विक्रम चरित (उज्जैन सम्राट् विक्रमादित्य - पराक्रम, न्याय एवं ३२ पुतलियों की कथा सटीक)

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mined now, more than ever, to go and see her, and inquire into her history ; so he kept on his course until he arrived at the house of the actress, who was in readiness to receive him, and to conduct him to the room which had been prepared expressly for his majesty. The princess, or, to be more exact, the king's mother, from a conscious rectitude of purpose, and from the previous argument she had entered into with herself, neither dreaded the actress nor yet the approaching meeting. She waited in an apartment ready to receive the king, seated on a couch of downy softness, and had her room-door bolted to prevent unauthorised intrusion. As soon as the king entered the house, which displayed all the riches of the actress, he was received with every demonstration of joy and respect due to him ; but, as may well be supposed, the serious turn the king's mind had taken. prevented his bestowing anything like the appro- bation the actress had been led to expect from his previous conduct. He merely said to her, in rather a stern voice, ' Where is your beautiful and interesting attendant ?' upon which she ushered him into the interior of the house, and to the door of the princess' apartment, which they found fastened. The prince, then, without a moment's hesita- tion, cried out, ' Oh, mother—my dear and accomplished mother !—open the door ; I am impatient to know and to speak to you, and have come to ascertain your history. I assure you I have not come, as you have been led to sup- pose, with any unworthy intentions.' At these words, so contrary to what she had expected, the actress was much surprised, and a trembling suddenly came upon her, but she dared not give way to her feelings in the presence of the king. The princess, or attendant, as she was commonly called, now giving thanks to God for the change in her position, and for the proof, as it were, of the prediction of the astrologer, rose from her seat and instantly opened the door to admit her son,—for that the king was her son she was now thoroughly convinced. ' The king, on entering, with great respect in his manner