in the storehouse, a servant, a cook, and the store-keeper are quarrelling together; the store-keeper maintaining, “The ghi (clarified butter) I have given is the right quantity;” the cook disputing it; the servant saying, “We could manage with the quantity you give if you left the storehouse unlocked.”  In the hope of receiving doles of rice, many children and beggars with their dogs are sitting waiting.  The cats do not flatter any one; they watch their opportunity, steal in, and help themselves.  Here a cow without an owner is feasting with closed eyes upon the husks of pumpkins, other vegetables, and fruit.

Behind these three inner mahals is the flower-garden; and further yet a broad tank, blue as the sky.  This tank is walled in.  The inner house (the women’s) has three divisions, and in the flower-garden is a private path, and at each end of the path two doors; these doors are private, they give entrance to the three mahals of the inner house.  Outside the house are the stables, the elephant-house, the kennels, the cow-house, the aviaries, etc.

Kunda Nandini, full of astonishment at Nagendra’s unbounded wealth, was borne in a palanquin to the inner apartments, where she saluted Surja Mukhi, who received her with a blessing.

Having recognized in Nagendra the likeness of the man she had seen in her dream, Kunda Nandini doubted whether his wife would not resemble the female figure she had seen later; but the sight of Surja Mukhi removed this doubt.  Surja Mukhi was of a warm, golden colour, like the full moon; the figure in the dream was dark.  Surja Mukhi’s eyes were beautiful, but not like those in the dream.  They were long deer-eyes, extending to the side hair; the eye-brows joined in a beautiful curve over the dilated, densely black pupils, full but steady.  The eyes of the dark woman in the dream were not so enchanting.  Then Surja Mukhi’s features were not similar.  The dream figure was dwarfish; Surja Mukhi rather tall, her figure swaying with the beauty of the honeysuckle creeper.  The dream figure was beautiful, but Surja Mukhi was a hundredfold more so.  The dream figure was not more than twenty years of age; Surja Mukhi was nearly twenty-six.  Kunda saw clearly that there was no resemblance between the two.  Surja Mukhi conversed pleasantly with Kunda, and summoned the attendants, to the chief among whom she said, “This is Kunda with whom I shall give Tara Charan in marriage; therefore see that you treat her as my brother’s wife.”

The servant expressed her assent, and took Kunda aside with her to another place.  At sight of her Kunda’s flesh crept; a cold moisture came over her from head to foot.  The female figure which Kunda in her dream had seen her mother’s fingers trace upon the heavens, this servant was that lotus-eyed, dark-complexioned woman.

Kunda, agitated with fear, breathing with difficulty, asked, “Who are you?”

The servant answered, “My name is Hira.”