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

38 ness prompted him to concede at once to the lovely creature before him all she sued for; whilst a dread of the world, of his own household, of his wife in particular, bade him put an end to the meeting, and turn the frantic woman from his presence and the privacy of his room: Thus placed, need we wonder that a man of such weak parts as Dushwant was, should feel his scruples gradually fade away one after the other, until he was left wholly under the influence of a pretty and attractive woman, bathed in tears, and supplicating for his love in pathetic and forcible expressions? To cut the matter short, he was completely overwhelmed by her blandishments, and he fell into her embraces. Having spent the remainder of the night together, as the rays of the morn pierced through the flimsy curtains, Dushwant roused the partner of his guilt from the deep sleep in which she was plunged, and entreated her to be gone, lest the inmates of the house should suspect the occurrence of the preceding night, and thus render him not only the butt of all his friends, but, that which he most dreaded, the object of the just reproaches of an enraged wife. The actress slowly opened her eyes, and finding the merchant in just such a strait as she wished him to be in, asked for some token of their sojourn together; but she said that she did not wish for it then and there,—she only wanted him to pledge his word of honor that he would satisfy her on that head when she made the requisition; she said she was not sufficiently collected then to mention what it was to be, but would think over it, and name it on a future occasion. The merchant, anxious to rid himself of her presence, took the desired oath, and she went away chuckling inwardly at the success she had met with. She now repaired to her house in all haste, and having bathed and changed her apparel, returned not long after to Dushwant's house, to claim the fulfilment of the promise he had made to her that morning. She said, “Sir, may I request you will be pleased to ratify the promise you so generously made to me last night? I have called expressly