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