The king says to the queen,

“Here, madam, is Sagarika rescued in obedience to your commands.”  The queen smiling replies, “I am sensible of your obedience, my lord.”  She now informs all present, “Yaugandharayana presented her to me, and told me she had been rescued from the sea:  it was hence we designated her Sagarika or the ocean Maid.”  The likeness—­the necklace—­the recovery of the damsel from the sea—­leave no doubt in the mind of Vasubhuti that this is the daughter of the king of Simhala, Ratnavali.  Vasubhuti advances to her who looks at him.  They recognize each other and both faint.  After some time they recover.  As Ratnavali goes to embrace the queen at her invitation, she stumbles.  At the request of the queen who blushes for her cruelty, the king takes the chains off Ratnavali’s feet.  Yaugandharayana now explains his conduct thus, “It was formerly announced to us by a holy seer, that the husband of the princess of Simhala should become the emperor of the world.  We therefore earnestly applied to her father to give her hand to our sovereign; but unwilling to be cause of uneasiness to the queen, the monarch of Simhala declined compliance with our request:  we therefore raised a report that Vasavadatta had perished by a fire at Lavanaka, and Babhravya was despatched with the news to the court of Simhala.  Vikrambahu then consented to our proposal and sent his daughter on board a ship accompanied by Vasubhuti and Babhravya.  The ship was wrecked.  The princess was rescued from the sea by a merchant who brought her to me.  I placed her with the queen in a very unsuitable station as I expected you would see her in the inner apartments, and take pleasure in her sight.  I had some concern in the appearance of the magician who had conjured up a vision of the gods and a conflagration, as no other means remained of restoring the damsel to your presence and creating an opportunity for Vasubhuti to see and recognise the princess.”  The queen now puts on Ratnavali her own jewels, then takes her by the hand and presents her to the king.  Ratnavali bows to the queen who embraces her.  The king observes, “My cares are all rewarded.  Nothing more is necessary, Vikrambahu is my kinsman, Sagarika, the essence of the world, the source of universal victory, is mine, and Vasavadatta rejoices to obtain a sister.  The Kosalas are subdued:  what other object does the world present for which I could entertain a wish?  This be alone my prayer; may Indra with seasonable showers render the earth bountiful of grain; may the presiding Brahmans secure the favour of the gods by acceptable sacrifices; may the association of the pious confer delight until the end of time, and may the appalling blasphemies of the profane be silenced for ever.”

APPENDIX.

THE VALUE OF DRAMA.