Chinese stories - University of Macau Library

OPENED IT WITH AN EXPRESSION OF NERVOUS ANXIETY."[Frontispiece.

CHINESESTOEIESBYROBERT K.DOUGLASit!)IllustrationsWILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONSEDINBURGH AND LONDONM D C C CXCIII

f^J7CONTENTS.PAGEINTRODUCTION,xiAMATRIMONIAL FRAUD,3WITHIN HIS DANGER, .THE TWINS, .A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE,HOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS WON,LE MING'S MARRIAGE, .A BUDDHIST STORY,A FICKLE WIDOW,A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE,LOVE AND ALCHEMY,A CHINESE BALLAD,THE LOVE-SICK MAIDEN: A CHINESE POEM,:;i82125172202231249265321344347ORIiLNi'Ai)

ILLUSTRATIONS.FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS."opened it with an expression of nervous anxiety," FrontispieceLHE WAS QUITE UNAWARE THAT AN EVEN MORE ATTRAC-TIVE object had entered the room," . To face page 16"THREW HIM BACKWARDS ON THE PATHWAY," . n 42"WHAT IS THE WARRANT FOR?"— " MURDER "! . n 62"THE MERRY STRAINS OF THE 'DRAGON AND THE PHCENIX 'nPLAYED BY MORE THAN ONE BAND," . . n 94"THEY LEANED......." OVER TO GREET THEIR LOVERS.' . m 110"THE FLOWERY ONES," 144"WANG," 168ILLUSTRATIONS INTHE TEXT.P M.I6" THE PREFECT SURVEYED HIS GUEST WITH CURIOSITY NOTUNMIXED WITH LOATHING," ..... "YOU HIDEOUS deformity!""HE BURST OUT OF THE ROOM," . . - .26. • .11"SHE WAS PRONOUNCED PRESENTABLE," . . 3]

3.......VlllILLUSTRATIONS....." here was a pretty position for a graduate and axexpectant mandarin," .48''with much caution the expedition was made," . . 55"huddled up against an angle in the wall," . . 76"marked it as the entrance to the prison," . . 81"but, mother, we do not wish to marry," ... 88"mrs ma stood ready for the assault," ... 97" a sorrier quartet it would be difficult to find," . 106!"oh, there is te " . . . . . . 115115142" with one piercing shriek . . . she sank beneath the....SURFACE," . . . . . . .154"I AM INDEED DOUBLY YOUR WIFE," 171" MING PICKED IT UP, AND FOUND THE PAPER TO CONTAIN ACOUPLET," . . . . . . .178......." HE WAS SITTING IN HIS GARDEN - STUDY COMPOSINGCOUPLETS," 203"ON NO ACCOUNT.......TO LEAVE HIS MASTER," . . . 234"RUSHED OUT OF THE ROOM . . . AND RAN DOWN THEROAD," 236"'OH,' HE CRIED, 'THE FIRE -DEMON HAS FOLLOWED ME"te is in difficulties," ....."this is too bad," ......HERE '"! . . . . . . . 237"'All!' SAID THE.......CARP, 'i FORGOT YOU WERE A MAN,'" . 239"IN SPITE OF HIS EFFORTS HE WAS DRAWN OCT OF THEWATER," 243" 'HAI-YAH ! CHANG, YOU ARE IN LUCK TO-DAY,' " . . 246......."HERE IS THE FAN, . . . FAN IT DRY AS QUICKLY AS POS-SIBLE," 251"THERE ARRIVED A YOUNG AND ELEGANT SCHOLAR, . . 254"SHE WENT BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS TO Tin: CHAMBER OFDEATH,257260"THE PRINCE WAS SEIZED WITH VIOLENT CONVULSIONS," . 261"THE COFFIN rem\ ED, .....

ILLUSTRATIONS.IX"SHE . . . DROPPEDHANDS," .THE HATCHET FROM HER PALSIED. . . . . .262''THE STREETS WITHIN THE WALLS . . . ARE SCENES OF BUSTLIFE," . . . . . . . 267"IN A SITUATION WHICH THE SON OF HEAVEN MIGHT ENVY,STANDS THE OFFICIAL RESIDENCE OF COLONEL WEN," . 269"SHE SANG IN THE MOST FAULTLESS FALSETTO, SHE PLAYEDTHE GUITAR WITH TASTE ANT) EXPRESSION," . . -71"SHE TOOK UP HER BOW AND ARROW, AND WITH UNERRINGAIM COMPASSED THE DEATH.....OF HER VICTIM," . . 276"THE FIRST EVENING WAS SPENT BY THE THREE STUDENTSIN JOYOUS CONVERSE," 281"TU AND WEI ON THEIR KNEES BEFORE HER," . . 283"AS SHE PASSED THROUGH THE COURTYARD SHE INSTINC-TIVELY LOOKED UP AT THE WINDOW,'' . . . 288" SHE PRESENTED TO JASMINE THE BOX, WHICH CONTAINEDPEARS AND A.......PACKET OF SCENTED TEA," . . . 290302"COLONEL WEN," 310" WITH EVERY REGARD TO CEREMONY AND ANCIENT USAGE,"TU WAS RECLINING AT HIS EASE,'' ....THE MARRIAGE OF TU AND JASMINE WAS CELEBRATED INTHE PRESENCE OF RELATIVES AND FRIENDS," . . 313" MISS KING OPENED HER EYES WIDE AT THIS STARTLINGANNOUNCEMENT," .....'•'A HANDSOME, GAILY-DRESSED .MAN LED A LADY OF EXQUISITEBEAUTY ON TO.......THE YACHT," 325"THE STRANGER LOOKED UP FROM HIS BIRD WITH AN ENGAG-ING SMILE," ?>-~...." BOTH GUEST AND HOST WERE IN EXCELLENT SPIRITS," . 331"THE LADY PRESENTLY APPEARED," 335"'WHY, WHAT HAS HAPPENED!" HE EXCLAIMED," . . 341. . . . .318

INTKODUCTION.CHINESEFICTION.ABECENT writerhas pointed out that, in one respect,the Chinese aremuch in the condition ofa character in one of Eichter's novels, who assumedthat the first meridian lay through his own skull.Everything which belongs to them forms part of thecentre of the universe, and all that is beyond theirimmediate cognisance is foreign and negligeable. Thesame principle holds good in the matter of literarytaste. It is laid down, as a law of the Medes andPersians, that the canonical books and the works relatedto them contain all the wisdom that it is goodfor man to know, and all the interest and amusementwhich a rational being should require. It isof no use to attempt to explain to a be-spectadcdand self-important scholar that the efforts of theimagination are as much worthy of study as thesolemn dicta of Confucius and the aphorisms ofb

XllCHINESE STORIES.Mencius. Pity and contempt are the only feelingswhich such an attempt to swim against the currentwould arouse. Years of careful training will makea tree whose shoots should spring heavenwards bendthe points of its branches towards the earth. Centuriesof constraint have had a parallel effect on theChinese. If ever they possessed a desire to soar intothe higher atmosphere of imagination, their effortshave been thwarted, and their aspirations have beenforced downwards to the solid groundwork of prosaicliterature. By this careful and persistent trainingthey have learned to believe that to pass from thecontemplation of the classical and historical literatureto that of the lighter efforts of more subtle authors,is to descend from Parnassus into the gutter. Thisis, however, a pious opinion in which there is nore; ison that we should concur. The standard of tastein Peking is happily not necessarily the same as inLondon, and we may be forgiven if, in this instance,we dissent from the orthodox view. In the classicalliterature we have reflected, it is true, the seriousbent of the people's mind, but it fails to reproducethefancy and personal esprit which are brought outin their romances and plays. On all such works theChinese pour out the vials of their contempt. Siaohwa, or " small-talk," is the only term they can findto express their opinion of them, and they professto relegate them to the apartments of the womenand the homes of the uneducated.Fortunately, however, the learnedChinese are not• piite such literary prigs as they pretend to be ; andjust as the most pronounced Confucianist keeps a

INTRODUCTION.Xlllsoft place in his heart for Buddhist deities and themysticisms of Tao, so the most pedantic scholaroccasionally indulges, under the rose, in the studyof the loves and adventures of heroes and heroineswho are mere fictions of the brain. It is difficuTlto say when the first story was published in China,but it is quite safe to assume that stories have beencurrent from all time. There never was a land inwhich stories did not exist. Even the dull nomads ofthe deserts of Mongolia and of the still drearier wastesof Tibet attempt to vary the monotony of their existenceby telling weird tales as they crowd roundtheir camp-fires. To such people the efforts of theimagination are to life what froth is to champagne.They keep it fresh and brisk, and impart livelinessto what without them would be flat and wearisome.The earlieststories which we know of in China arethose which are enshrined in the ' Book of Odes,' thecontents of which date back to the time of Solomon.In these ballads we find talcsand fragments of taleswhich doubtless formed part of the stock-in-tradeof professional story-tellers who sought to amuse theChinese immigrants on their arrival in the strangeland of their adoption. In these, as in everythingChinese, there is a lack of that vivid fancy whichbelongs to more imaginative races. The fiery inspirationof the Aryan peoples has been denied to theScythian mind. No torrents of passion nor eloquentdenunciations break the calm narratives which flowfrom the placid pens of Chinese story-tellers.Theirthemes are for the most part the idyllic scenes ofcountry life, in which love, tempered with subdued

XIVCHINESE STORIES.passion, plays a prominent part. On such mattersthey only speak right on, and give us plain anddetailed particulars of the events which they wishto describe. Compared with Western writers, theylabour under the disadvantage of having to workout their own literary systems. No ideas from thepeople of other countries, except those of India, haveever reached them, and all opportunities of sharpeningtheir wits by communication with other foreignershave been denied them. To India they owe muchthat gives lightness and variety to their works offiction. Buddhistic fancies and the philosophicalconceptions which underlie Brahmanism introducednew and interesting phases into the native literature ;and indirectly those supernatural and magical ideaswhich first made their appearance in the writings ofTaoist sages, and which have since become part ofthe stock-in-trade of Chinese novelists, were derivedfrom the same sources.Chinese novels may be divided into two classes,historical and social. Chinese history, as all studentsof the subject know, has through all its long coursebeen broken up into short lengths by rebellions,wars, and dynastic changes, and thus furnishesabundant matter for novels of the first of thesekinds. It has also this great advantage in the eyesof native novelists, that it supplies them with plotsready-made. All that is required of them is thatthey should dispose the characters and events inpicturesque arrangements, and introduce the leavenof dialogue, and any touches of fancy they may becapable of, to give lightness and variety to their

INTRODUCTION.XVpages. The most celebrated Chinese historical novelis the San kwo chi, or 'History of the Three Kingdoms,'bv one Lo Kwanchung. a writer of the Yuendynasty (1268-1368). The period chosen as fche subjectof this work is that which embraces the fall ofthe Han dynasty (a.d. 25-220) and the existence ofthe three states into which the empire was temporarilydivided during the succeeding fifty-five years.This epoch was one of great disorder. There werewars and rumours of wars on all sides. The reinsof power had fallen from the nerveless grasp of thedegenerate rulersof the Han dynasty and had beenseized by a usurper named Tung Clio, who put thereigning emperor to death and placed a puppet ofhis own on the throne. The violence and atrocitiesof this man have made him a proverb and a bywordin Chinese history. One particular act attributed tohim has been singled out as being even more atrociousthan his many butcheries and murders. Withremorseless cruelty he enforced the removal of thepopulation of the imperial capital, Lohyang, numbering,it is said, several millions, to the city of Ch'anyang,and ordered the destruction by fire of thedeserted town. At length Fate overtook him—asit commonly overtakes tyrants—and he was assassinatedby one of the countless enemies which he hadraised up against himself. His fall, however, failedto bring about peace, and rebel after rebel rose tokeep alive the prevailing disorder. The puppetwhom TungO Clio had placed on the throne wasJ-murdered in his turn, and a successful leader, assumingthe imperial purple, proclaimed himself the first

XVICHINESE STORIES.of the emperors of the Wei dynasty.Simultaneouslywith this new line of sovereigns another usurperestablished a kingdom for himself in the modernprovince of Szech'uen ;and yet another founded one,which he styled the kingdom of Wu, in SouthernChina. The rivalries of these three states made avery pretty quarrel, and probably no half-century inChinese history has so bloody a record as that ofthis epoch. It is therefore a model period for thepen of a historicalnovelist, and Lo Kwanchung hastaken every advantage of the materials thus placedat his disposal. With considerable skill he unfoldsthe complicated drama, and moves the puppets,crowded on the stage, with precision and withoutconfusion. The principal characters stand prominentlyforward, and the action of the plot goes onabout them without in the least obscuring; theirpresence. Nor is the romance ever allowed to dropto the prosaic level of history. The more seriousrecords of wars and political movements are lightenedby a- plentiful introduction of artistic by-play. Bythe exercise of the novelist's licence we are admittedinto the palaces of the emperors, and are initiatedinto the secrets of court intrigues. Even the imperialharems are thrown open for our benefit, and we aremade confidants of the plots hatched in the busybrains of idle ladies, which on more than one occasionoverthrew emperors and caused fire and sword tooverspread the land. The supernatural also is largelyintroduced. Times of political disorder are generallyfavourable to superstition, and it is quite possiblethai Lo may have only given a picturesque colouring

INTRODUCTION.XV11to the reported wonders and strange Omens wliichwere commonly current at the time.The 'History of the Three Kingdoms 'is unquestionablythe best Chinese novel of its class. There areothers— the Shui hit ch'uen, for instance— but bycommon consent the one above described has receivedthe general suffrages of the people.The social novel is of quite a different kind. Likethe Babylonians of old, Chinamen look upon war asan uncultured accomplishment, and the writers ofromances of this order eschew battles and bloodshedwith a horror equal to the avidity with which someWestern novelists indulge in them. With us, aswith all Aryan nations, a gallant soldier is the popularhero, and the atmosphere of the camp is a favouritescene for the plot. But with the Chinese thisis not so. Military prowess does uot attract theapplause of the people. In their eyes a man is amodel hero who takes the highest degree at the examinations,and quotes the classics with the greatestfluency. It is true that he should be a Bayard, satispeiir et sans reproche; that he should with thestrength of his right arm vanquish all those whooppose him, and should even dare tobrave the angerof the emperor and his ministers in the cause of right.But he must not be a soldier by profession. Thatwould degrade him at once in the eyes of all thecultured classes, and reduce the heroine, whom healways marries in the lastchapter amid the plauditsof the court and the people, to a very common level.In addition to these eminent qualities, he must beclothed with virtue as with a garment. He must

