As when the forest is on fire the nests of young birds are consumed in the flames, and the mother-bird bringing food, and seeing neither tree, nor nest, nor young ones, with cries of anguish whirls in circles round the fire seeking her nest, so did Nagendra wander from place to place in search of Surja Mukhi.

As in the fathomless depths of the boundless ocean, a jewel having fallen cannot again be seen, so Surja Mukhi was lost to sight.

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE SIGNS OF LOVE.

As a cotton rag placed near fire becomes burnt, so the heart of Hira became ever more inflamed by the remarkable beauty of Debendra.  Many a time Hira’s virtue and good name would have been endangered by passion, but that Debendra’s character for sensuality without love came to her mind and proved a safeguard.  Hira had great power of self-control, and it was through this power that she, though not very virtuous, had hitherto easily preserved her chastity.  The more certainly to rule her heart, Hira determined to go again to service.  She felt that in daily work her mind would be distracted, and she would be able to forget this unfortunate passion which stung like the bite of a scorpion.  Thus when Nagendra, leaving Kunda Nandini at Govindpur, was about to set forth, Hira, on the strength of past service, begged to be re-engaged, and Nagendra consented.  There was another cause for Hira’s resolve to resume service.  In her greed for money, anticipating that Kunda would become the favourite of Nagendra, she had taken pains to bring her under her own sway.  “Nagendra’s wealth,” she had reflected, “will fall into Kunda’s hands, and when it is Kunda’s it will be Hira’s.”  Now Kunda had become the mistress of Nagendra’s house, but she had not obtained possession of any special wealth.  But at this time Hira’s mind was not dwelling on this matter.  Hira was not thinking of wealth; even had she done so, money obtained from Kunda would have been as poison to her.

Hira was able to endure the pain of her own unsatisfied passion, but she could not bear Debendra’s passion for Kunda.  When Hira heard that Nagendra was journeying abroad, and that Kunda would remain as grihini (house-mistress), then, remembering Haridasi Boisnavi, she became much alarmed, and stationed herself as a sentinel to place obstacles in the path of Debendra.  It was not from a desire to secure the welfare of Kunda Nandini that Hira conceived this design.  Under the influence of jealousy Hira had become so enraged with Kunda, that far from wishing her well she would gladly have seen her go to destruction.  But in jealous fear lest Debendra should gain access to Kunda, Hira constituted herself the guardian of Nagendra’s wife.