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22
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JANUARY, 1897.
establishment befitting his position as # millionaire. After a month's journey, and after visiting several sacred shrines on the way and bathing in all the sacred rivers he had to cross, the millionaire and his party reached the banks of the Tungabhadra. The great city of Vijayanagar was not to be missed on the way. Navakti Narayaņa sojourned in it and wished to pass a few days there. One evening, while driving about the streets of the town, he saw a very fine mansion and an incarnation of beauty, as it were, slowly moving on the topmost story of it. Whose mansion was it, and who was the beauty that he saw? These were easily answered. It was the palatial residence of Indumukhi, and the object that met his eyes was none other than that famous lady herself. To some extent he was consoled to hear that she was after all only a concabire and not a lady of family. It cannot be denied that he was smitten by her charms, and longed for her company. It was not after all difficult, as she was only a courtezan; but how to meet her? She was 80 zealously guarded that any attempt to send a note to her would be only falling into the hands of death. So, Navakoți returned home thinking that he must pine hopelessly, never attaining the object of his desire. Alas! the wicknedness of rich men ! How vile they are sometimes ! Blinded by wealth and considering nothing unattainable if they can pay in money for it, they are led away into the worst of sins and into the vilest of ideas! Navakoţi thought that he would be quite willing to sacrifice his nine crores of wealth, if he had in return the company of Indumakhi for one moment at least. No doubt it was the confidence of the possession of such wealth that made him think so. But how to secure that happiness? Whom to consult, and how to act? The millionaire was perfectly at sea as to these points, and was worrying himself. “And where care lodges sleep will never lie.” Thus passed two or three days. He had not consulted his cook, for the matter was rather a very delicate one, and the cook had never been resorted to by his master on any previous occasions on such subjects. But the whilom Subhadar of the Cot, with his natural shrewdness, perceived the change, and questioned his master about the cause of it. After a good deal of hesitation Navakõți told him all about it, and said that if he only assisted him towards the attainment of his object, he would give him his whole wealth, receiving back only so mach as was necessary for his maintenance every month.
“Lo you stick to your words ?" asked the cook. "Undoubtedly," answered the millionaire.
“Then, I shall not be unkind. It is enough if you give me one-half of your wealth and restore me to my Subhâdári in your back premises. I shall at a moment's notice make Indumukhî wait at your doors."
Navakoti was not at all able to believe him. He thought it was all a joke. But the cook at once told him to give him all his dress and ornaments, and directed him to retire like a common servant to one of the chambers adjoining the bedroom. Kéśava Bhat at once pobed himself as Navakoti Narayana with all the costly clothes and jewels, and summoned the four peons who had served him when he was the Subhadar of the Cot. He robed them also in costly attire, and stationed them near his cot. The two he had sent during his Subhîdari to Vijayanagar he called close to him. He gave them a letter to take to Indumukhí. Navaköti Narayana, who, as a common servant, was in the next room, was watching all his acts, and did not understand the proceedings. But blinded by love he put up with his position as a servant in his own house. In a minute the lady Indanakht herself appeared and stood before the cook, who, of course, never directed his eyes to her, but seemed to regard her as a mere worm.
"My lord, I learnt from your note that you are s sojourner in this city; having once amply tasted of your lordship's liberality, I have now come to wait upon your lordship's orders," said she, and stood with the humility of a slave before the monarch of an Eastern court.
