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

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prepared to make the sacrifice. While engaged in parting
with each other, it occurred to the prince that if his wife
should become pregnant it would give rise to unpleasant
rumours, and attach disgrace to her he loved. 'My ever
dear and fair princess,' said he, 'should it be the will of
God that you become pregnant after the occurrences of this
night, my parents may reasonably become jealous of their
honor, and suppose, from my disappearance at this eventful
period of your life, that you have played the harlot and
proved false to your husband's bed; for which reason, and
to prevent unpleasant consequences, take this ring, and in
the event of anything of the kind taking place, produce it,
and they cannot but then be satisfied that I have been with
you since they lost sight of me.' On saying this, after
tenderly embracing her, he disappeared with the deities.
In the usual course of events, the result of her interview
with her husband became apparent: she was found to be
pregnant. One of the slaves' suspicion being roused, she
ventured to enquire the cause of the visible alteration in
her mistress' appearance; but the princess, instead of
deigning her a reply, desired her to hold her tongue, and
not meddle with affairs which concerned her not. The slave,
being displeased at the rebuff she had met with, repaired to
the queen's apartment, and disclosed her suspicion to her;
the queen was astonished, and not a little grieved besides,
to hear this, and she lost no time in visiting the princess,
to see her and judge for herself. She there found unmis-
takeable signs of the actual state of affairs, and became
greatly alarmed as the conviction forced itself upon her.
She suddenly became enraged, after pondering over the
heinousness of the crime which she thought the princess had
committed. 'Oh, wicked princess!' said she, 'what is this
that I see? Have you reflected well on the disgrace you
have brought on yourself and those connected with you, and
on the consequences to which it must lead?' Here she was
touched with grief as the recollection of her son crossed her
mind. 'Oh, my son! you have by some unaccountable