A room in Vasavadutta's apartments.
Vasavadutta, Munjoolica.

VASAVADUTTA

So thou hast dared to come.

MUNJOOLICA

I have. Thou, dare
To look me in the eyes! Thou canst not. Then ?

VASAVADUTTA

Hast thou no fear of punishment at all ?

MUNJOOLICA

For shutting thee in with heaven ? none, none at all.

VASAVADUTTA

How didst thou dare?

MUNJOOLICA

How didst thou dare, proud girl,
To make of kings and princesses thy slaves ?
How dare to drag Sourashtra's daughter here,
To keep her as thy servant and to load
With gifts, caresses, chidings and commands,
The puppet of thy sweet imperious will ?
Thinkest thou my heart within me was not hot ?
But now I am avenged on thee and all.

VASAVADUTTA

Vindictive traitress, I will beat thee.

Page – 295

MUNJOOLICA

Do

And I will laugh and ask thee of the night.

VASAVADUTTA

Then take thy chastisement.

She seizes and beats her with the
tassels of her girdle.

MUNJOOLICA

Stop! I'll bear no more
Art not ashamed to spend thy heart in play
Knowing what thou hast done and what may come?
Think rather of what thou wilt do against
Thy dangerous morrow.

VASAVADUTTA

See what thou hast done!
How shall I look my father in the eyes ?
What speak? What do? my Vuthsa how protect?

MUNJOOLICA

Thy father must not know of this.

VASAVADUTTA

Thou thinkst
My joy can be shut in from every eye?
Besides thee I have other serving girls.

MUNJOOLICA

None who'ld betray thee. This thing known, his wrath
Would strike thy husband.

VASAVADUTTA

Me rather. I will throw
My heart and body, twice his shield, between.

Page – 296

MUNJOOLICA

You will be torn apart and Vuthsa penned
In some deep pit or fiercer vengeance taken
To soothe the stern man's outraged heart.

VASAVADUTTA

Alas!
Thou hast a brain; give me thy counsel. The ill
Thyself hast done, must thou not remedy ?

MUNJOOLICA

If thou entreat me much, I will and can.

VASAVADUTTA

I shall entreat thee! ,

MUNJOOLICA

Help thyself, proud child.

VASAVADUTTA

O, if I have thee at advantage ever!
Stay! I beseech thee, my Munjoolica, —

MUNJOOLICA

More humbly!

VASAVADUTTA

Oh!

She kneels.

I clasp thy feet, O friend,
In painful earnest I beseech thee now
To think, plan, spend for my sake all thy thought.
Remember how I soothed thy fallen life
Which might have been so hard. O thou my playmate,
Joy, servant, sister who hast always been,
Help me, save him, deceive my father's wrath,
Then ask from me what huge reward thou wilt.

Page – 297

MUNJOOLICA

Nothing at all. Vengeance is sweet enough

Upon thy father and Gopalaca.

I'm satisfied now. First give me a promise;

Obey me absolutely in all things
Till Vuthsa's free.

VASAVADUTTA

I promise. Thou art my guide
And I will walk religiously thy path.

MUNJOOLICA

Then think it done.

VASAVADUTTA (smiling on Vuthsa who enters)

Vuthsa, I asked not for thee.

VUTHSA

Thou didst. I heard thy heart demand me.

MUNJOOLICA

Hark!
What is this noise and laughter in the court?
See, see, the hunchbacked laughable old man!
What antics!

VUTHSA

Surely I know well those eyes.
Munjoolica, this is a friend. He must
Be brought here to me.

MUNJOOLICA

Princess, let us call him.
It is an admirable buffoon.

VASAVADUTTA

Fie on thee!

Page – 298

Is this an hour for jest and antics ?

MUNJOOLICA (looking significantly at her)

Yes.

VASAVADUTTA ,

Call him.

MUNJOOLICA

And thou go in.

VASAVADUTTA

How, in!

MUNJOOLICA

This girl!
Hast thou not promised to obey me ?

VASAVADUTTA

Yes.

She goes in. Munjoolica descends.

VUTHSA

Yougundharayan sends him. O, he strikes

The hour as if a god had planned all out.

This world's the puppet of a silent Will

Which moves unguessed behind our acts and thoughts;

Events bewildered follow its dim guidance
And flock where they are needed. Is't not thus,
O Thou, our divine Master, that Thou rulest,
Nor car'st at all because Thy joy and power
Are seated in Thyself beyond the ages ?

Munjoolica returns bringing in

Vasuntha disguised.

