On hearing this, Nagendra rushed out of the house.  Srish Chandra would have gone with him, but Nagendra would not allow it.  The wretched man wandered up and down the road like a madman for hours.  He wished to forget himself in the crowd, but at that time there was no crowd; and who can forget himself?  Then he returned to the house, and sat down with Srish Chandra, to whom he said:  “The Brahmachari must have learned from her where she went, and what she did.  Tell me all he said to you.”

“Why talk of it now?” said Srish; “take some rest.”

Nagendra frowned, and commanded Srish Chandra to speak.

Srish perceived that Nagendra had become like a madman.  His face was dark as a thunder-cloud.  Afraid to oppose him, he consented to speak, and Nagendra’s face relaxed.  He began—­

“Walking slowly from Govindpur, Surja Mukhi came first in this direction.”

“What distance did she walk daily?” interrupted Nagendra.

“Two or three miles.”

“She did not take a farthing from home; how did she live?”

“Some days fasting, some days begging—­are you mad?” with these words Srish Chandra threatened Nagendra, who had clutched at his own throat as though to strangle himself, saying—­

“If I die, shall I meet Surja Mukhi?”

Srish Chandra held the hands of Nagendra, who then desired him to continue his narrative.

“If you will not listen calmly, I will tell you no more,” said Srish.

But Nagendra heard no more; he had lost consciousness.  With closed eyes he sought the form of the heaven-ascended Surja Mukhi; he saw her seated as a queen upon a jewelled throne.  The perfumed wind played in her hair, all around flower-like birds sang with the voice of the lute; at her feet bloomed hundreds of red water-lilies; in the canopy of her throne a hundred moons were shining, surrounded by hundreds of stars.  He saw himself in a place full of darkness, pain in all his limbs, demons inflicting blows upon him, Surja Mukhi forbidding them with her outstretched finger.

With much difficulty Srish Chandra restored Nagendra to consciousness; whereupon Nagendra cried loudly—­

“Surja Mukhi, dearer to me than life, where art thou?”

At this cry, Srish Chandra, stupefied and frightened, sat down in silence.

At length, recovering his natural state, Nagendra said, “Speak.”

“What can I say?” asked Srish.

“Speak!” said Nagendra.  “If you do not I shall die before your eyes.”

Then Srish said:  “Surja Mukhi did not endure this suffering many days.  A wealthy Brahman, travelling with his family, had to come as far as Calcutta by boat, on his way to Benares.  One day as Surja Mukhi was lying under a tree on the river’s bank, the Brahman family came there to cook.  The grihini entered into conversation with Surja Mukhi, and, pitying her condition, took her into the boat, as she had said that she also was going to Benares.”