With these thoughts I rose up and approached the bed where she lay, and stood looking at her as if entranced, becoming every moment more enamoured, longing to touch her, but held back by the fear of disturbing her.

While I was thus gazing, she gradually awoke, and raising herself into a sitting posture, looked at me attentively with eyes more than half closed.  At first her lips were opened, as if she were about to cry out; but, apparently restrained by some secret power, she remained silent, trembling all over, and showing in her countenance the signs of mingled doubt, fear, astonishment, bashfulness, and love; till at last, overcome again by sleep, she slowly sank down again on the bed.

Almost at the same time I felt myself irresistibly overcome by drowsiness, and was very soon fast asleep.

When I awoke, I found myself on the bed of leaves once more, alone in the gloomy forest, and day was beginning to appear.

When I was quite awake I had some difficulty in collecting my thoughts, and I said to myself:  “Can all this of which I have such a vivid impression be other than a reality, or was it only a dream, a magical delusion?  Whatever it may be, I will not quit this place till I find out the truth, and I will place myself under the protection of the deity who sent the vision.”

Having formed this resolution, I was waiting where I had slept, when I saw approaching me a female form faded like a flower scorched by the sun, with eyes red from weeping, lips parched by the hot breath of sighs, wearing a scanty black dress, without ornaments, and with her hair in a single braid, like an affectionate wife mourning for the absence of her husband;[6] and with all this having an air of divine dignity, which made me regard her with reverence, and think that she might be the tutelary goddess of the place, to whom I had commended myself; and I prostrated myself before her.  But she raised me up with her arms, and after kissing me again and again, said, with a voice broken by tears and sobs, “O, my darling, surely you have heard from the Queen Vasumati how one night a fairy appeared to her, and placing the child Arthapala[7] in her arms, told her husband’s name and her own; and how the child was brought by order of Kuvera; and then disappeared.  I am that fairy—­your mother.  Bewildered by unreasonable jealousy and anger, I abandoned my husband, your father, Kamapala; and for that sin I was cursed by Durga, who condemned me to be possessed by an evil spirit for a year.  That year, which seemed to me like a thousand years, is ended; and I am now come from the great festival of Siva, where I have met my relations, who had assembled there, and have received full pardon from the goddess.

“In my way thither, I passed by this place, saw you about to lie down, and heard your prayer to the local deity.