XV111CHINESE STORIES.cast behind him every temptation to evil, and howeverdifficult may be the circumstances with which he issurrounded, he must invariably act in strict accordancewith the "rules of propriety." He shouldventure all in the cause of oppressed virtue, andesteem it the highest honour to have exposed thewrong-doer.A typical novel of this kind is the Hao ch'iu ch'uen,which was translated by Sir John Davis under thetitle of 'The Fortunate Union.' There the hero actsup to the letter of the description just given. Hisname is Tieh or " Iron," and his conduct is as inflexibleas that metal.There is plenty of movement in the plot, but thescenes are placed before the reader as a succession oftableaux ; and though the action of the principal charactersissufficient to describe them in a general way,there is no close analysis of motive, and no gradationsin their good and evil qualities. They are alleither very black or very white. Half-tones are unknownto Chinese novelists, and the reader has to applyhis knowledge of nature to the events recorded tocomplete the novel. It is, however, unquestionablyinteresting, as being descriptive of certain and curiousphases of Chinese life, and as accurately reflectingthe sentiments of the people under man)' and varyingcircumstances.One fault which is observable in all Chinese novelsis the want of conciseness in the style in which theyarc written. The same leisurely manner which marksevery movement of a Chinaman distinguishes theway in which his romances are composed. Neither

INTRODUCTION.XIXthe readers nor the authors are in a hurry, andtherefore the former are ready to accept and thelatterto provide a prolixity and minuteness of detailwhich would be the ruin of any work of the kindpublished in Europe. This is a vice inherent in allEastern works, from the Arabian Nights ' ' downwards,and Orientals will have to become unorientalisedbefore any reform in this direction can be expected.To a great extent the shorter tales of theChinese are free from this defect in style. Theauthors who have to complete their plots within agiven number of pages, have not space in which toindulge the prolix meanderings of their more elaboratebrethren of the pen, and consequently their pagesare free from this fault of larger works.All Easternsare fond of stories, and there is scarcely a countryeast of or about the Nile in which the professionalstory-teller is not a familiar figure. Whether in thebazaars in Egypt, under the village trees inIndia, orin the temples in Burma, crowds are constantly to befound listening to the tales of wandering narratorswhose guerdons of reward vary in accordance withtheir power to amuse their audiences. In China,where printing is so cheap and where the knowledgeof letters is so general, the book-shops cater to thetaste, which is as pronounced there as elsewhereand of an evening, when the day's work is done, afavourite amusement of the people istales from the Liao chai chi i,to listen to thethe Chin hu clii kwan,or some other well-known collection, read by thebetter educated among them. The stories in theChin hu ch'i Jcwan are the best of their kind. Theyc

XXCHINESE STORIES.are more carefully edited, and free from the crudemarvels which Chinese authors are so fond of introducinginto their works of imagination. Thecritical faculty is not largely developed among theChinese. However much a statement may be surpassingbelief, they have no difficulty in acceptingit. Nor does the fact that it clashes with opposingassertions or with ascertained facts disturb them fora moment. Their mode of procedure is simple ; theyaccept both, and never trouble themselves to reconcilethe conflicting!; statements. This credulousness relieveswriters from the necessity of being consistent,and allows them to wander in the realms of the marvellousto their hearts' content. To the mind of themore matter-of-fact and logicalEuropean this flightyimagination is sometimes carried to excess, andsupernatural wonders which arrest the attention andexcite the interestof native audiences serve only toweary him. Ghosts and magical apjoearances arefavourite properties with Chinese authors, and areoften brought in with telling effect, as, for instance,in the story of the 'Fickle Widow.' 1Another typical specimen of the contents of thecollection from which the above is taken is a storyentitled A Girl Graduate,' which ' will be found relatedin the following pages.In times gone by Chinesehistorians were officiallydivided into historians of the left hand and historiansof the right hand, the former being charged with theduty of recording at length imperial charges, ministerialspeeches, &c, and the latter with that of nar-1See p. 249 et seq.

INTRODUCTION.XXIrating bare facts. A division somewhat of this kindis observable in the collections of stories. We haveon the one hand full and lengthy—sometimes too fulland lengthy — tales, and on the other good shortstories something after the manner of Dean Ramsay's'Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character.'Many of these are of too oriental a character to betranslatable, and othersturn on such minute pointsof orthography and diction that they are difficult ofexplanation. Some, however, are thoroughly goodand amusing, as, for instance, the story of a winebibberwho dreamed one night that a friend had senthim a flask of excellent Suchow wine. Without lossof a moment he put it on the fire to heat (Chinesealways drink their wine hot), but before itwas readyhe awoke. Overcome with regret at the loss of thetreat which his imagination had conjured up, heexclaimed, "How I wish I had drunk it cold!"This is almost identical with the Irish story of theman who dreamed that while hobnobbing with thePope, the Holy Father invitedhim to drink a glassof grog. While the water was boiling, the samecalamity overtook Pat as discomfited the Chinaman,and was productive of the same wish.Unless a number of these stories are base misrepresentations,Chinese wives, down-trodden as they t/are in theory, manage to assert themselves in a mostunmistakable manner. Henpecked husbands are thecommon butts of these story-tellers, who are nevertired of representing the superior sex in most inferiorpositions. For example : A certain official underlingone day drew upon himself the wrath of his

XX 11CHINESE STOEIES.wife, who scratched his face so severely that whenhe presented himself before his chief the next morning,that officer asked him the cause of his wounds.With ready wit the underling replied, " While takingmy ease in my garden last evening a portion ofthe vine-trellis fell on me and scratched my face."The officer, who knew something of his domesticrelations, at once divined the true cause, "Don'ttalk nonsense," he replied "; it was your wife whoscratched you. Send a policeman to bring her beforeme." As it happened, his own wife had been listeningto this interview behind the door, and indefenceof her sex burst in upon the scene. The officer, terrifiedby this invasion, said hurriedly to the underling,Go away, never mind your wife ; my'•'vinetrellisis about to fall on me."Female curiosity isanother fruitful subject of theseanecdotes, and one is told in which this failingbrought to a close a life almost as long as Noah's.According; to Chinese tradition the kino; of Hadeskeeps a register of the lives of men. To each personis given a single page, and so soon as that is filled up,the person whose career it represents is at once calledto appear before the dread sovereign. It chanced,however, that on one occasion the king;the binding of his book requiredobserving thatmending, tore out aleaf from the volume with which to repair the back.The man to whose career this leaf was appropriatedwas thus overlooked, and the page not being filledup, he went on living until he reached the age ofnine hundred and sixty-two, when he had occasionto mourn the death of his seventy-second wife.This

INTRODUCTION.XXU1lady, being of an inquisitiveturn of mind, had oftenbeen puzzled by the length of her husband's career,and on appearing in her turn before the king ofHades, she made bold to ask him for an explanationof such unusual longevity. The king at once orderedan investigation to be made, and the mistake beingdiscovered, he filled up the page at once, and Chang'smatrimonial ventures were incontinently cut short.Like many of the religious and philosophical ideasof the Chinese, the drama was first introduced fromIndia, whence, in the sixthcentury, a band of travellinggymnasts, dressed in the skins of wild animals,initiated the people into the pleasures of pantomimicperformances. For several centuries the art madelittle progress, and it was not untilthe latter end ofthe T'ang dynasty (618-907) that the wild dancesand songs of the pantomimists were arranged inregular plays. Even then the playwright's professionseems to have been languidly practised, and itrequired the infusion of Mongol blood to make theChinese seriously take to dramatic performances.During the dynasty founded by Jenghiz Khan, aliberal patronage was extended to the drama, andunder this generous influence were produced playswhich are universally recognised as the best specimensof Chinese dramatic writing. At the presentday the taste for the stage is general and absorbing.On most great official and religious functions theatricaldisplays bear a part, as well as on all occasions ofsocial festivity. Permanent theatres are to be foundin most towns and larg;e villages ; and where noneexists, a mat building is readily extemporised on the

XXIVCHINESE STORIES.appearance of a strolling band of actors. Where,however, even the erection of such a makeshift isinconvenient, the village temple is turned for thenonce into a Thespian theatre. The very simplestage arrangements required make the adaptation ofthis or any other building an easy matter. Stagescenery is unknown, and all that the actors requireis a dressing-room from which they can enter onthe stage, and to which they can retreat from it.Custom forbids, as a rule, the appearance of morethan two interlocutors at once on the stage, andthis, coupled with the absence of scenery, compelseach actor as he presents himself to describe in amonologue who he is, and the circumstances underwhich he appears. These explanations mar to a certainextent the literary effect of a Chinese play ;butwith the exception of this fault of manner, the bestChinese dramas are good specimens of the playwright'sart. The subjects chosen for the plots aremuch the same as those in vogue in other countries.Historical events are very commonly selected astopics for the legitimate drama ; while the materialsfor tragedies, comedies, and forces are found in theevents of daily life.One of the best known historical plays is the HanKung Ctiou, which was translated by Sir John Davisunder the title of the " Sorrows of Han." The sceneis laid in the first century before Christ, and describeswith not more than the usual poetic licence eventswhich actually occurred. The play opens with theappearance of the Tartar khan, who, after the usualmanner, describes himself in these words:

INTRODUCTION.XXV" I am Han Chenyu, the old inhabitant of the sandy wastes,the sole rnler of the northern regions. The wild chase is ourtrade ;battle and conquests our chief occupation. The EmperorWenwang retired before our eastern tribes ;Wei trembled at us, and sued for our friendship.the state ofThe ancienttitle of our chief has in the course of time been changed tothat I now bear. When the two races of Tsin and Han contendedin battle, and filled the empire with tumult, our tribeswere in full power. . . . For seven days my ancestor hemmedin with his forces the Emperor Kaoti, until by the contrivanceof a minister a treaty was concluded and the princessesof China were yielded in marriage to our khans.Sincethe time of Hwuiti and the Empress Lti How each successivegeneration has adhered to the established rule, and soughtour alliance with its daughters. In the reign of the lateEmperor Suenti my brother contended with myself for therule of our nation, and its power was weakened until thetribes elected me as their chief. I am a real descendant ofthe empire of Han. I command a hundred thousand armedwarriors. We have moved to the south, and have approachedthe border, claiming an alliance with the imperial race.Yesterday I despatched an envoy with tributary presents todemand a princess in alliance, but know not if the emperorwill satisfy the engagement with the customary oaths. Thefineness of the season has drawn away our chiefs on a huntingexcursion amidst the sandy steppes. May they meetwith success, for we Tartars have no fields, our bows andarrows are our sole means of subsistence."At this point the khan exits, and is succeeded bythe Chinese minister Mao, who proceeds to hold upa mirror to his character which reflects his aimsand motives in the most odious light. He doesnot scruple to confess to the employment of themeanest of sycophantic arts to keep the favour ofhis sovereign, and of the vilest injustice in order to

XXVICHINESE STORIES.plunder the people.Having made this frank avowal,he is joined by the emperor, who, having explainedhis existence to the audience, proceeds to consult hisminister as to the internal affairs of the palace.Prompted by evil design, Mao suggests to his sovereignthat he should seek to fill up his harem inaccordance with the liberal examples set by themore rollicking of his predecessors. With little reluctancethe emperor accepted the proffered advice,and forthwith appointed Mao to select ninety-fiveof the most beautiful girls in the country for hisinspection. Armed with the imperial command, Maotravelled through the provinces, making choice of allthe pretty girls whose parents are willing to pay hima oood round sum for the honour of havino; theirdaughters placed among the favoured beauties. Inthe course of his travels he discovered at Ch engtu,in Szech'uen, a girlof such surpassing loveliness thathis first impulse was to write her down at once asone of the selected fair ones ; but on his intimatingto her father that he should require a bribe in returnfor the service, he was frankly told by the hardywesterner that he was quite unable, even if he werewilling, to offer such a lordly gift. On receivingthis rebuff Mao's first inclination was to strike ChaoChun's name off his list, but the evil nature of theman prompted a more subtle revenge. He directedher to appear atthe palace with the rest, and as washis practice in all such cases, he carried her portraitback with him to the capital.There he employed anartist to make a copy of the picture, in which, whilepreserving some of the beauty of the original, the

INTRODUCTION.XXV11painter was so to mar the general effect as to ensurethe relegation of the lady to the "Cold Palace" forthe rest of her life.At first the plan succeeded admirably. Poor ChaoChun was not even sent for to be looked at, and consoledherself as best she might by singing to her lute.It so happened, however, that one evening when theemperor was strolling through his palace he approachedher room and heard her singing;.Being; struck by therichness of her voice, he sent to summon her to hispresence. The sight of her exquisite beauty filledhim with astonishment, and when he heard from herlips the infamous conduct of Mao, he in righteousangler ordered his execution. Bv chance the ministerg-ot wind of the evil that was intended against him,and fled precipitately from the capital, taking withhim the true portrait of the lady Chao. At this timethe Tartar khan above introduced was threatening- thenorthern frontier of the empire, and Mao, filled withschemes of revenge, betook himself to the Mongolcamp." A long journey," he says, " has brought me to this spot,ami from the troops of men and horses, I conclude I havereached the Tartar camp.Leader (to a soldier), inform KingHan Chenyu that a great minister of the empire of Han iscome to wait on him." Khan (on Icing informed). Command him to approach.(Seeing Mao.) What person are you?" Mao. I am a minister of Han. In the western palace ofthe emperor is a lady named Chao Chun, of rare and surpassingcharms. When your envoy, great king, came to demanda princess, this lady would have answered the summons ; butthe emperor of Han could not bring himself to part withd

XXV111CHINESE STORIES.her, and refused to yield her up. T repeatedly renewed mybitter reproaches, and asked bow he could bear for the sakeof a woman's beauty to implicate the welfare of two nations.For this the emperor would have beheaded me; and Ithereforeescaped with the portrait of the lady, which I present,greal king, to yourself. Should you send away an envoywith the picture to demand her, she musl certainly be deliveredup. I Lere is the portrait."The khan adopts the advice, and sends an envoy tothe emperor demanding the lad}' Chao as the onlyprice at which he might purchase peace. The envoyarrives just when the emperor is at the full tide ofhis affection for the lady, and the subject of hismission brings despair to the imperial lover's heart."The Emperor. Let our civil and military officers consulland report to me the best mode of causing the foreign troopsto retire without yielding up the princess to propitiate him.. . . It would seem that for the future, instead of men forministers, we need only have fair women to keep our empirein peace."Tin-: Lady Chao. In return for your majesty's bounties,it is your handmaid's duty to brave death to serve you. Ican cheerfully enter into this foreign alliance for the sakeof producing peace, and shall leave behind me a name evergreen in history. But my love for your majesty, how can Ilay that aside ?"Emperor. Alas, I know too well that I can do that nomore than yourself"President. I. entreat your majesty to sacrifice your love,and think of the security of your dynasty. Hasten, sir, tosend the princess on her way.•Emperor. Let her this day advance a stage on her journeyand be presented to the envoy. To-morrow we will repair asfar as to the bridge of Pahling, and give her a parting feast."

