🧚 A Sleep and a Dream., part 7 · page 2

Then one laid hands upon her, and then another, till she was nearly torn in pieces.61 And finally they came to blows, and fought for her over her body, filled by the frenzy begotten by her beauty, and the desire of exclusive possession[2].62 And very soon they were all either dead or dying of wounds, for each was more eager to destroy another than to protect himself: and they lay all about her unable to move.63 Then Shrí, seizing her opportunity, and urged by terror, rose up and fled away from them, being sprinkled by their blood, mingled with her own, for she had received in the struggle a blow from a Bhilla that was meant for another.64 And she ran on, stumbling over roots and creepers in her haste, till she came at last to a forest pool.65 And there she lay down at the edge of the water and drank greedily; and afterwards washed her wound and stains, and bathed her feet, and overcome by weariness, fell asleep.66 Then the moon rose, and stole through the trees and kissed her with beams that trembled with admiration[3]; and the wild animals came down, one by one, to drink at the pool, and obedient to the commands of Triambaka, did her no harm, but licked her feet and hands as she lay.67

Now, as fate would have it, this was the very pool, at which Umra-Singh had met with Ulupí, the daughter of the Daitya.68 And in course of the night, Ulupí came herself to the pool, to dance and sport according to her wont.69 And when she arrived, she saw Shrí, lying asleep by the pool.70 So she came and stood over her, and marvelled at the beauty of her limbs, even though her eyes were shut.71 And at last, out of curiosity, she touched her on the bosom with her finger, saying to herself: Is this an illusion, or is it a real woman, and is she dead or alive?72 But Shrí shuddered at her touch, for it suggested evil to her sleeping soul.73 And she opened her eyes, and their deep blue awoke the envy of the daughter of the Daitya, and astonished her even more than before.74

Then they looked at each other, like light and darkness, and each wondered at the loveliness of the other, forgetful of her own.75 And at last Ulupí said: Who art thou, and what is thy name and family, and whence hast thou come to my pool, and why?76 Shrí said: I am a King's daughter, looking for my husband, whom I lost, by the operation of crimes in a former birth, at the very moment that I found him again, after that he had returned to me from the Land of the Lotus of the Sun. But when Ulupí heard her, she was filled with sudden rage and malice.77 And she said to herself: Ha! so this is that absent lotus of the day, by reason of whom my beauty was scorned, and set at nought by the handsome stranger who saw me dancing by my pool.78 And instantly she started up, and assuming a terrific form, she gnashed at Shrí with teeth like saws, and made horrible grimaces at her, saying: Wretch, thou shalt never quit this wood, but wander for ever with thy accursed beauty among its trees, haunted and beset by hideous illusions till thou shalt long for death.79 Let thy absent husband save thee if he can.80 And she vanished with a peal of laughter, leaving Shrí fainting by the pool.81

But Ulupí flew through the wood, and found Nightwalker, the old Wairágí, and told him all, and begged of him a boon, saying: Torment this miserable mortal woman, and deceive her with illusions for she has done me deadly injury.82 And Nightwalker rejoiced at the opportunity, for he remembered how Umra-Singh had defied him, and cut off his tongue in the wood.83 But he said: This is no easy matter, for we are forbidden by Pashupati to do her harm.84 But though I will do her no injury, I will delude this wandering wife of a vile husband, till she will desire to abandon the body of her own accord.85

[1] See note, p. 9.86

[2] ahamahamiká, 'each one saying I, I.'87

[3] The Moon proper, in Sanskrit, is _Lunus_, not _Luna_.88

XIV.89

Illusion90

But Shrí, when she came to herself, sat weeping, and fearing for herself in the future: for she foreboded evil from the malicious pranks of the daughter of the Daitya.91 And yet she could not tell, how she could possibly have offended her, or deserved her anger.92 And as soon as day broke, she rose up, and began to go trembling through the wood, in which the shadows of night still hung among the trees, starting at the noise of the falling leaves, and yearning for emancipation from danger in the form of her husband's presence.93

Then after a while, she stopped and listened: for she heard among the trees steps, as of one coming in her direction.94 And her heart beat violently, as if to say: Let me abandon thy body, and so escape the danger coming on thee.95 So she hid herself in a hollow tree, and peeped out in terror.96 And suddenly, strange! there in the dim twilight she saw her husband coming towards her, looking just as he did, when she left him in the palace at Indirálayá.97 And instantly she ran towards him, overcome by emotion and great surprise, and caught him in her arms, exclaiming: At last, at last, I have found thee again.98 And she wept aloud, and forgot in that moment all her sorrow; and she looked at him, and laughed for joy, and closed her eyes, as if, like the sun, the sight of him dimmed and overcame the faculty of vision.99 Then after a while, she opened them again, and started and shrieked, and her blood became ice, and her heart stopped.100 For he that held her in his arms was not her husband, but a hairy thing with hideous eyes, that resembled an incarnation of the brute in human shape; and it fastened those fearful eyes upon her own, and laughed and whined and panted like a beast with hot quick breath into her face.101 Then her senses abandoned her, like cowards, and she sank down to the earth in a swoon.102

And when at length she revived, she looked, and saw that the sun was declining in the western quarter.103 But the moon had not yet risen, for it was the beginning of the dark half of the month.104 Then all at once memory came back to her, and she shook with agitation.105 And she said to herself: Was it a reality, or was it only an evil dream?106 Surely it was but a dream; for I am very weak and tired.107 And even now I cannot tell, whether I wake or sleep.108