ROHINI. No; he sat there like a doll, without uttering a single
word. I think he did not want to show that he understood
nothing, so he just held his tongue.
SUDARSHANA. Fie on me! My shamelessness has been justly
punished. Why did you not bring back my flowers?
ROHINI. How could I? The King of Kanchi, a very clever man, who
was sitting by him, took in everything at a glance, and he just
smiled a bit and said, "Emperor, the Queen Sudarshana sends your
Majesty her greetings with these blossoms--the blossoms that
belong to the God of Love, the friend of Spring." The King
seemed to awake with a start, and said, "This is the crown of all
my regal glory to-night." I was coming back, all out of
countenance, when the King of Kanchi took off this necklace of
jewels from the King's person, and said to me, "Friend, the
King's garland gives itself up to you, in return for the happy
fortune you have brought."
SUDARSHANA. What, Kanchi had to make the King understand all
this! Woe is me, to-night's festival has opened wide for me the
doors of ignominy and shame! What else could I expect? Leave me
alone, Rohini; I want solitude for a time. [ROHINI goes out.] A
great blow has shattered my pride to atoms to-day, and yet ... I
cannot efface from my mind that beautiful, fascinating figure!
No pride is left me--I am beaten, vanquished, utterly helpless....
I cannot even turn away from him. Oh, how the wish comes back to
me again and again--to ask that garland of Rohini! But what
would she think! Rohini!
[Enter ROHINI]
ROHINI. What is your wish?
SUDARSHANA. What reward do you deserve for your services to-day?
ROHINI. Nothing from you--but I had my reward from the King as
it should be.
SUDARSHANA. That is no free gift, but an extortion, of reward.
I do not like to see you put on what was given in so indifferent
a manner. Take it off--I give you my bracelets if you leave it
here. Take these bracelets, and go now. [ROHINI goes out.]
Another defeat! I should have thrown this necklace away,--but I
could not! It is pricking me as if it were a garland of thorns--
but I cannot throw it away. This is what the god of the festival
has brought me to-night--this necklace of ignominy and shame!
V
[GRANDFATHER near the door of the Pleasure House. A Company of
MEN]
GRANDFATHER. Have you had enough of it, friends?
FIRST MAN. Oh, more than that, Grandpa. Just see, they have
made me red all over. None has escaped.
[Author's note: During the spring festival in India people throw
red powder on each other. In this play this red powder has been
taken to be the symbol of the passion of love.]
GRANDFATHER. No? Did they throw the red dust on the Kings too?
SECOND MAN. But who could approach them? They were all secure
inside the enclosures.
GRANDFATHER. So they have escaped you! Could you not throw the
least bit of colour on them? You should have forced your way
there.
THIRD MAN. My dear old man, they have a different sort of red
specially to themselves. Their eyes are red: the turbans of
their guards and retinue are red too. And the latter flourished
their swords about so much that a little more nearness on our
part would have meant a lavish display of the fundamental red
colour.
GRANDFATHER. Well done, friends--always keep them at a distance.
They are the exiles of the Earth--and we have got to keep them
so.
THIRD MAN. I am going home, Grandpa; it is past midnight.[Goes
out.]
[Enter a BAND of SINGERS, singing.]
/*
All blacks and whites have lost their distinction
And have become red--red as the tinge of your feet.
Red is my bodice and red are my dreams,
My heart sways and trembles like a red lotus.
*/
GRANDFATHER. Excellent, my friends, splendid! So you had a
really enjoyable time!
SINGERS. Oh, grand! Everything was red, red! Only the moon in
the sky gave us the slip--it remained white.
GRANDFATHER. He only looks so innocent from the outside. If you
had only taken off his white disguise, you would have seen his
trickery. I have been watching what red colours he is throwing
on the Earth to-night. And yet, fancy his remaining white and
colourless all the while!