with a young man.  At the appointed time Lela went to the rendez-vous and hid himself in a tree; soon he saw the Brahman’s daughter come to the place, but as her letter had not been delivered her lover did not appear.  The girl got tired of waiting and then she began to call to her lover, thinking that perhaps he was hiding for a joke.  When she called, Lela answered from the tree and she thought that it was her lover and said “Come down and let us be off.”  So Lela came down and they started off together; when day dawned she saw that it was Lela who was with her and she sat down and upbraided him for deceiving her.  Lela said that they had met by chance; he had not enticed her away, no harm had been done and she could go home if she liked or come away with him if she liked.  The girl considered but she saw that if she went home now she would be disgraced and her family would be outcasted, so in the end she agreed to run away with Lela.

They went on and after travelling some days they came to a great city, where they took up their quarters in a tumble-down house and the next morning Lela went into the city to look for work.  He went to the cutcherry and enrolled himself as a muktear (attorney) and soon the litigants and the magistrates found out how clever he was and he acquired a big practice.  One day the Raja said, “This fellow is very handsome, I wonder what his wife is like?” And he sent an old woman to see; so the old woman went and got into conversation with Lela’s wife and returned to the Raja and told him that none of his wives was so beautiful as Lela’s wife; so the Raja determined to go and see her himself, and as the old woman said that she would hide herself in the house if she saw the Raja coming, he disguised himself as a poor man and went and saw her; he found that the old woman had not exaggerated and he determined to possess himself of Lela’s wife.  He had first to get Lela out of the way, so he sent for him and said, “You are a fine fellow and have given me satisfaction.  I have one more commission for you, if you perform it I will give you half my kingdom and my sister in marriage.”  Lela said that he must hear what it was before he made any promise.  The Raja said “It is this:  in a certain mountain grows the Chandmoni Kusum flower; bring it to me and I will give you what I have promised:”—­but the Raja felt sure that if Lela went to the mountain he would be eaten by the Rakhas (ogress) who dwelt there.  Lela said that he would go if the Raja gave him a written bond In the presence of witnesses; and this the Raja willingly did.  Then Lela went and told his wife and she said, “This is excellent:  I have a younger sister in the mountain, her name is Chandmoni and it was she who planted the Chandmoni Kusum flower; when you get there call her by her name and she will certainly give you the flower.”