INTRODUCTION.Xxi.XWith man}- tears the lady prepares to take herjourney to the inhospitable north, and the emperorescorts her the first stage. A bitter parting heretakes place, and she pursues her solitary way to theTartar camp. The khan, overcome by her beauty,receives her with effusion, and orders his invadingarmy to retreat to his khanate. In due course theyarrive at the frontier river, the name of which the ladyasks of her lord. On being told that it is the riverof the Black Dragon, which divides the emperor'sterritory from that of the khan, she drinks a cupof wine in honour of the khan, pours out a libationin the direction of the emperor's palace, and throwsherself into the stream. The khan makes eveneffortto save her, but in vain, and his regret for herloss and for her untimely fate is coupled with ahearty desire to inflict punishment on Mao for theevil he had wrought. Full of regret at the wronghe had been induced to do the emperor, he determinesto send an envoy to make terms of bindingpeace with his neighbour, and hands over Mao to thetender mercies of his rightful master.The scene now changes again to the emperor'spalace, and we are shown the emperor still mourningthe loss of his bride, and offering incense before herportrait. Presently he sleeps, and in a vision of thenight the lady Chao appears before him and vanishesas he wakes. At that moment the Tartar envoyarrives, bringing Mao with him. His story is soontold. Peace is established, and Mao expiates hiscrimes at the hand of the executioner.Some of the scenes in this play are full of pathos,

XXXCHINESE STORIES.and the story is told with very considerable dignityand feeling. The moral, as in all Chinese plays,tends to elevate virtue, and to hold up tyranny andwrong to just execration. The fact that the emperorshould have been so weak and cowardly as to yieldtothe khan's demands does not, from a Chinese pointof view, seriously affect his character.So long as hegives vent to exalted aspirations and highly patrioticsentiments his conduct is of minor consequence.The same inconsistency is as observable in real lifeat the present day as in the "Sorrows of Han." Theemperor and his ministers pour out in the pages ofthe 'Peking Gazette' sentiments which should belongto the most virtuous of mankind, and which areheld to cover the vices and follies which daily disgracethe court and the empire.The same inconsistency is observable in the playswhich represent the everyday life of the people.Characters which on our stas;ewould be reckoned asinfamous are allowed to whitewash themselves by theexpression of lofty moral utterances, and to enjoy theodour of sanctity in recognition of their high-soundingprofessions. For example, in the well-known playentitled "The Son of his Old Age," the old fatherbehaves most unfeelingly to the mother of his son,and with great cruelty towards his nephew, and yetlie is described as a pattern of virtue when at theend of the play he makes some amends for his misdeedsand expresses himself inwell-rounded periods.This play was considered by Voltaire worthy to beadapted for the French stage. In his opinion it wassuperior to anything that Europe could boast of at

INTRODUCTION.XXXIthe time at which it was written, and no doubt suchwas the case. But unhappily the dramatic art liasnot advanced in China as in Europe, and the playsof later ages, so far from improving in matter andmanner on those of the twelfth century, have ratherretrogradedIt is curious to find in them, as well as in manystories, incidents which bear striking resemblances toevents narrated in the Bible. This is by no meansuncommon, and it is within the bounds of possibilitythat just as the story of Joseph and Potiphar's wifehas spread all over Western Asia, other incidentsmay have been borrowed from the sacred book. Thestory of Balaam's ass is with variations reproducedin a well-known collection of Chinese tales. In theChinese version a judge's clerk was going to a neighbouringtown to make an investment. As he rodealong, his ass's pace became so very slow that in hisimpatient anger he beat the creature unmercifully.To his boundless surprise, instead of, as at other times,receiving the chastisement in silence, the ass spoke,ami remonstrated energetically against the crueltyinflicted on him, pleading his length of faithful service.Upon this new departure the clerk dismountedand led the gifted creature the rest of the way. Inlike manner, in a play, the plot of which may be brieflysketched, an incident bearing a likeness to the judgmentof Solomon is introduced. In this drama, whichis called "A Circle of Chalk," we are first admitted to astormy scene at the house of a widow who is ambitiousto bestow her beautiful daughter as a secondary wife ona wealthy but childless neighbour, Ma by name. The

XXX11CHINESE STORIES.family is miserably poor, and the girl is as anxiousfor the alliance as her mother. But the son, Changlin,stoutly objects to his sister taking a secondary positionin any household, and when he finds his remonstrancesunavailing, shakes the dust of the house offhis shoes and leaves the neighbourhood. So soon ashe is gone the marriage takes place, and before longthe bride presents her husband with a son. For atime all goes well on the surface, although the firstwife cherishes adeeply rooted jealousy of the superiorfortune of Haitang. While matters are in this position,Changlin, who has been reduced to extremewant, returns to his mother's house, which he findsempty, and in reply to his inquiries the neighbourstell him that his mother is dead, and that Haitanq; isthe happy wife of Ma and the mother of his son.his extremity all his high protestations disappear, andhe goes to Ma's house to beg bread from his sister.She receives him with scorn, taunts him with formerprofessions, and turns him out into the street. Wearyand exhausted, he throws himself on the doorstep,and is there found by Mrs Ma, who, learning fromhim that he is Ilaitang's brother, brings him in andtells Haitano- to give him her hair ornaments andtrinkets that he may buy himself food. To Haitang'squestion, " What will Ma say if I give away hispresents?" she replies that she will undertake toexplain matters to their common husband.InHaitangtherefore does as she is told, and Changlin carriesoff her jewellery. Mrs Ma, we are told, has beencarrying on a flirtation with a judge's clerk namedChao, and has received from him some poison with

INTRODUCTION.XXX111which to get rid of her husband in his favour. Shenow sees her opportunity, and when on his returnhome Ma asks her what Haitang lias done with hertrinkets, she invents a story in which she describesher rival as having given them to an old lover whohad fallen into poverty. In his anger Ma, withoutasking Haitang for an explanation, beats her unmercifully.While she is yet aching with the blows shehas received, Mrs Ma orders her to prepare a basinsoup for her husband. When Haitang brings thesoup, Mrs Ma sends her for some salt, and in herabsence, and while her husband's back isofturned, shepours the poison into the basin. Haitang then entersand presents the soup to Ma, who having taken it,falls dead on the floor. Mrs Ma's course is now clear.She charges Haitang with the murder of her husband,and in order to secure the family property claimsHaitang's son as her own.The case is carried to the magistrate's court, whereChao has managed o to secure the influence of the man-darin and a goodly jwsse of friendly witnesses. Onthe charge of murder Haitang is speedily committedfor trial, and Chao's suborned witnesses declare thatthe boy is the son of Mrs Ma. On this point themagistrate is evidently not clear, and he orders apoliceman to draw a circle of chalk on the floor ofthe courtyard. In the centre of this he places theboy, and tells each of the two women to hold oneof his hands at opposite sides of the circle, and topull one against the other. The one who pulled himto her was to be considered the mother. Mrs Maroughly seizes the hand nearest to her, but Haitang,

XXXIVCHINESE STORIES.fearing to hurt the tender arms of her child, refusesthe contest, and her opponent gains the day. Veryunlike Solomon, the magistrate considers this resultto be satisfactory, and awards the child to the pretendedmother. Poor Haitang, loaded with a cangue,is put into prison, and is after some time taken tothe provincial capital for trial before the governorof the province. At a restaurant at the outskirtsof the city, where her jailers stop for refreshment,she meets her brother, who has gained employmentin the governor's office, and is in a flourishing condition.While Haitang is telling him her story, Mrs Maand Chao arrive at the same halting-place, on theirway to give evidence against the accused. Theappearance of these two conspirators in companyconvinces Changlin of the accuracy of Haitang'saccount of the whole plot, and he repeats to thegovernor the story as he had received it. The governor,thus put on hisguard, severely cross-examinesChao, who, though brave at first, eventually loseshis nerve and makes a full confession of the, plot,throwing, however, the whole blame on Mrs Ma.who retaliates by accusing him of having suggestedthe murder of Ma, and of having given her thepoison. The crooked places are thus made straight.Haitang is acquitted, and is given both her son andMa's wealth ; Chao and Mrs Ma are put to death bythe slicing process ; while the magistrate is degradedfor his want of discrimination. Thus all ends happily,although it is difficult to feel much sympathyfor any of the characters. But the Chinese playwrightlias attained his object when he secures the

INTRODUCTION.XXXVpunishment of the principal offenders, and he is contentto leave to the compassion of the audience theother principal characters, whose imperfections maybe held to have been expiated by their misfortunes.Farces are very popular with the Chinese people,who, though matter of fact, arc possessed of a keensense of humour, and delight in the presentationon the stage of situations which are provocative oflaughter. As among all Eastern nations, these situationsare often such as would not be permitted for amoment in an English theatre. On the other hand,many of the plots are counterparts of pieces whichare nightly played in Paris and in London.Not onlyin plot but in name a farce which is very popular inNorthern China is identical with a play which is wellknown both on the French and English stages. Chiehchi may lie translated into French by the well-knowntitle of "Pretez-moi votre femme," which has becomefamiliarised among us. In the Chinese play an impecuniousne'er-do-weel applies for help to his uncle,who refuses to give him a cash until he shall havemarried, and thus shown a disposition to settledown. The nephew is cpiite willing to marry, butnot unnaturally he finds a difficulty in getting anyone to marry him in his present out-of-elbows condition.He therefore o-oes to a friend and asks himto lend his wife, to go as his bride on a visit to hisuncle, who lives some few miles away. The friendconsents on condition that the expedition does notoccupy many hours. The bargain being thus struck,our hero hires two carts, which it chances are sodelayed in coming up to the house that it is latee

XXX VICHINESE STORIES.before a start is made. On arriving at their destinationthe liciointroduces the lady as his wife, and bothhis uncle and aunt are delighted at his choice. Inthe discussionof family matters and other congenialsubjects the time slips away, and before the mealgiven in their honour is finished the evening closesin on them. The uncle now insists on their remainingfor the night, and in spite of their most earnestprotestations, orders theservants to prepare the bestbedroom for their reception. The despair of thepseudo-bride and the misery of the hero are amusinglydescribed, and with the most acute feelings ofhorror they are finally solemnly conducted by theuncle and aunt to their chamber. Left alone, theyconsult as to what is to be done, and they agree tosit up all night and long for the day. At earliestdawn a thundering knocking; is heard at the frontdoor, and a servant comes in to say that there is aman outside demanding his wife, who, he asserts, isno other than our hero's bride. Fearing that thenoise should disturb his uncle, our hero goes to thefront door and attempts to quiet his friend. This ismore than he can do, and the intruder insists on seeinghis wife, and demands an explanation.A terriblescene ensues, in which all the characters take part.For some time confusion reignssupreme, but finallymatters are so explained to the outraged husbandthat he becomes satisfied and carries off his wife,leaving our hero to the just reproaches of his uncle,wlio sees even less reason than ever to help so gracelessanephew..Man)' of the foregoing remarks are aptly illustrated

INTRODUCTION. XXXV 11in the stories and ballads which will be found in thefollowing pages, and which are here reprinted by permissionfrom Blackwood's Magazine, 5 the Cornhill' 'Magazine,' the Hour ' Glass,' Atalanta,' the ' ' IllustratedLondon News,' and the St James's ' Gazette.'For reasons which have been already sufficientlyindicated, these stories have not been translated rliterally from the original ; but while the plots and/incidents have been faithfully retained, they havebeen pruned and adapted to meet the requirementsof Western readers. As illustrating the popularliterature of China they have more than a passinginterest. They hold ,up, as it were, a mirror to thelife of the people, and thus bring home to our consciousnessthe fact that human passions and feelingsare much the same on the banks of the Yang-tszekiangas on the shores of the Thames.EOBEET K.DOUGLAS.British Museum, November 1, 1892.

CHINESESTORIES

CHINESESTOEIES.A MATRIMONIAL FRAUD.ONEADAPTED FROM A CHAPTER OF A CHINESE NOVEL.hot August afternoon the Prefect of Ping-chowmight have been seen sitting in the verandah ofhis private apartments smoking his post-prandial pipeand admiring the flowers, which threw a fragranceand beauty over the courtyard which stretchedbefore him. The official work of the morning hadfatigued him. Litigants had been troublesome, andas witnesses had refused to give the evidence expectedof them, he had been obliged to resort to theapplication of thumb - screws and ankle - squeezers.Having a natural repugnance to torture, its usealways disturbed him ; and after such occasions asthe present, he exchanged his seat in the judgmenthallfor his easy-chair and pipe with a redoubledsense of enjoyment. On this particular afternoonhis wife, Mrs Le, was seated by him, and was re-

4 CHINESE STORIES.counting, among other events of the morning, theparticulars of a visit.Mrsshe had received from a certainWang." From the moment she entered the room I tooka dislike to her," she said. " She had a fawning,catlike maimer, with her 'May it please you,madam,' or 'May I be permitted to say, yourExcellency;' andall the while that she was thusfawning on me and praising your learning and wisdom,I felt sure she had some object in comingbesides the desire to pay her respects. Then shewent on to say how rich her husband was, and howwilling he would be at any time to advance youmoney in case you should need it. At last out camethe canker-worm from this rosebud of flattery. Herson, it seems, is very anxious to marry a Miss Chang,the daughter of a rich President of the Board of War.who is at present engaged on service on the Annamesefrontier. His suit is countenanced by theyoung lady's uncle, but is rejected by herself.""And why?""Well, according to Airs Wang, — but then Ishould not believe anything because she said it,there issome clandestine love affair which disinclinesher to the proposed match. As her father is away, itwas necessary that she should be consulted, although,of course, her unclewould be justified, as Mrs Wanghinted, in arranging matters in his absence.''At this moment a servant entered the courtyardand presented to the Prefect a red visiting-card, onwhich was inscribed the name of Mr Wang, thefather of the would-be bridegroom.

