almost frightened to death by a monkey, and Iravati and the Raja hasten
to her assistance, leaving Malavika to the consolation derived from
hearing that the _Asoka_ tree is in blossom, an omen of the final
success of her own desires.

The Raja, Dharini and the Parivrajaka, with Malavika and other
attendants, gather about the _Asoka_ tree, when some presents arrive
from the now submissive monarch of Viderbha, against whom the troops of
Virashena have been successful. Amongst the gifts are two female slaves,
who immediately recognize in Malavika the sister of Madhavasena, the
friend of Agnimitra, whom the armies of the latter have just extricated
from the captivity to which the Viderbha sovereign had consigned him. It
appears that when he was formerly seized by his kinsman, his minister,
Sumati, contrived to effect his own escape, along with his sister and
the young princess. That sister, Kausika, now reveals herself in the
person of the Parivrajaka, and continues the story of their flight.
Sumati joined a caravan bound to Vidisa On their way to the Vindhya
mountains, they were attacked by the foresters, who were armed with bows
and arrows, and decorated with peacock's plumes: in the affray Sumati
was slain and Malavika was lost.

Kausika, left alone, committed her brother's body to the flames, and
then resumed her route to Vidisa, where she assumed the character of a
female ascetic The Raja observes she did wisely. Kausika soon found out
Malavika, but forebore to discover herself, confiding in the prophecy of
a sage, who had foretold that the princess, after passing through a
period of servitude, would meet with a suitable match.

It thus finally turns out that Malavika is by birth a princess, who had
only come to be an attendant at Agnimitra's court through having fallen