“Why do you arrest me?” asked the Brahman.
“Because that man sent me four hundred pieces, but you have abstracted a hundred of them,” she replied.
The Brahman was astounded, and thought: “This [[162]]woman and Mahaushadha are two demons. Two great demons have combined together.” And he paid her the residue. Then her parents came in, and he said, showing them the gold, “The man is no Brahman. He is the king of Videha’s principal minister, Mahaushadha.”
When the maiden’s parents and kinsmen heard that, they said that they were allied with a man of power, that they were in that respect very fortunate, and that their family would be made famous by means of Mahaushadha.
When Mahaushadha arrived in the city, and the king heard of that, he and the old ministers were greatly pleased.
“How have you fared?” asked the king.
“I have chosen me a wife,” he replied.
“What kind of wife?”
“A very beautiful one,” replied Mahaushadha, “of perfect intelligence, suitable for me.”
And he asked the king if, as she was of such a nature, he might now marry her.