A MATRIMONIAL FRAUD. 5"Why, this is the husband of your visitor of this" Theymorning," said he, as he glanced at the card.are evidently determined to push on the affair. Ifthey are as keen in the pursuit of virtue as theyare of this marriage, they will soon out-virtue Confucius."" My belief is," said his wife sententiously, "thatthey might dine off their virtue without breakingtheirfast."" Well, at all events, I will go to hear what thisman has to say ; but having fortunately seen hishook, I shall refuse the bait, however skilfully hemay throw the line."The host and his cmest were as unlike as it waspossible for two men to be. The Prefect moved intothe room with the manner of a polished gentleman,one who, being well assured of his relative position,knew perfectly what was expected of him, and whathe had a right to expect from others. He was talltoo, and his refined features expressed a composurewhich was engendered by power and assured byhabit. Wang, on the other hand, was his antipodes.He was short, stout, broad-featured, and altogethervulgar-looking.His eyes were small and ferret-likein their restlessness, while his natural awkwardnessof manner was aggravated by a consciousness that hehad come on a dishonest mission. As the two menmet and bowed, the Prefect surveyed his guest withcuriosity not unmixed with loathing, much as ayoung lady might regard a strange kind of toad. Tohis repeated requests that Wang would seat himself,that worthy feigned a constant refusal, until at last,B

iHINESE STORIES.in despair, the Prefect was fain to sit down, when hisguest, with bated breath, followed his example. Theprogress of the interview was not more propitiousPrefect surveyed his guest with curiosity not unmixed with loathing."than its opening. Wang attempted some classicalallusions, but having but a vague knowledge of his-

A MATKIMONIAL FRAUD. 7tor)', succeeded only in likening his host to thereprobate Chow-sin. Being a stupid man also, hewas quite unaware of the contempt which was sufficientlyobvious in the Prefect's manner, and heopened the real object of his visit with assurance." The presence of your Excellency in our districthas shed a ray of golden light among us. But alamp, as I well know, cannot give light unless it issupplied with oil. Now Mencius said—I think itwas Mencius, was it not, your Excellency ? — -that outof their superfluity people ought to satisfy the wantsof those not so bountifully provided for. If, then,your Excellency should at any time require thatwhich it is within the power of your servant tosupply, I beseech you to give him the gratificationof knowing that he can be of service to you."" As your classical knowledge is so profound,"answered the Prefect, " you doubtless remember thepassage in which an ancient sage declares that anofficial who receives anything, except in return forservices performed, is a ' fellow.' Now it happensthat I am not inclined to play the part of a ' fellow.' '" Ha, ha, ha ! " chuckled Wang, who thought thiswas a hint for him to state his business in full, "yourExcellenc} 7 , I see, likes to come to the point. Thefact is, then, that my son is deeply enamoured of aMiss Chang, whom he once saw from a window inher uncle's house as she walked in her garden. Herbeauty has completely ravished him. He can neitheroat nor sleep from the intensity of his passion, andhis very life depends upon his marrying her. Besides,I don't mind saying to your Excellency that

8 CHINESE STORIES.ilir connection, — her father is a President of theBoard of War,—would be both agreeable and usefulinme.""I am sure I wish your son every success," saidthe Prefect ;" but I cannot see how otherwise theaffair concerns me in the least."" Why, is not your Excellency the ' father andmother ' of your people ? and in the absence, therefore,of the President, it is on you that the duty fallsof arranging a marriage for this young lady. Aswas said by Confucius, Every girl on arriving at a'marriageable age should be betrothed ; ' andit isplain, therefore, that Miss, Chang's bridal presentsshould be prepared.If your Excellency would deignto direct the betrothal of this young lady and myunworthy son, my joy would be endless, and mygratitude without bounds. I may mention, also, thatMr Chang, the young lady's uncle, who is in everyway a most estimable man, cordially supports myson'ssuit."" But why," asked the Prefect, " does the younglady decline the proposal which I understand youhave already made her'.""Well, the fact is," said Wang, "that she hasformed a foolish attachment for a young man whosonic months ago met with a bad accident outsideher door, and who was carried into her house to die,as every one thought. But, marvellous to say, byiln' doctor's caiv and the watchful attention of thelady's servants, he recovered. Unfortunately, however,his cure took some tine; and during his convalescence,ii seems that the two young people held

A MATRIMONIAL FRAUD. 9several conversations together, always, I am boundto say, through an impenetrable screen, and in thepresence of attendants ; and she was so struck withliis sentiments and appearance—for I am told thatshe managed to see him, though he never caught aglimpse of her—that she vowed a vow never to marryany one but him.""" And who was the young man ?"His name was Tieh (iron); and he must havebeen as hard as iron not to have been killed by hisfall, for he fell on his head and was kicked by hishorse. He doubtless has a certain kind of ability,as he has just taken the third degree, or that of'advanced scholar,' and was on his way home fromhis examination at Peking when he met with hisaccident/'" A certain amount of ability, indeed ! " ejaculatedthe Prefect ;" why, the whole capital rang withpraises of his scholarship ; and in his native towna tablet has already been raised, as a memorial ofhis conspicuous success. However, as you haveappealed to me officially on behalf of your son, Iwill cause inquiries to be made, and will let youknow my determination."The Prefect w T as as good as his word, and the reportshe received, both of the Wang family and ofthe young lady's uncle, were so eminently unsatisfactory,that he directed his secretary to write ashort letter to Mr Wang, stating that he must declineto interfere in the matter.On receipt of this note, the look of cunning whichusually rested on the coarse and blurred features of

HINESE10

A MATRIMONIAL FRAUD. 11on this occasion sat herself down opposite her disturbedlord, and began" Well now, since we cannot expect any help fromthis pattern of assumed virtue, I think we had bettertry what the girl's uncle will be able to effect bycajolery. You must go to him at once, before theYou hideous deformity ! "idea gets abroad that the Prefect is against us, andpersuade him by promises of money to represent tohis niece that he now stands in the place of a fatherto her, and that as such he strongly urges her toagree to the match. Let him dangle every bait

12 CHINESE STORIES.likely to catch our fish that he can think of. Heshould enlarge on our wealth, on our influence withthe official classes, and on the good looks and engagingqualities of our son. Living so completelysecluded as she does, she is not likely to have heardof his escapades, and Chang can at times lay the] t;iin I on thick, I know. But before you start, takea few pipes of opium to steady your nerves. Yourhand shakes as though you had the ague, andyou look like a man on the verge of the YellowSprings." lThis last advice was so thoroughly congenial thatWang at once retired to follow it. His wife, havingcompassion on his quivering fingers, accompaniedhim to his study, and having arranged his pillow,proceeded to fill his pipe. With practised skill, shemixed the paste with a long needle, and gatheringon the point a piece about the size of a pea, laid itneatly in the small orifice in the centre of the surfaceof the flat-topped wooden receptacle which protrudedfrom the side of the long stem. When thusprepared, she handed the pipe to her recumbent husband,who eagerly clutched it, and applied the pelletof opium to the lamp which stood ready lighted onthe divan. The effect of the first few whirl's wasmagical. His face, which a few moments beforehad been haggard with excitement, and twitchingwith nervous irritability, now softened down into acalm and placid expression ; his eyes lost their resthv—, anxious look; and his limits, which had beendrawn up with muscular rigidity, relaxed their ten-1 I.e., Hades.

A MATRIMONIAL FKAUD. 13sion. Once, twice, and thrice did Mrs Wang refillhis pipe ; and then, fearing lest a prolonged indulgenceshould disincline him to move, she urged himto rise and to pay his visit.Eefreshed and calmed, Wang arose. All his excitementhad disappeared, and a sensation of pleasurableenjoyment, which threw a rose-tinted hueeven on the present state of affairs, had succeededto it. A very few minutes sufficed for the arrangementof his toilet. The application of a damp towelto his face and hands, a few passes of a woodencomb to smooth backwards the stray locks whichhad escaped from his queue, and a readjustment ofhis cap and robe, were all that were needed to fithim for his interview with Chang. As he was borneswiftly through the streets he leaned back in hissedan, lost in a reverie, in which he saw, as in adream, his son married to the object of his admiration,himself decorated by the Emperor with a bluebutton in exchange for a few thousand taels ; andthe Prefect, bound hand and foot, being carried offto prison. Whether this last vision was suggestedor not by an officialon the way, will never be known ;procession which he encounteredfor so lost was hein dreamy indifference to external objects, that hewas quite unconscious of the presence of his archenemyin the same street, although his chair coolieshad, as in duty bound, stood at the side of the roadwhile " the great man " passed on his way.Having been warned by a forerunner of the approachingarrival of Wang, Chang was waiting readyto receive him. Profoundly the two friends bowed

1 4 CHINESE STORIES.to one another as they seated themselves on thedivan :andafter a remark or two on general topics,Wang went straight to the point. He related thePrefect's refusal to interfere, and then enlarged onthe proposal indicated by his wife, and ended up bymaking (hang the oiler of a round sum of money in

A MATRIMONIAL FRAUD. 15the room and speedily returned bearing two smalllacquer-trays, each of which contained an opium-pipeand the necessary adjuncts. By the side of both hismaster and Wang, who were now recumbent, he placeda tray, and then withdrew, leaving the two friends tothe enjoyments of intoxication.Pipe after pipe theysmoked, until at last their pipes dropped from theirmouths, and they passed into the opium - smoker'sparadise—a state of dreamy unconsciousness, in whichstrangely fanciful visions passed before their otherwisesightless eyes, and strains of sweetest musiccharmed and delighted their ears. It was late thenext morning before they awoke, and it was thenplain, from the expression of their faces, that thepleasurable sensations of the early part of the nighthad long since passed away. Their eyes, which weresurrounded by broad black rims, bore a haggard andpainful look. Their lips were blue and parched, andtheir complexions wore a mahogany hue, as thoughsaturated with their favourite narcotic.Many " hairsof the dos; that had bitten him " and some hours'quiet rest were necessary before Chang was in a fitcondition to pay his visit of persuasion to his niece.When at last he walked across to her house, he wasshown, by right of his relationship, into her privateapartment,—which even he could not fail to observewas prettily furnished and tastefully adorned.Flowersof every hue and shape—azaleas, hydrangeas, androses—were arranged about it on stands in symmetricalconfusion ; while on the tables and sideboardwas displayed a wealth of ancient bronzes, crackedchina, and old enamel vases, which would have

16 CHINESE STORIES.driven most collectors wild with excitement. Thewalls were hung with scrolls, on some of whichcelebrated caligraphists had inscribed sentences fromthe classics, which Chang did not very well understand; and on others, distant hills, dotted with templesand enlivened by waterfalls, were depicted byold masters. One cool and shady scene, representingtwo old men playing at chess on a mountain-topbeneath a wide-spreading pine-tree, and attended byboys hearing pipes and liasks, which might possiblybe supposed to contain tea, especially attracted hisattention ; and so absorbed was he in the contemplationof it, that he was quite unaware that an evenmore attractive object had entered the room. Plumblossom,for so the new arrival was named, seemed atfirst indisposed to interrupt her uncle's meditation,and stood watching him, holding the door in her hand.She had evidently attired herself with some care. Herhair was trimly arranged in a bunch on each side,after the manner of maidens ; while a short fringedrooped over her forehead, which was both high andbroad. Her silken robe hung in graceful folds overher plaited satin petticoat, from beneath which hersmall embroidered shoes obtruded their toes. Infigure she was tall ;and sharply marked, told aand her features, which were finetale of high breeding andintelligence. Her eyes were large and well opened,and paid their tribute to her race by being slightlydrawn up towards the outside corners. Her complexionneeded neither powder nor rouge to add toits beauty; and the expression of her countenancegenerally was brighl and mobile. Even Chang, when

'HE WAS QUITE UNAWARE THAT AN EVEN MORE ATTRACTIVEOBJECT HAD ENTERED THE ROOM."—Page 16.

A MATRIMONIAL FRAUD. 17she advanced to meet him, rose to greet her withadmiring cordiality.After the firstcompliments were over, Chang proceededto open the object of his visit. " Yon areaware, my niece," said he, " how much your futurehas been in my mind since your father has been engagedin his present distant and doubtful service.I need not remind you of the saying of Mencius, that'when a boy is born, the desire of his parents is thathe may found a household ;appears in the world, the main objectand from the time a girlof her parentsis to see her married ; ' nor need I go on to quote to}'ou the sage's disapproval of allsuch who so far forsakethe right path as to bore holes in partition wallsand peep behind screens to catch glimpses of personsof the other sex " (this was a stab at Mr Iron)." Now, as I cannot but regard myself in the light ofyour father, I feel it incumbent on me to urge you togive your consent to be betrothed. I have made inquiriesas to the young men of equal rank with yourselfin the district, and withone consent my informantsjoin in extolling the young Mr Wang, of whomI have before spoken toyou, as being in every way acarp among minnows and a phoenix among magpies."" If the minnows are drunkards and magpiesroues, that is true enough," muttered Violet, Plumblossom'sattendant maiden, who, standing behindher mistress's chair, had listened with ill-concealeddisgust to Chang's address. Fortunately Chang'ssenses were not very acute, and the interpolationwas unnoticed by him." But, uncle," answered Plum-blossom, " though it

18 CHINESE STORIES.is true thai my father is engaged on a distant mission,and that I have no1 beard from him for a longtime, yel I have no right to assume cither that he isdead —which may the Fates forbid—or that he mayqo1 at any moment return; and according to the'Book of Rites,' it is the father who should betrothhis daughter. My obvious duty is therefore to waituntil 1 hear something definite either from him or ofhim."''•What you say is perfectly true in a general way,"said ( lhang ;" but even the sages acknowledged that,under certain circumstances, it was allowable, andsometimes even necessary, to depart from the commonusage. Now yours is a case where such adeparture is plainly called for. I have talked overthe matter with the Prefect," added Chang, withsome slight embarrassment, " and he is entirely ofmy opinion."" That certainly adds weight to your arguments/'answered Plum-blossom, demurely; : ' for though Ihave no personal knowledge of the Prefect, I haverepeatedly heard of his fame as a man of wisdom anduprightness. So I will go as far as to say, uncle,that if you choose to act in all respects a father'spari in this matter, I will give my consent. But,tell me, have you spoken on the subject to the younggentleman himself? I hope you have not been payingme compliments behind my back."" I have spoken to him several times about thematch," replied ("hang; "but I should no more thinkof attempting to compliment you, as yousay. than Ishould try to whiten a cloth washed in the waters of

A MATRIMONIAL FRAUD. 19the Han or Keang and bleached in the sun. And,let mc tell you, your good sense was never moreapparent than at this moment. I felt convinced thaia girl of your perception and wisdom would fall intothe proposal which I, wholly and entirely in yourinterest, have so repeatedly made you. And now3'ou know there willbe made," said Chang, determined tobe a number of arrangements tostrike while theiron was hot ;" and first of all, you must send toyour future husband the eight characters representingthe year, month, day, and hour of your birth,that they may be submitted to the fortune-teller.""But already, uncle," said Plum - blossom, "youare breaking your agreement ; and remember, if youbreak yours I may break mine. You undertook toact the part of a father to me, and it is therefore foryou to send the Pa-tsze " (eight characters)." You may be quite sure that I shall not retreatfrom my engagement," replied Chang ;" but thatthere may not be any mistake, I should like you towrite me a draft of the characters, that I may sendthem to be copied in gold, and that," he added aside," I may hold your own handwriting as evidenceagainst you, if by any chance you should turn fickleand change your mind."" Certainly ;"and calling for paper and pencil,Plum-blossom wrote down eight cyclical characters,and presented them to her uncle."Oh, lady, what have you done?" exclaimedViolet, wringing her hands as the door closed onChang ; "if you only knew as much about thatyoung Wang as I do, you would die sooner than

