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

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projects set before her for becoming rich and admired. She continued performing the menial offices of the household, which she contrived to master shortly after she had been admitted into the house, and for which she received in payment the undressed corn that had been agreed upon, which she cooked in a separate shed in the yard, and partook of in all humility. Thus lived this lovely princess, once the admiration of all, and almost supreme in power, in the household of this worthless creature, who had neither name, character, or reputation. That critical period in the life of a young woman—the birth of her first-born—was now fast approaching, and the actress made every preparation for the occasion. In this she was actuated more by certain designs she had in view than by any motives of humanity. She had a midwife ready at hand for the emergency that was now momentarily expected. But we must here relate the arrangements that had been entered into by the actress with this personage: she told the midwife that it was her desire that the princess should be delivered of a daughter, but that should it prove otherwise, she calculated upon the discretion and inventive powers of the matron to devise means for substituting a girl in place of the boy, who must on all accounts be removed. At the same time she informed the midwife that the queen of that city was also far advanced in pregnancy, and might not unreasonably be expected to complete her time about the same period as the inmate of her house. She threw out this hint, and left the midwife to follow up the suggestion, who did not hesitate to enter into the transaction with all the zeal and willingness which the generality of her class not unfrequently display in cases of this nature, however revolting to a conscientious mind, when backed by the powerful and irresistible argument of gold, of which the actress in this instance was very profuse and liberal. She gave her a large purse for present use, as she said, and with a promise of doubling or even trebling it in the event of her success. The object the actress had in view in this transaction we must L