way leading down below the lake, on each side of which were beautiful houses, and gardens full of flowers, red, and white, and blue. Seventee Bai resolved to see whither this might lead, so she walked down the path until she came opposite a large door. She opened it, and found herself in a more lovely garden than she had ever seen on earth; tall trees laden with rich fruit grew in it, and on the boughs were bright birds singing melodiously, while the ground was covered with flowers, among which flew many gaudy butterflies.
In the centre of the garden grew one tree more beautiful than all the rest: the stem was of silver, the leaves were golden, and the fruit was clusters of pearls. Swinging amid the branches sat a young girl, more fair than any earthly lady; she had a face like the angels which men only see in dreams; her eyes were like two stars, her golden hair fell in ripples to her feet; she was singing to herself. When she saw the stranger, she gave a little cry, and said, 'Ah, my lord, why do you come here?' Seventee Bai answered, 'May I not come to see you, beautiful lady?' Then the lady said 'O sir, you are welcome; but if my father sees you here he will kill you. I am the great Cobra's daughter, and he made this garden for me to play in, and here I have played these many, many years all alone, for he lets me see no one, not even of our own subjects. I never saw any one before you. Speak, beautiful Prince—tell me how you came here, and who you are.' Seventee Bai answered, 'I am Seventee Rajah: have no fear—the stern Cobra is no more.' Then the Lady was joyful, when she heard that the Cobra who had tyrannised over her was dead, and she said her name was Hera Bai [the Diamond Lady], and that she was possessor of all the treasures under the lake; and she said to Seventee Bai, 'Stay with me here, you shall be king of all this country, and I will be your wife.' 'That cannot be,' answered Seventee Bai, 'for I have been sent on a mission by my Rajah, and I must continue my journey until I have accomplished it; but if you love me as I love you, come rather with me to my own land, and you shall be my wife.' Hera Bai shook her head:—'Not so, dearest,' she said, 'for if I go with you, all the people will see how fair I am, and they will kill you, and sell me for a slave; and so I shall bring evil upon you, and not good. But take this flute, dear husband' (and saying this, she gave Seventee Bai a little golden flute); 'whenever you wish to see me, or are in need of my aid, go into the jungle and play upon it, and before the sound ceases I