20 CHINESE STORIES.marry him. He is a brawler, a drunkard, an opiumsmoker,a""Hush!"' said her mistress; "perhaps I knowmore than you think I do. And now listen to whatT say. Don't feel or express surprise at anything Isay or do in this matter and as to the outside world,;keep your eyes and cars open, and your mouth shut."The look of despair which had taken possession ofViolet's quaint-looking features gradually gave wayunder the influence of these words to one of surprisedbewilderment. Her narrow slits of eyes opened theirwidest as she gazed with a searching look on thefeatures of her mistress. By degrees she appeared togather comfort from her inspection, and she promisedimplicit obedience to the instructions given her.In the house of Chang there was wild rejoicingover the event. Only Mrs ('hang seemed to haveany misgiving. " I cannot make the girl out," shesaid. " It was but the other day that she vowedand declared she would not listen to the match, andnow, with scarcely a show of resistance, she givesway. I hope she won't change her mind again assuddenly.""There isno danger of her doing that," replied herhusband, " for I persuaded her to write out her natalcharacters with her own hand, and here is the paper ;"and so saying, he drew from his sleeve the papergiven him by Plum-blossom." But," he added, "sheinsists that as I am acting in the place of her fatherin this matter, /must have the characters cut out ingold-leal', and the cards prepared to send to the bridegroom.I should be quite willing to do this, but, as

A MATRIMONIAL FRAUD. 21a matter of fact, I have not got the money by me topay for them.""Oh, Wang will find the money readily enough.Go round to him at once and ask for it, and a littlemore in addition; and when the cards are read}", oureldest son shall act as emissary to take them to thebridegroom. It was a clever thought to get her toput pen to paper."Mrs Chang was right.almost with eagerness, and signalisedWang produced the moneythe subsequentappearance of young Chang with the card by asumptuous feast. In due course, also, the bridegroom,having prepared numerous and costly wedding-gifts,sent word to Chang that on a given dayhe would : 'humbly venture to send his paltryoffering " to the young lady's " princely mansion."On receipt of this gratifying intimation, Chang wentin high spirits to warn his niece of the intendedceremony." My dear uncle," said the young lad}", " in theabsence of my father, and in this empty and dismantledhouse, I could not possibly receive thepresents. It would be neither proper to do so, norwould it be respectful to young Mr Wang. As youwere kind enough to send the wedding-card for me,the return presents should, as a matter of course, becarried to your house ; and besides, I cannot helpfeeling that as you have undertaken so much expenseon my behalf, it is only fair that the presents, whateverthey may be worth, should belong to you."" Your wisdom and discretion really astonish me,"said Chang, who could scarcely conceal his delightDat

22 CHINESE STORIES.the prospect of turning the presents into gold;"butwhile assenting, on the -round of propriety, to thearrangement you propose, Ihad better be in your handwriting."think the card of thanks"Certainly," said Plum-blossom; "but it must ofcourse run in your name, as it would have done inmy father's name had he been here."So saying, she sat down and inscribed a card ofthanks. "There, I think that will do. Listen towhat 1 have written: 'Chang Teming bows his headacknowledgment of the wedding-presents sent toinhis daughter.' ''"Why put 'his daughter'?" objected Chang,doubtingly. "Young Wang is not going to marrymy poor ugly daughter,—I wish he were ; it is you,my niece.""But asyou have, with so much kindness and disinterestedness,taken upon yourself the part of afather towards me, it follows that I must be yourdaughter. To call yourself my father,' and me'•your niece,' would make people laugh and wonder.""Very well, be it as you will," rejoined Chang,overcome by Plum-blossom's logic.The new view proposed by his niece as to theownership of the presents gave Chang an additionallykeen interest intheir arrival and value; and certainlynothing on the score of costliness could have beenmore gratifying to him than they were. So soon ashe had carefully arranged them with his own handsin the family hall, he invited Plum-blossom over toinsped them. She expressed admiration at the tasteshown in their choice, and at their great intrinsic

A MATRIMONIAL FRAUD. 23value, and congratulated her uncle on their acquisition,adding, at the same time, that as she had nbrother, the bulk of the family property would, shesupposed, like these presents, pass into his possession."But whatever happens," said Chang, with a waveof his hand as though all such sordid ideas were abhorrentto him, " remember I shall always consideryou as a daughter, and hope that you will in thesame way look upon me in the light of a father."If Chang had observed closely his niece's face ashe spoke, he would have seen an expression of suppressedamusement, which might either have suggestedto him the possibility that she had doubts onthe subject of his disinteiv>t((hiess, or given him reasonto suspect that some scheme lurked beneath her seeminglyextremely yielding demeanour. But his mindwas just then so full of the prospect of freedom fromdebt, and of large perquisites, that such a trivial matteras his niece's face was obviously beneath his notice.To young Wang the favourable turn which affairshad taken was an unfailing source of delight, andwas marred only by the enforced exercise of patiencerequiredby the astrologer, who, after comparing theticket of nativity sent by Chang with that of theintending bridegroom, had pronounced that the lothof the next month was the date prescribed by fortunefor the nuptials. At last the fateful day arrived, asall days will, however long waited for ; and at earlymorn the impatient bridegroom sent his best-man toChang; to announce that on that same evening heshould come to claim his bride. Chang could scarcelyrestrain his impatience sufficiently to perform pro-

Are24 CHINESE STORIES.perly the duties of a host to the welcome emissaryand no sooner had that young gentleman executedbis Las1 bow outside the front door, than his entertainerhurried over to Plum-blossom to warn her ofthe bridegroom's intended arrival. Demurely theyoung lady listened to her uncle's excited congratulations,and with an expression of assumed unconsciousnesson her uplifted face, replied" But, my dear uncle, although I am profoundlyinterested in the future welfare of my cousin,Autumn-leaf, yet you can hardly expect me, I amsure, in my present condition of doubt as to myfather's whereabouts, and even his life, to appear atthe wedding; and I am at a loss, therefore, to understandwhy }'ou, who must have so much to do, shouldhave thought itof the coming event."necessary to inform me in such hasteSurprise, doubt, fear, and anger coursed in turnacross Chang's features as these words fell upon hisconfused ears ; and when his niece ceased to speak,all four sensations found full expression both in hiscountenance and voice." What do you mean," he hissed out, "by speakingof my daughter's marriage'.you joking, or areyou trying to play me false ? It is you that youngWang is coming to marry, and it is you he shallmarry this very night."'•My dear uncle, you are strangely inconsistent inthis matter. If you will take the trouble to think,you will recollect that the wedding-cards were madeoul in the name of 'your daughter,' and that whenthe presents arrived at your house—not at mine,

A MATRIMONIAL FRAUD. 25remember, uncle— you returned thanks for 'yourdaughter.' It is plain, then, that my cousin was theintended bride ; for had you meant me, you wouldhave spoken of me as your ' youngest daughter,' or'adopted daughter';but there was no such qualification,was there, uncle ? I can assure you, also,that I have no present intention of marrying, andleast of all marrying such a man as Wang, wdio,though he enjoys the benefit of your friendship,would hardly, I fear, prove a congenial companionto me." Plum-blossom could not deny herself thisParthian shot.Chang listened like one thunder - struck ; thenspringing from his chair, he paced up and down theroom with long strides, giving vent to his passion inviolent and most unoriental gesticulations." You deceitful wretch !"he cried, " do you supposethat I am going to be cheated and outraged byan ignorant young girl like you ? I'll make youmarry Wang ; and," he added, as a sudden thoughtstruck him, " though you may think yourself veryclever, you have forgotten that you have left anevidence in my hand of your consent to the match.A murderer, you know, ought to destroy his weapon,and a thief should hide his crowbar ; but you havegiven me, in your own handwriting, the evidenceagainst you. I have only to produce your autograph-ticketof nativity before the Prefect, and hewould order you to fulfil the contract."This last retort Chang expected would have silencedPlum-blossom, or at least disconcerted her, but heroutward calm was unruffled.

26 CHINESE STORIES."Your answer would be complete, uncle," shereplied, with almosl a smile, "but for one smallcircumstance, which, strangely enough, you appearto have overlooked. The cyclical characters on theticket represented the year,month, day, and hour of mycousin's birth, not mine."The sound of a chuckle ofsuppressed laughter from behindthe door where Violet washidden, was interrupted by av e h e m e n to u t b u r stfrom Chang."You lie!" he shouted;it."" and I will proveSo saying, he burstout of the room so suddenlythat he nearlyknocked down Violet,who was in the act of¥0He burst out of the room."peeping round the corner to watch the effect of hermistress's words."Oh, my lady!" she exclaimed, as ('hang's retreatingfigure disappeared, " how could you be socalm and quiet when liewas raging so?""Because," replied Plum-blossom, "I had him inthe palm of my hand, being conscious of my ownintegrity and of his evil intentions. Don't you

A MATRIMONIAL FRAUD. 27remember how Confucius played a tunc on his lyrewhen he and his disciples were attacked by banditti ?And if he could show such indifference to danger incircumstances of so great peril, should not I be ableto preservea calm demeanour in the presence of thisstorming bully ?The sound of Chang's returning footsteps droveViolet again into her place of concealment. " There,"he said as he entered the room, "is the paper yougave me; and now deny your own handwriting ifyou dare."" Please sit down, uncle, and let me ask you one ortwo questions. What was the date of my birth ?"You were born on the 15th of the 8th month, inthe second watch. I and your father were, as ithappened, drinking to the full moon when the newswas brought us."" And when did your daughter, Autumn-leaf, first"see the light ?" On the Gth of the 6th month, as I well remember ;for the weather was so intensely hot that her mother'slifewas in danger.""And now, uncle, will you read the date representedb}^ the cyclical characters on the paper which"you hold in your hand ?"Oh, I don't know anything about cyclical characters,"replied Chang. " Such knowledge," he addedin a vain attempt to conceal his ignorance, " is onlyfit for astrologers and women."" Is it possible," said Plum-blossom, in a tone ofrevengeful mockery, " that, with your wide circle ofknowledge, you don't understand these simple char-"

128 CHINESE STORIES.acters? Well then, let me, 'ignorant young girl' asI am, explain them to you. These first characters,Ke wei, stand for the month which is vulgarly knownas tli

A MATRIMONIAL FRAUD. 29" Does not a weary man long to throw his burdenoff his Lack?""Very well, then, why should you not throwthis burden into the lap of young Wang ? Hehas throughout the business negotiated for ' yourdaughter'; then let him take your daughter."" But he will discover the fraud.""Not until it is too late. He won't see her faceuntil she is his wife, and then he will be ashamed toconfess that he has been hoodwinked."" WelJ," said Chang, after a few minutes' reflection,'•as it is the only way out of the difficulty, I will riskit. But there is no time to be lost ; and the leastyou can do, after the way you have behaved, is tocome over and help us with the arrangements, foryoung Wang is to be here this evening-."Peace being thus restored, the unnatural allieswent to propose their scheme to Autumn-leaf. Thatyoung lady, who was as free from any bashfulness orrefined feeling as her worthy parent, was delighted atthe idea, Being very plain in appearance and ungainlyinfigure, she had entertained but faint hopesof matrimony, and the prospect, therefore, of gaininga husband so rich as young Wang was charmingbeyond measure to her. She at once consented toplay the part required, and, without a moment's lossof time, prepared to bedeck herself for theoccasion.Anticipating the marriage, Chang had arranged everythingin readiness except the bride. The decorationsand scarlet hangings were all at hand, and a very fewhours' work sufficed to adorn the family hall and altarwith the splendours usual on such occasions. ButE

30 CHINESE STORIES.the bride was not so easily beautified. However,after all the resources of Plum-blossom's wardrobe,as will as her own, had been exhausted iu choosingdresses and petticoats which became her best, shewas pronounced presentable. Much the confederatestrusted to the long red veil which was to cover herface and person until her arrival at her new home;and minute were the directions which Plum-blossomgave her for concealing her features until the nextmorning." Assume a modesty, even if you don't feel bashful.Shrink within the curtains when your husband approachesyon, and protest against his keeping thelamp alight. If in the morning there should be anoutbreak of anger on his part, try totears ; andsoften him withif that should prove unavailing, pretendto be in despair and threaten suicide.No man likesa fuss and a scandal ; and after a time, you may bequite sure he will settle down quietly."Primed with this excellent advice, Autumn-leafwent through the ceremonies of the day withoutbetraying herself. The awkwardness with which sheentered the audience-hall and bowed to the bridegroomwas put down by himself and his friends tonatural timidity. The remaining rites she executedfaultlessly. She did reverence to heaven and earthand to her ancestors, and finally entered the bridalsedan-chair which was to carry her toher new homewith complete composure, much to the relief of herfather, who all day Jong was so tremulous withnervousexcitement, that, from time to time, he wascompelled to seek courage from his opium-pipe.

She was pronounced presentable.

