History of Bengali Language and Literature c10.98

c10.98

The evening passed in pleasant conversation, and in the night the flower-woman began to wreathe her floral store into garlands; and placed them in a beautiful basket, and Sundar asked her what she would do with them. She said that the garland would be presented to Princess Vidyā at early dawn, a task which it was her duty to perform every morning by appointment from the queen. The Prince was very much delighted to find in Hirā a woman who had access to the Princess. He asked her many questions about the beauty of Vidyā and Hirā following the close lines of classical metaphor and a highly ornate style, as dictated by the Sanskrit rules of rhetoric, drew an over-coloured sketch of the Princess which had the effect of greatly heightening the desire of the Prince for an interview with the far-famed beauty. He made a request to Hirā to allow him to weave a garland of flowers for Vidyā to be presented to her next morning; of course he did not mean that it was to be offered in his name; as usual she would give it to the Princess;—the garland was to be woven by him—this was all that