Who is this ancient shape thou bringest?

Page – 299

MUNJOOLICA

I'ld know
If he has a tongue as famous as his hump
And as preposterous; that to learn I bring him.

VASUNTHA

Where is the only lady of the age?
Princes or else domestics, —

MUNJOOLICA

Something, sir, of both.

VASUNTHA

O masters then of princes, think not that I scorn
Your prouder royalty; but now if any
Will introduce my hungry old hunchback
To Avunthie's far-famed paragon of girls,
He shall have tithe of all my golden gains.

MUNJOOLICA

Why not to Avunthie's governor and a prison,
Yougundharayan's spy ?

VASUNTHA (looking at Vuthsa)

What's this? What's this?

MUNJOOLICA

Strong tonic for a young old man.

VUTHSA

Speak freely
Thy message; there are only friends who hear.

VASUNTHA (to Vuthsa, with a humorous glance at Munjoolica)

Thy hours were not ill-spent. But thou hast nearly
Frightened these poor young hairs to real grey,

Page – 300

My sportive lady. Hear now why I crouch

Beneath the hoary burden of this beard

And the insignia of a royal hump, —

And an end to jesting. Vuthsa, in thy city

The people clamour; they besiege thy ministers,

Railing at treason and demanding thee,

Nor can their rage be stilled. Do swiftly then

Whatever thou must do yet, swiftly break forth

Or war will seek thee clamouring round these doors.

To bear thy message back to him I come,

Upon Avunthie's mountain verge who lurks,

Or else to aid thee if our help thou needest.

VUTHSA

Let him restrain my army forest-screened
Where the thick woodlands weave a border large
To the ochre garment round Avunthie's loins
Nearest Ujjayinie. Under the cavern-hill
Of Lokanatha let him lie, but never
Transgress that margin till my chariot comes.

VASUNTHA

'T is all?

VUTHSA

In my own strength all else I'll do.

VASUNTHA

Good, then I go ?

VUTHSA

Yes, but with gold, thy fee,
To colour thy going. Bring him gold, dear friend,
Or take from Vasavadutta gem or trinket
That shall bear out his mask to jealous eyes.

Munjoolica goes into the inner chamber.

Page – 301

VASUNTHA

Leave that to me.

VUTHSA

Thou hast adventured much
For my sake.  

VASUNTHA

Poor Alurca cried to come,
But this thing asked for brains and he had only
Blunt courage and a harp. The danger's nothing,
But oh, this hump! I shall not soon walk straight,
Nor rid myself of all the loyal aches
I bear for thee.

VUTHSA

Pangs fiercer would have chased them,
Hadst thou been caught, my friend. I shall remember.

Munjoolica returns with gold and a trinket.
Take now these gauds; haste, make thy swiftest way,
For I come close behind thee.

Vasuntha goes.

MUNJOOLICA

Tell me thy plan.

VUTHSA

These chambers are too strongly kept.

MUNJOOLICA

But there's

The pleasure-ground.

VUTHSA

Let Vasavadutta call
Her brothers on an evening to the park

Page – 302

And wine flow fast. The nights are moonlit now.
How many gates ?

MUNJOOLICA

Three, but the southern portal
Nearest the ramparts.

VUTHSA

There, how many guard ?

MUNJOOLICA

Three armed Kiratha women keep the gate.

VUTHSA

I cannot hurt them. Thou must find a way.

MUNJOOLICA

They shall be drowned in wine. The streets outside ?

VUTHSA

A chariot, — find one for me. I cannot fight
With Vasavadutta on my breast.

MUNJOOLICA

I think

That I shall find one.

VUTHSA

Do it. The rest is easy,
To break the keepers of the city-gate
In one fierce moment and be out and far.
There are arms enough in the palace.

MUNJOOLICA

The armoury
I use sometimes.

Page – 303

VUTHSA

Conceal them in the grounds.
No, in the chariot let them wait for me.

MUNJOOLICA

Thou wilt need both thy hands in such a fight.
Vuthsa, I'll be thy charioteer.

VUTHSA

Thou canst ?

MUNJOOLICA

Hope not to find a better in thy realms.

VUTHSA

My battle-comrade then! Words are not needed
Between us.

He goes out.

MUNJOOLICA

More than that before all's done
I will be to thee. Good fortune makes hard things
Most easy; for the god comes with laden hands.
If the strange word the queen half spoke to me
Means anything, Vicurna's car shall bear
His sister to her joy and sovereign throne.

Page – 304