640 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE, [ Chap. he wanted. Hira did not see any harm in this and Sundar, who was an expert in the art of preparing floral wreaths applied his whole heart to the work and prepared a garland with remarkable skill ;—the petals of the flowers were so arranged as to form characters by which he conveyed his love to the lady in a beautiful Sanskrit sloka. Hira had to sit up till a late hour of the night, as much time was taken by Sundar in artistically preparing the garland; so she was late in arriving at the palace the next morning, and Vidya reproved Love’s টু : message her for her delay threatening that she would bring and its 25 her conduct to the notice of the King. Hira said that it had taken her a long time to weave one special garland for her, and that the Princess should pardon her for this first fault. ‘Where is the beautiful garland of which you speak ?” She said; and as Hira handed the thing to her she felt the dawn of love in her heart as she read the name of
the Prince, and the message conveyed to her by the exquisitely artistic arrangement of the flowers. It was as though reading an elegant poem; the garland rich in design, perfect in execution and containing the sweet message of love, charmed her heart and she importuned Hira, asking her to tell her who it was that had made it. Hirg at first tried to maintain her position by declaring that she her- self had done so; but the Princess laughed at all attempts on her part to establish this point by oaths and long speeches, and she was afterwards obliged to confess the whole truth to Vidya who, on hearing it, could not disguise her feeling from the flower-woman and wanted to havea sight of the sifted youngman.
