The World of Courtesans c9.83

c9.83

Before going home she asked the sage to resume his vocation. "My darling," he cried, pricked by love as by a knife-point, "What does it mean? How can you be so cynical? What has become of your superlative fondness for me?" "Holy Sir," she replied with a smile, "you saw the girl who just confessed defeat before the royal retinue. She and I once had a tiff, and she said with a sneer, 'You boast as if you had seduced Marichi.' So I wagered my freedom and went into the business. And I won. Thank you so much." The sage returned to the forest.