108
THE WRECK
"When was this?" asked Kamala, "was it a long, long time ago?" "Yes, a long time ago; you weren't born then!" Kamala. "But you were of course! you're such a greybeard yourself, aren't you! Well, go on."
Ramesh. "These Rajputs had a peculiar custom. When one of them was going to marry he did not go himself to the bride's house but sent his sword. She went through the wedding ceremony with the sword, then came to the Rajput's house and was married to him properly."
Kamala, "Oh, I say! what an extraordinary way of doing it !"
Ramesh. "1 don't fancy it myself, but that can't be helped. If s part of the story. You see these Raj- puts thought it beneath them to go in person to the bride's house to be married. The king that the story is about belonged to that tribe. One day he- "
Kamala, "You haven't told me what place he was king of."
Ramesh, "He was king of Madura; one day he -"
"You must tell me his name first," said Kamala, who insisted on having everything cut and dried and would take nothing for granted. Had Ramesh been aware of this he would have come better prepared to the task. He now perceived that eager as she was to hear the story she would not suffer him to omit any details.
"His name was Ranjit Singh," he went on after a moment's hesitation. "Ranjit Singh, king of Madura," repeated Kamala ; "go on now."
Ramesh. "One d^y the king heard from a wander- ing minstrel that another king of the same race as himself had a very beautiful daughter."
Kamala. "King of what country?"
Ramesh. "We'll suppose that he was king of Con- jeveram."
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