32 CHINESE STORIES.Wlirn at last the doors were shut on the bridal pairhis gratification was great, although, at the sametime, it was painfull)' mingled with a sense of thepossible evil consequences which might very likelyensue on the course he had taken. However, forthe present there was freedom from anxiety, and hewisely determined to let the future take care ofitself." I should like to see Mr Wang's face when hewakes to-morrow morning," said Violet, laughing, asshe followed her mistress back to her apartments." But," she added, as the sound of loud raps wereheard at the frontdoor, " who can that be knockingat the street gate so violently ? He cannot, surely,have found out the trick already ? If he has, whatwill you do ?"The first question was soon answered, for just asshe finished speaking, a servant announced that thePrefect had sent his secretary to inquire whetherPlum-blossom's marriage, which he had only justheard was in courseof performance, was taking placewith her full consent or not, as he was prepared tointerfere in case she was being coerced; and at thesame time to hand her a letterhad been forwarded with the usual officialfromPeking.from her father whichdespatches" Beg the secretary to assure the Prefect," repliedPlum-blossom, "that his infinite kindness fcowards meis deeply engraven on my heart ; and to inform himthat, happily for me, it was not I who was marriedthis evening but 1113^cousin."\\ ith impatience and deep emotion Plum-blossom

A MATRIMONIAL FRAUD. 33now turned to open her father's letter, the contentsof which brought tears of delight to her eyes, andcaused Violet to perform a dance as nearly resembl ina fandango as is possible, with feet just two inchesand a half long. That the President should havereturned from the frontiercovered with honours wasonly what Plum-blossom felt might have been lookedfor ; but that he expected to arrive at Ping-chow onthe very next day, was a cause of unspeakable joyand relief to her. This, however, was not quite allthe news the letter contained. " I am bringing withme," wrote her father, "a young Mr Tieh,foresight and courage I mainly attribute••issue of my mission."to whosethe successful

34WITHIN HIS DANGER." You stand within Ids danger, do you not? "— Merchant of Venia .ITwas a common saying among the ancients thatlie who had visited Hang-chow had been to theCity of Heaven.The modern Chinaman, breathingthe same enthusiastic admiration for the most beautifulcity in Eastern Asia, says, " See Hang-chow anddie ;" and unless we are to suppose that every travellerwdio has visited the town hasbeen a victim tohallucinations, there are few spots on the surface ofthe earth which surpass in bright beauty the city andneighbourhood of Hang-chow.Earth, sky, and waterthere combine to form one of the most lovely piecesof landscape-gardening on a gigantic scale that it ispossible to imagine ; while the coloured roofs of theyamun and pagodas, the countless bridges and splendidtemples of the city, present objects of man's artwhich are not unworthy of their natural environments.Even the wondrous beauty of thelake which washesthe western w T all of the city, is held to be heightenedby the temples, palaces, and pavilions which adornthe islands scattered over its surface;' while all

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 35around it are erected beautiful palaces and mansions,of the richest and most exquisite structure.On summer evenings it is the habit of these noblecitizens to take their pleasure on the lake in barges,which reflect in their bright decorations and luxuriousfittings the meretricious beauty of their surroundings.In such a galley, one glorious evening in earlyautumn, the magistrate of Hang-chow was taking hisease at the close of a hard day's work, and by contactwith the fresh breezes of heaven, was seeking to ridhimself of the taint of chicanery, bribery, and intriguewhich infected every nook and cornerof his yamun.His compagno7i de voyage was a Mr Tso, an old residentat Hang-chow, and one in whose judgment themagistrate placed much confidence. Being rich andindependent, he could afford to hold his own opinions,even when they clashed with those of his presenthost ; and accustomed as the magistrate was to thesociety of toadies, it was refreshing to find a manwho did not hesitate to contradict him to his face.The evening was one rather for still enjoyment thanfor much talking, and for some minutes not a wordhad been spoken between the friends, when, on roundinga point in the lake, the boat sailed into view ofthe house and grounds, famed in local history as beingthe most beautiful among the beautiful, and ashavingdescended in the Ts'eng family from father to sonthrouQ-h countless generations." Well," said the magistrate, after gazing long andadmiringly at the landscape, " if I were not themagistrate of Hang-chow, I would be Mr Ts'eng.!— young, rich, talented, theWhat an enviable lot his is

3 6 CHINESE STORIES.husband of a charming wife, if report speaks truly,and the owner of such a lovely house and gardens asthose yonder. That willow clump is just the spotwhere Su Tungp'o would have loved to have writtensonnets; and that mass of waving colour is enoughto make Tsau Fulling rise from his grave and seizehis paint-brush again.""I don't deny," replied Mr Tso, "that Ts'eng'slot has fallen to him in pleasant places. But thoughIshould much like to exchange possessions with him,nothing would induce me to exchange personalities.He never seems really happy. His is one of thosetimid and fearful natures which are always either inthe depths of misery or in the highest of spirits. Heis so sensitive that the least thing disturbs him ; andhe isso dependent on outside influences, that a smileor a frown from Fortune either makes or mars him.And then, between ourselves, I have my doubts as tohis scholarship. It is true that he passed his B.A.examination with honours, but it did so happen thathis uncle was the chief examiner on the occasion ; andthough I don't charge either uncle or nephew withanything underhand, yet my son tells me that othersare not so charitable."" You are all, I think, hard on our friend," said themagistrate. " I don't know much of him, but I havealways heard him spoken of as a man of learning andability. However, I have written to invite him tomy picnic on the lake to-morrow, and we will thentry him at verse-making, and see what he is reallymade of."That the magistrate's admiration for the Ts'eng

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 37gardens was fully justified, every admirer of brilliantcolouring would readily admit.Indeed no fairer prospectcould be imagined, and as the autumn sun sentitsslanting rays through the waving branches of thewillows and oaks, and added lustre to the blood-redleaves of the maples, it was difficult to suppose thatanything but peace and content could reign in solovely a spot.But Tso was not far wrong in his estimate ofTs'eng's character; and in addition to the bar to happinesspresented by its infirmities, there was one diremisfortune which took much of the brightness out ofhis life. Though he had been married six years hehad but one child, and that a daughter.It was truethat he was devotedly fond of the little Primrose, ashe called her, but nothing could make up to him forthe failure of a son to carry on the succession of hisname and fortune, and to continue the worship at thefamily graves.At the very moment that the magistrate and hisfriend were passing down the lake, Tseng and hiswife, Golden-lilies, were sitting in a pavilion, whichstood in the midst of the flower-garden, surroundedby a profusion of blue hydrangeas, China asters, pomegranates,citrons, jasmines, peonias, honeysuckles, andother flowers indigenous to the favoured ree-ions ofCentral China, watching Primrose chasing a curlycoatedpuppy along thecrooked paths as well as herpoor little cramped feet would allow her, and tryingto catch the leaves which were beo-inning tosprinkle the earth with specks of every hue ; and theywere still so employed when a servant handed a letterF

38 CHINESE STORIES.to Ts'6ng, who, recognising from the envelope that itwas from the magistrate, opened it with an expressionof nervous anxiety.into pleasure, as he read as follows:His trepidation, however, turned" With greal respect I beg to invite you to-morrowat noon to the still clear waters of immeasurabledepth, to enjoy the delights of poetry and the winecup.As our galley shall glide through the crystalwaves of the lake, we will watch the floating leavesstrike her gentle sides; and when we have exhaustedour songs, and drained the cup of our delights, wewill turn our prow towards the shore."This invitation was one of those smiles of fortunewhich had a strangely exhilarating effecton Ts'eng'svariable temperament, and he hurried off to his studyin the highest spirits to accept it." Reverently," he wrote, "I return answer to yourjade-like epistle. What can surpass the calm beautyof the lake by moonlight or the tragic aspect ofits waves in storm and rain ? Your honour havingdeigned to command my presence on your statelyboat, I, as in duty bound, will seize whip to followyou. My paltry literary attainments you will, I fear,find infinitely deficient; and I am much afraid thatI shall weary you with my efforts to express in versemy admiration for the mountains and lake."The day of the magistrate's picnic opened brightand fine, and with commendable punctuality Ts'dngand his fellow-guests assembled at the landing-place,to which usually dreary spot their silk and satinrobes and highly coloured skull-caps gave an unwontedair of gaiety. The last to arrive was the

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 39host, who, on dismounting from his sedan, bowedcollectively and repeatedly to his friends, lifting hisjoined hands to his forehead as if in supplication, andthen bending; low in an attitude of humble adoration.His twelve guests returned his salutation with suppleknees and effusive tokens of respect. These ceremoniesaccomplished, the whole party embarked onthe barge. The vessel was one of the best of itskind, but was not a bark to brook a mighty sea. Thetwo masts were innocent of sails, and were burdenedonly with flags, setting forth in large character therank and titles of the magistrate. The forepart wasdecked over, and formed theabode night and day ofthe crew. Abaft this forecastle was an open space,extending to midships, where arose a large andluxuriously furnished deck-house. The windowframeswere prettily painted and adorned with woodcarving,while atthe portal were suspended paintedglasslanterns, from which hung fringes and tassels.Inside, chairs, tables, and adivan afforded abundantaccommodation ; and round the room were rangedstands on which stood rare and curiously trainedplants in costly porcelain pots.At the word K'aich'uen ("unmoor the ship"),given by the magistrate, the crew, with the help ofa crowd of idlers on the wharf, launched the vesselinto the deep. The island to which they were boundwas about a mile from the shore, and thitherwards*the crew, with that happy absence of all signs ofhurry which belongs to us orientals, impelled thecraft by slow and deliberate strokes of their longsweeping oars. On landing, the magistrate led the

40 CHINESE STORIES.way to a Buddhist temple which stood on a platformof rocks overlooking the lake. No more appropriatespot could possibly have been chosen forthe occasion. The view over the still waters of thelake dotted here and there with verdure-clad isletsof every shape, was indescribably beautiful;and thetemple, winch in its arrangements and adornmentsresembled rather a temple of the god of pleasurethan of the ascetic Buddha, supplied all that wasnecessary to minister to the wants of the magistrateand his friends.With the help of the priests the feast was quicklyspread, and with sharpened appetites the guests satdown to the excellent cheer provided for them.Merrily the wine went round, and under its influenceTseng's spirits, which had been encouraged by themarked attention shown him by the magistrate andTso, rose considerably. Even the proposition, ingeniouslymade by Tso towards the end of the feast,that they should amuse themselves by verse-making,had only a slightly depressing effect upon him. Atany other time the thought of having to submitextempore compositions to the criticism of twelvejudges would have reduced him totrembling fear;but now, as the themes were given out, he seizedhis pencil and hazarded stanzas which, though theysaved him from the'•oil'accustomed penalty of drinkingthree cups of wine, brought the magistrate rapidlyround to Tso's estimate of his literary ability.lUit the significant glances which were exchangedbetween the two observant friends were quite lostupon Tseng, who talked more and laughed louder

WITHIN HIS DANGEE. 41than anybody else ; and finally, on their return, hemade his adicux to his host and companions, andturned homewards flattered and self-satisfied. Thenight, for it was late, was fine and warm, and as hesauntered on his way, he recalled with pleasure thecompliments which had been paid him and thesmartthings he had said. As he approached his house,however, these grateful cogitations were interruptedby the sound of angry voices, which, on advancing,he perceived were centred at his own doorway.Hispresence produced a momentary lull in the storm ofangry abuse." What is all this about ? " he demanded, ratherfor something to say than for the sake of information: for, as a matter of fact, the voices of the disputantshad been so high that he was already fullyaware of the cause of quarrel between two of hisservants, Tan and Le, and an old pedlar, who nowstood breathless with passion before him." The matter, your honour ! Why, this old roguewants to cheat us out of a hundred cash for thesetwo trumpery rice-bowls, the like of which we couldbuy anywhere for fifty !"May your words choke you, you idle, good-fornothingvagabonds " ! shouted the old man, trembling;with anger, and shaking his fist at the speaker." Eighty cash I gave for them at Su-chow ; andafter having carried them on my bamboo all thesemiles, am I to sell them to you for less than theycost me ?At any other time Ts'eng would have avoidedall participation in the quarrel, and would probably

42 CHINESE STORIES.have hastened to put himself beyond the reach ofthe angry voices. But the magistrate's wine was stillpotent in him, and he feltdisposed to let his servantssee that when he was so minded he could face evenso formidable an adversary as an angry old pedlar." I cannot have vou making such a disturbance atniv door," he said, with a motion of the hand, whichwas meant to be haughty ;" nor can I have myservants abused by a man like you. So be off, andtake the price they offer you for the bowls."But the waves of the old man's wrath were toohigh to be stilled by a word from Ts'eng, and heturned fiercely on that young gentleman" Who are you," he cried, " that you should tellme what to take and what to leave ? Because yougot a degree through your uncle's favouritism, youthink yourself entitled to dictate to me, do you?Nay, don't pretend to be angry ;you know what Isay is true, and other people know it also. Did Inot hear young Mr Liu charge you with it in thestreet of Longevity the other day ? and did I notsee you, instead of facing him, sneak away like awhipped cur ?The greater the truth the more bitter the sting.The pedlar's words cut Ts'eng like a whip, and theanger which rose in his breast being supported byhis borrowed courage, he seized the old man by thethroat, and with a violent shove threw him backwardson the pathway. Having accomplished thisheroic feat, lie turned to his servants with an expressionwhich said plainly, " See what I can do when Iam really roused."

'THREW HIM BACKWARDS ON THE PATHWAY."—Page 42.

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 43Catching his cue, the servants assumed attitudes ofastonished admiration."Hai-yah," said one, "your honour's anger is moreterrible than a lion's rage !"If he had only known the measure of yourhonour's courage," said the other, " he would havemounted a tiger's back rather than anger you."Pleased and triumphant. Ts'eng turned to takeanother look at his fallen victim, when, to his horrorand alarm, he saw him lying silent, motionless, anddeath -like on the spot where he had fallen. Instantlyhis assumed air of braggadocio left him, theblood fledfrom his flushed cheeks, and in the twinklingof an eye there passed through his mind a visionof himself branded as a murderer, carried before themagistrate, imprisoned, tortured, and beheaded. Thevision, momentary though it was, was enough to rackhis nervous temperament with fearful terrors ; andforgetful of his former attitude, he threw himself onthe ground by the prostrate pedlar, imploring him torouse himself, and calling on his servants to help himraise the apparently lifeless man.But theservants were nearly as unnerved as theirmaster ; and it was with great difficulty that thethree men carried their victim into the doorkeeper'sroom. There Golden-lilies, who had been disturbedby the noise, found the three men helplessly gazingat the senseless form of the old man. Hastily sendingone servant for cold water, and another fora fan,she took her place by the bedside, and having unfastenedthe pedlar's collar, turned to her husbandto ask an explanation of the affair. As well as his

44 CHINESE STORIES.confused mind would let him, lie told liis story withtolerable accuracy. Only in one place did lie kickover the traces of truth, and that was when heroundly asserted that lie had not used violence towardsthe sufferer. "I merely," said he, "laid myhand upon his shoulder, and it was while startingback in a nervous tremor that his foot slipped onthe pavement and down he fell." To the servantswho had now returned Ts'eng appealed for confirmationof this statement, and received from them awarm verbal support of this very new T story; alas!how different a one from that in which he hadgloried but a few moments before!Meanwhile ({olden-lilies was sprinkling the oldman's face with the water, and gently fanning him,in response to which judicious treatment he openedhis eyes. At first his gaze was strange and wild,but presently he recognised those about him ;and toTs'eng's infinite relief, asked where he was, and whathad happened.Keturning consciousness gave life tohis formerly death-like features, and the recognitionof it produced a no less change in Ts'eng's countenance.The vision which had passed through hismind when he thought the old man was dead, hadhaunted him still, and no effort would prevent thepictures his imagination had conjured up from returningto his mental sight. Now he could thrustthem on one side as a man throws off a nightmareand in his delight he seized the awakened pedlar'shand, and would have shaken it wildly had notGolden-lilies warned him to do nothing of the kind.By degrees the old man recovered his recollection of

