon find out the deception which has been practised, and send to arrest you again; so we must consider how we can defend ourselves.”

My father answered:  “This house is a very large one; the walls are strong; there are many secret passages; I have a great store of weapons; my servants are brave and faithful, so that we could hold out for several days.  Besides this I have many friends in the city; most of the authorities will favour me; many of the soldiers will be on my side, and there are many persons discontented and ready to rebel against the king.  Therefore, if we act prudently, we shall have much assistance, and be able to cut off that tyrant.”

With this I entirely agreed, and we prepared for defence.  As I had expected, the king, finding how he had been deceived, sent soldiers to take us; but, though they made many attempts, we drove them back day after day, with very small loss to ourselves.

Meanwhile, fearing lest we should at last be overpowered, if something more were not done, I determined, if possible, to seize the person of the king; and, as my father’s house was not far from the palace, I began to make an underground passage inside, in order to reach his sleeping-room, the exact position of which I had learnt from my father.  After digging for some distance, I came, to my great astonishment, into a large, lofty, well-lighted room, occupied by a number of women, among whom was a young lady of surpassing beauty, resembling the wife of Kama, or the tutelary goddess of the city, who had hidden herself here to avoid the sight of so much wickedness above.