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 45all that had passed ; and when a cup of tea had stillfurther revivedhim, Ts'eng led him to the divan inthe reception-hall, while wine was warmed for hisbenefit.Again and again Tseng expressed his regretat the accident ; and when the old man insisted onstarting homewards, lest he should be too late forthe ferry-boat across the lake, his host presentedhim, as a peace-offering, with two ounces of silverand a roll of silk, neatly packed away in one ofGolden -lilies' baskets. When the door was closedon his guest, Ts'eng betook himself to Golden-lilies'apartments with an intense feeling of relief. Hismind was incapable of perspective ; and in all affairsof life the present loomed so large to his mentalsight, that everything else was invisible. At thismoment his escape from a great peril gave a nervouselasticity to his spirits which contrasted painfullywith his abject dejection of a few hours before.Golden-lilies, rightly divining the frame of mind inwhich he was likely to be, had prepared for him asoothing repast of chicken's liver, sweetmeats, andginseng, with a pot of some excellent Su-chow wineto wash them down. Though not hungry, Tsengwasfeverish and thirsty, and the quantity of winehe took was quite out of proportion to the quantityof viands he ate. However, Golden-lilies' end wasattained. He was revived and strengthened, andshe even did not object to his becoming somewhatexcited. It was better than seeing him leaden-eyedand trembling. By degrees, under the iufluence ofthe wine, he began to explain away the slip whichhe had been so glad to invent to account for the

46 CHINESE STORIES.pedlars fall, and was just describing the pot-valiantpart he had played, when Tan hurriedly entered withthe news that Lai, the ferryman, Avas outside, andinsisted on seeino- his honour at once. The man'sfaceand manner were so perturbed that all the beneficialeffects of Golden-lilies' feast vanished, and sheturned to see her lord and master again pale andlimp.••What is the matter?" asked Ts'eng, as the ferryman,without waiting foran invitation, entered theroom. This man was one of Tseng's many betesnoires.He was a rough, determined fellow, with atruculent face, and a no less truculent manner. Hehad, further, an unconcealed contempt for Ts'eng,and lost no opportunities of showing it. That thisman, therefore, should be the bearer of what Ts'enginstinctively knew to be bad tidings, was an additionalbitterness to the pill." I have brought you bad news, Mr Ts'eng, andthought I would just step in and tell you, beforegoing on to the magistrate," added the man,ominously." What is your news ? " said Ts'eng, in vain attemptingto suppress his apprehensions."The old pedlar, Ting, whom you threw downon the pavement, isdead."If the executioner's axe had at that moment defendedon the neck of jjoor Ts'eng, he could nothave looked more bereft of life than he did as hethrew himself back in his chair at these words. Forsome seconds his power of speech failed him, andat last he gasped out

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 47"What do you mean? How did he die? Xotthat it matters to me," he added, with a violenteffort to appear calm." He came down to my boat to cross the lake,"said Lai, looking steadfastly on his victim, " andafter we had gone a short way across he appearedto turn faint and giddy, and at last he tumbledoff the seat into the bottom of the boat. As quicklyas I could I put down my oars to help him up, whenI saw it was something worse than a faint, and hehad just time to tell me of the scuffle at your door,and that you had pushed him down and killedwhen he fell back dead."him," It is a lie," screamed Tseng ;" when he left thishouse he was cpiite well."" Well, all I know is," said Lai, " that he is nowdead, and that when in the act of death he said youwere his murderer.These are some things," he added,holding up Golden-lilies' basket with the rollof silk," which he had in his hand when he came into theboat."Ts'ensc gazed atthese evidences of the truth of theman's story with a fixed and glassy stare, while poorGolden-lilies stood by with her face in her handsweeping bitterly.In one short day all that had beenpleasurable in their existence had been exchangedfor blank despair. The morning had opened withbrighthopes and brilliant expectations, and now theevening had set in with a black darkness of miserywhich crushed them to the ground. For some secondsnot another word was uttered. But presently Goldenlilieswent over to her husband, and taking his hand

'48 CHINESE STORIES.in hers, whispered something in his ear, which broughta ray of intelligence into his face." Yes, you are right ; I will try," he faltered." You and I have known one another a Ions; time,Lai," he said, " and I am sure you would not do^3§fl§|^ ^ Lai ' s' II, a was a pretty positioii for a graduaUand an expectant mandarin ! "an injury to an oldneighbour and friend.This is a bad business,and I swear to you Iam not to blame. Hisfoot slipped and he felldown. It will do youno good to tell any oneabout it ; and if youwill keep the secret, Iwill willingly pay youhandsomely.Oh, promiseme that you will,"said the wretched man,throwing himself atfeetHere was a prettyposition for a graduateand an expectantmandarin ! On hisknees at the feet of;i common fellow, whodid not know onecharacter from another, and who knew as much about( Jonfucius as he did about the Book of Changes !"Well, Mr Tseng," said Lai, "I don't want todo anything to injure you, but the man died in my

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 49boat ; so that unless I can explain his death, I shallbe charged with the murder.""Where is he ? " gasped poor Ts'eng."In my boat," said Lai. " I have anchored it in aquiet place up the river, so that no one should go onboard."" Oh, if you will only keep the matter a secret,"said Ts'eng, rising as his hopes rose,any sum you ask."" I will give you" But what am I to do with the body ? " hesitatedLai."You can bury it in my graveyard, which is,as you know, on the bank of the lake. The nightis very dark, and the wall round the yard is high,so that no one will see you."" But I cannot do it by myself.""No; but I will send two of my servants withyou. If you will only do this for me, I will be yourslave for the rest of my life."" Well," said Lai, after a few moments' apparentconsideration, "if you will give me money enoughto set up a fish-shop, I don't mind doing this jobto oblige you.""Gladly I will," said Ts'eng; "and now I willcall the servants." So having summoned Tan andLe, he repeated to them the story told by Lai. Withmany appeals to their good feeling and sense ofgratitude, he begged them to do him this service,promising that he would give them substantial rewardsif they consented. After some hesitation anddiscussion, the men came to terms, and went off withthe ferryman, armed with spades.

50 CHINESE STORIES.The three men stole out like conspirators into thestreet,and, following devious lanes and unfrequentedways, they reached the boat, snugly moored underthe bank of the lake." Take care where you go," said Lai, as theystepped on board, "and just sitwhere you are whileI get to the oars." The men, who w T ere beginningto feel nervous and frightened, needed no secondbidding ; and after half an hour's pull, Lai, whoknew the lake as well by night as by day, ran theboat ashore at Ts eng's family graveyard." Now come here and help me with the old man,"said he, as soon as he had secured the boat to thebank." Why, he is all wet," said Tan, as he helpedto lift the body."I know," answered Lai; "he fell into the waterwhen he turned giddy, and I had to pull him out."" You did not say anything about that up at thehouse," said Tan." Well, I tell you now, and that is enough, is itnot ? " answered Lai, sullenly.With considerable difficulty the threemen gropedtheir way into the graveyard bearing their ghastlyburden, and at once set to work to dig a grave.Every now and then the sound of passing footstepsmade them pause in their work ; and once they w T ereevidently heard, for through the darkness there camethe challenge— " Who is that in Mr Ts'eng's graveyard? " But presently the challenger went on, andbefore long the dead body was safely laid to rest, andthe soil beaten Hat over it. So soon as the work was

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 51done, the men made their way hastily to the boat,being glad enough to escape from the dark, silent,and ghostly cemetery. On their return they foundTs'eng anxiously awaiting them. Again and againhe made them assure him that no one had seen them,and as often he made them swear that they wouldkeep his secret faithfully. That night the twoservants went to bed rich men, while Ts'eng retiredto Golden-lilies' apartment to try to lose his consciousnessof misery in sleep. But this was beyondhis power ; occasionally he dosed, but only to dreamthat the pedlar was standing in the street accusinghim aloud of his murder, and then with a violentstart and scream he awoke. Poor Golden-lilies faredvery little better ; and when morning dawned theyboth arose, weary and unrefreshed, to meet they knewnot what, and to face their difficulties with the bestcourage they could muster.The sio-ht even of the two confederate servantswas a torture to poor Ts'eng, who knew, or fanciedhe knew, that they were watching him to see howa murderer would behave himself, and were mentallyspeculating on what would happen if the secretthey held in their possession ever became known.In the same way every incident which occurred borereference in his imagination to the terrible event ofthe preceding evening. Even little Primrose's innocentquestions of why he looked so pale, and why hewould not come out with her into the garden as usual,were more than he could endure ; and the child waspromptly handed over toher nurse, who had ordersto keep her quiet and at a distance. As to his being

52 CHINESE STORIES.able to eat any breakfast, that was quite out of thequestion ; and if there had been any chance of hishaving an appetite for dinner, it was dissipated bya note he received from a neighbour, who wrote tosay, that in passing the Ts'eng cemetery on the precedingnight he had heard the sound of pickaxes andshovels, and that to his question of " Who wasthere ? " he had failed to get a reply. The writerexcused himself fornot having gone into the gravevard,by pleading the lateness of the hour and thedarkness of the night. But he " humbly venturedto recommend that Ts'eng should look into thematter."With a look of indescribable misery, Ts'eng handedthis letter to Golden-lilies, who throughout the morning,partly, possibly, because hers was not the headin danger, had shown a much bolder front to fortunethan her lord and master had been able to do, butalso, doubtless, because, though of the softerwas made of sterner stuff.sex, she" Sit down and answer the letter at once," she said,"and, while thanking him for his vigilance" ("Cursehim for it," muttered Ts'eng), " say that you will sendat once to make inquiries."Ts'eng did as he was bid, and then relapsed intoblank misery. Possibly he was under the delusionthat remorse for having taken the life of a fellowcreaturewas the mainspring of his mental agony;but had he analysed his feelings carefully, he wouldhave found that that feeling hardly entered at allinto his cogitations. Blank fear it was that oppressedhim; fear of being dragged off to prison as

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 53a murderer—fear of having to face the magistratewho had so lately entertained him—fear of beingtortured if he did not confess, and fear, if lie did, ofthe executioner's fatal weapon.If he had been capableof diving into his inner feelings, he would haveknown that an assurance that his crime would neverbe discovered, had that been possible, would haveliftedthe whole weight from his over-burdened soulbut now, while at one moment in his terror he almostwished that it might be brought to light at once, thatlie might escape from his torturing suspense—at another,he tried to buoy himself up with the hope thatit would never be found out. One thing he haddetermined to do, and that was, as soon as he hadsettled with Lai, who was to call after dusk, he wouldgo himself to the graveyard to make quite sure thatthe work was well done. Much though he hated andfeared the ferryman, he now had a morbid longingfor his arrival ; and when that worthy appeared, hereceived him with open arms.Lai was asundemonstrative and self-possessed asTs'eng was effusive and Hurried ; and a glance atthat unfortunate young gentleman was enough toconvince his visitor that he had the game in hishands."Well, Mr Ts'eng,"he began, as he seated himselfuninvited, " I have come according to arrangement tosettle about last night's job.""Yes, yes; don't say anything more about that"said Tseng, shuddering. " I have here two hundredtaels of silver, which I hope you will accept fromme."H

54 CHINESE STORIES."That is not enough," answered Lai; "do you"think I would have buried a murdered man" Oh don't, don't. Well, come, I will give you anotherfifty taels ; surely that will satisfy you," saidTs'tmg, who, though anxious toquiet Lai, had an intensedislike to parting with his money."Now, look here, Mr Ts'eng," said Lai deliberately,and with a threatening countenance, " if you don'tgive me down three hundred taels, good weight, Ishall o'o on at once to the magistrate's to—— ""Say no more, you shall have the three hundred.And now, I have something to ask of you—I wantyou to row me up to the graveyard and show mewhere it is.""Very well," replied Lai, "there will not be anyone wanting to cross the lake to-night, so we canstart now if you like."" Is it dark enough ? " asked Ts'eng." It is so dark that you might run into your bestfriend's arms without his knowing you ;and unlessyou have the eyes of a cat or an owl, you won't seemuch when you get there."With much caution the expedition was made, andTs'eng satisfied himself, so far as the darkness wouldallow, that every care had been taken to make thenewly made grave as much like the surrounding soilas possible. He returned, therefore, with his mindnow at rest, and as days went by and nothing seriousoccurred to arouse his fears, he gradually recoveredmuch of his ordinary placidity. Not that he altogetherescaped annoyance ; for Lai, luxuriating inhis suddenly acquired wealth, showed a tendency to

WITHIN HIS DANGER. :,:,break out into riot, and in his cups ho allowed himselfto talk of his friendship with "young Ts'eno;" ina way which, coupled with his sudden wealth, madehis neighbours wonder and gossip. From some ofthese Ts eng learnt what was going on. The bareidea of his alliance with Lai becoming a subject oftittle-tattle was torture to him, and he took anWith muck caution the expedition was wade."opportunity of begging the ferryman to be morecautions.Being not unwilling to worry poor Ts'eng,Lai affected to be indifferent to anything peoplemight say, and adopted altogether so defiant a tone,that he brought Ts'eno- once again to his knees.To add to Ts'eng's anxieties, little Primrose was

virulence56 CHINESE STOPJES.seized one evening with a violent headache and everysymptom of high fever. For three days the childlay tossing to and fro with burning skin, parchedmouth, and throbbing head ;and when, at the end ofthat time, these symptoms abated, their origin wasmade plain by an eruption which was unmistakablythat of smallpox. The doctor who was summonedfelt the pulse of the sufferer and prescribed ginseng,and broth made of cassia shoots, in accordance withthe dictum of the highest authorities. But to thisorthodox treatment the disease declined to submit.1Tin of the distemper was unchecked ;andthough Golden - lilies paid numerous visits to theshrine of the Goddess of Smallpox, and spent largesums of money in the purchase of offerings to thatdeity, the child daily and hourly grew worse, untilthe doctor had unwillingly to acknowledge that hecould do nothing more. It is difficult to say whichof the parents during these dark days suffered thegreatest mental agony. Golden-lilies' distress wasthat of an agonised mother, tortured by the fearof losing her only child; while Ts'eng's grief at thepossible loss of his fondling, was aggravated by asuperstitious belief that his own crime had broughtthis misery upon him. Even the doctor, accustomedas he was to displays of affection, was touched by thegrid' of the young couple, and, forgetful of all professionaletiquette, he recommended Ts'eng, as a lasthope, to send for a quack practitioner, residing ata town some twenty miles away, who had, he said,acquired ;i reputation for the successful treatment ofsimilar desperate cases.

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 57Eagerly catching at this straw, Ts'&ng wrote a notebegging the doctor " to deign to visit his reed hut,and to bend his omniscient mind to the case of hisinsignificant child,'"' and bade Tan carry it at once toits destination. But since the night when Ts'eng hadbeen obliged to place his secret in the hands of histwo servants, their manner had been less respectfulthan formerly, and sometimes even defiant. To Tanthe present mission was evidently distasteful ; and itwas only by the promise of a handsome reward thatTs'eng at last succeeded in getting him off. Duringthe whole afternoon of that day, time seemedto the watchers to stand still ; and towards night,when they hoped that the expected doctor mightappear, every approaching horse'shoof brought hope,which as often was destined to be disappointed as thetramp died away again in the distance. MeanwhilePrimrose grew worse and worse. As night came onunconsciousness set in ;and just before dawn the littlething gave a deep sigh and passed into the land ofshades.Both Ts'eng and Golden - lilies were completelycrushed by the ruin of all their hopes ;and when Tanmade his appearance towards noon, they scarcelyheeded his explanation that he had waited all nightat the doctor's house, expecting his return from a distantprofessional visit,and that, when morning came,he had thought it best to come back, even withoutthe doctor, to report his want of success.Much sympathy was felt with the sorrow-strickenparents at the loss of their only child, and many werethe visits of condolence which Ts'eng received during

58 CHINESE STORIES.the ensuing days. Among others, a relation called,who, after Inning expressed his sympathy, added withevident reluctance— " There isa matter, my brother,about which I feel bound to speak to you, although Iam most unwilling to trouble you about ordinaryaffairs at such a time as this."" Please don't let my affliction interfere with anymatter of business," said Ts'eng." Well, the fact is," said his guest, " that the othermorning—it was, I remember, the morning when yourlittle one departed for the ' Yellow Springs '—one ofmy servants came home very much the worse forwine and opium ; and on my asking him for an explanationof his conduct, he said that a man of yoursnamed Tan had kept him up all night drinking andsmoking at an opium-tavern in the town. Can this"be true ?" It is cpiite impossible," replied Ts'eng; "for thewhole of that night Tan was twenty miles away, atthe house of a doctor to whom I had sent him."" Well, I have brought my man," said the other," that he may repeat his story in your presence, andthat, if necessary, we should confront him with Tan."" Let him come in, by all means," said Ts'eng.In obedience to a summons Tan'saccuser enteredthe room. He was a dissipated-looking fellow. Hisface was thin and drawn, and of that peculiar mahoganyhue which isbegotten by long-continued indulgencein the opium-pipe. From the same habit histeeth were blackened, and the whites of his eyeslooked as though they had been smoke-dried. Onentering he bowed his knee, and then proceeded to

WITHIN HIS DANGEE. 59give a circumstantial account of the night in question.At first Ts'eng had treated his accusations with contempt; but the remarkably coherent manner in whichthe man retailed his story, suggested doubts to hismind, which tortured him with misgivings. Withoutwaiting for the conclusion of the man's statement,therefore, he summoned Tan to face his accuser. Witha glance Tan took in the position of affairs, and havingwith a considerable effort mastered the uneasinesswhich the crisis provoked, he stood ready to brazenitout." This man tells me," said Ts'eng, " that instead ofcarrying my letter to the doctor the other evening,you passed the night drinking and smoking with him"at a tavern in the town. Is this true or false ?" It is false, your honour ; and I can only supposethat this man, to whom I have only spoken once ortwice in my life, must have invented this story outof spite, or in order to shield, in some way which Ido not understand, his own conduct from blame."" Are not you ashamed to tell such a lie in thesight of heaven ? " said the man, quite taken aback bythe coolness of the denial ; "but fortunately I havesome evidence of the truth of my story, which youwill find it hard to meet. Did you deliver your"master's letter to the doctor ?" Certainly I did."" That is curious ; for I happen to have here a letterwhich I found on the floor of the room we occupiedat the tavern, and which I strongly suspect isthe letter you were intrusted with.Will you see foryourself, sir, whether this is your letter or not ? " said

60 CHINESE STORIES.the man, handing to Ts'eng an unopened envelope,which lie produced from his sleeve.With a trembling hand Ts'eng took the letter, andat a glance recognised it as the one he had writtenwith such eager haste, and with such a longing hope.The thought that but for the treachery of the wretchbefore him his little Primrose might have been stillwith him was more than he could bear. For a momenthe fell back in his chair with quivering lips andcheeks as pale as death, and then as suddenly theblood rushed headlong through his veins, and with wildeyes and uttering savage curses he sprang from hischair and rushed upon Tan, who, accepting the turnthings had taken, had fallen on his knees, and wasperforming the kotow with every token of humblesubmission.With wild fury Ts'eng kicked at the bowing headof his follower, and might probably have been chargeda second time with' manslaughter, had not his guestdragged him by main force back to his chair anddismissed Tan from the room.It was a long time before Ts'eng could recover hiscomposure. His nerves were completely unstrung,and he trembled like a leaf. His friend, who wasa determined fatalist, used every argument at hiscommand to soothe his remorse and regrets. Hepointed out that Heaven having doomed the deathof little Primrose, nothing could have prevented itthat even if the doctor had come, he could not havelengthened out her life;il lowed her by the Fates ;one moment beyond the timeand that, therefore, thoughTan's conduct had been infamous, it had not in any

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 61way influenced the result. "I quite admit that theman deserves punishment for his disobedience, andI would suggest that you should now order him tobe bambooed on the spot. It will satisfy justice,and will, at the same time, be a relief to yourfeelings.""It will certainly be a relief to me to see thefiendish brute surfer," said Ts'eng, "and it shall bedone at once." So saying, he directed three of hisservants to seize Tan and to floo; him in the courtyard.The men, who were evidently not unused tothe kind of business, dragged the offender in andstretched him face downwards on the stones of theyard. One then sat on his shoulders, another on hisankles, while a third, being provided with half a splitbamboo, prepared to inflict chastisement. At a signalfrom Ts'eno; the concave side of the bamboo descendedon the back of the thighs of the culprit with tremendousforce and effect. The wretched man's framequivered throughout, and as blow after blow fell heuttered cries for mercy, and bitter groans which wouldhave appealed to the heart of any one whose feelingswere not deadened by mental tortures. But Ts'eng,in his present unhinged frame of mind, had no mercy,and if a restraining hand had not been outstretchedhe would have allowed the wretched man to die underthe lash. As it was, his friend interfered, andwarned Ts'eng that the punishment was becomingexcessive. To this remonstrance Ts'eng yielded, andthe blows were stayed. But Tail, whose cries hadgradually died away into silence, remained motionless,and unconscious of the mercy which had beenI

G2CHINESE STORIES.extended to him. Seeing his condition, the servantscarried him off to his bed, where, under the influenceof restoratives, he was by degrees brought hack toLife. But it was many days before he was able tomove : and even then his weakness was so great, andhis nerves s

'WHAT IS THE WARRANT FOR? "— " MURDER ! "-Page 62.

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 63doings while abroad. His fellow-servants were toobusy to be inquisitive ; and as his enfeebled conditionstill prevented him from serving, he was left tohimself.The next day, towards evening, as Tseng's chairturned into the road in which his house stood, twopolice-rimners, who had been sitting on a doorstepopposite, rose and crossed over to Ts'eng's gateway.At the familiar shout of the chair-coolies, Tung-chialai-lo ("The master has come"), the big folding-doorswere thrown open, and the bearers were on the pointof crossingthe threshold, when one of the policemenadvanced, and producing a warrant, ordered thecoolies to stop and Ts'eng to dismount. InstinctivelyTs'eng obeyed, and was for the first momentor two so dazed that he hardly seemed to be awarewhat was going on. By degrees the dress of thepoliceman, with hisred-tasselled official cap and longrobe,helped him to realise the situation, and hegasped out, " What is the warrant for? " " Murder,"answered the man, as he laid his hand on Ts'eng'sarm. It was fortunate for Ts'eng that he did so, forwithout some support he would have Mien prone tothe ground. As it was, it was as much as the twomen could do to support his tottering steps for a fewyards, and then his legs refused to move, and hishead fell forward on his chest as he dropped off intoa dead faint. Seeing the condition of their master,the coolies brought forward his sedan, and the policemenaccepting their aid, put the inanimate form oftheirprisoner into the chair, and directed the cooliesto carry it to the prison at the district magistrate's

64 CHINESE STORIES.yamun.The distance was not great, and the coolies,anxious to save their master from additional shame,hurried fast through the streets. On arriving; at theyamun, they entered the front gates, and were thendirected by the policemen to turn off to the leftthrough a door, the insignia of which, a paintedtiger's head with huge staring eyes and widelyopened jaws, marked itas the entrance to the prison.Passing through this they entered a narrow passage,at the end of which was a courtyard, where thecoolies were ordered to put down their load. It hadnever been the fate of either of these two men to findthemselves within a prison before; and the sightswhich met their eyes made them shudder to thinkwhat their master's feelings would be when he awoketo consciousness and found himself in such a place.In the courtyard itself, groups of prisoners, boundwith heavy chains, were huddled together, whoseappearance was enough to carry horror and compassionto the minds of all but those case-hardened byhabit. Their faces were thin and worn, and bore thecadaverous line which is commonly begotten by wantand foul air ; while the listless expression of theireyes and the languid movements of their limbsfurnished additional testimony to the state of weaknessto which they had been reduced. The conditionof their persons was filthy in the extreme.Skin -disease in every form was rife among them;and it was plain that a rich harvest was ripening fordeath within the walls of the jail. As the poorwretches crowded round the sedan-chair to see whocould lie the new arrival who came in such state.

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 65the coolies instinctively drew back ; and if the headjailer had not made his appearance at the moment,and with a sweeping blow and a curse driven hischarges backwards, the still insensible Ts'eng wouldhave been left in his chair. Scarcely less repulsivethan the prisoners was the jailer, but for differentreasons. There were no signs of want or ill healthabout him, nor was he dirtierclassthan Chinamen of hisgenerally are, but a harder and more malignantface than his it is impossible to imagine. And thatthese outward signs were but the reflection of thesavage cruelty of his character, was proved by thelook of abject terror with which the prisoners regardedhim. In a voice thick and grating, he orderedtwo of his myrmidons to manacle Ts'eng, and thento carry him into one of the cells which formed theeastern and western sides of the courtyard. Evenfrom the outside these places looked more like wildbeastdens than the dwellings of human beings. Theroofs were low, and a double row of strong woodenpalisades, reaching from the ground to the eaves,guarded them in front. Into one of these dungeons,over whose portal was inscribed, as if in bittermockery, the motto, "The misery of to-day maybe the happiness of to-morrow," Ts'eng was carried.The coolies, determined to see the last of their master,followed him in. As they reached the door theyrecoiled as though a blast of a charnel-house hadrushed out against them.Never were human sensesassailed by an atmosphere more laden with pestilenceand death. After a moment's hesitation, however,they mustered up courage to enter, and waited

66 CHINESE STORIES,just long enough to see their master laid on theraised wooden platform which extended along theside of the den. As they were not allowed to doanything for him, and as the turnkeys promisedthat he should be looked after, they escaped intothe open air.True to their word, and possibly in the hope of areward, the turnkeys applied water to Ts'eng's faceand head, and succeeded in reawakening life. Atfirst he began to move restlessly and to moan piteoiisly,and then opened his lack-lustre eyes. For amoment or two he saw nothing, but by degrees hispower of conscious sight returned, and he lookedwildly round the cell. His first impression was thathe had passed into a land of eternal punishment,such as he had heard Buddhists speak of, and heshrieked aloud for mere}'. The sight, however, ofthe policeman who had served the warrant on him,recalled to his recollection the circumstances of hisarrest ; and as his real condition dawned upon him,he sank back on the stage, overcome with horror anddespair. How long he lay in this condition he knewnot, but he was aroused from it by the entrance ofthe prisoners from the courtyard, who were beingdriven in for the night. Already the platform wasfull enough, but with these new arrivals the overcrowdingbecame excessive ; and as the wearywretches struggled with their little remainingstrength for the places nearest to the grating, theyjostled TsYnig, and fought across him like wildbeasts, adding a new horror to his misery. Theatmosphere of the den became also even fouler than

WITHIN HIS DANGER. G7before; and what with the heat and stench, Ts'£ngbegan to feel feverish and ill. His head achedfiercely, his skin burnt, and his month was dry andparched. In his agony he called aloud for water;and though at first his cries were disregarded, hisimportunity prevailed with a prisoner less callousthan the rest, who filled a tin mug from a tub whichstood in the middle of the cell. The act of movingthe water caused a fetid stench to rise from theslimy surface of the reservoir ; and so foul were thecontents of the mug, that, though burning withfever, Ts'eng could scarcely make up his mind totaste them. But thirsty men will swallow anything; and at last he drained the cup to its dregs,and even returned it to his benefactor with gratefulthanks.All night long he tossed about, burning with feverand tortured by delirium. His restlessness earnedfor him the anathemas of his fellow-prisoners, who,having been long inured to the foul atmosphere ofthe den, slept in comparative cpiiet. As daylightdawned the figures about him mixed themselves upwith his delirious dreams, which, however, could addnothing to the horrors actually presented to his eye.Shocking as had been the aspect of his fellow-prisonersin the courtyard the day before, it was nothingto be compared to the condition of many of thosewhom weakness had prevented from groping theirway into the outer air. One group of these werehuddled together at the end of the platform, whoseemaciated bodies and look of fierce agony told onlytoo plainly that they were starving. One of their

68 CHINESE STORIES.number had already been released from his torturesby death; and the rats, more conscious of the factthan the jailers, were gnawing at the only fleshyparts of his skeleton-like form. A like fate was theonly portal of escape left to those about him, andeagerly they desired to meet it. Ever and anonsleep relieved Tseng's eyes from the contemplationof these horrors, and then in his dreams, as thoughby a law of contraries, he wandered in the asphodelmeadows of Elysium, surrounded by every objectcalculated togratify the imagination and delight thesenses. The transition from these visions to a perceptionof his actual surroundings was sharp andbitter. In moments of reason he sought for themeans of escape from the terrors of his present cell.He knew enough of prisons to know that it was inthe power of the turnkeys to mitigate the sufferings oftheir charges, and he knew that money was the keyto open the door of their sympathies. He rememberedthat when arrestedhe had some ten or twelveounces of silver in his pocket, and he made up hismind to try the effect of these on the turnkey whenlie should come to open the cell in the morning. Athist that ha})})) 7 moment arrived. The man who hadturned the key on him the night before now threwopen the door, and Ts'eng, in company with most ofhis fellow-prisoners, crawled out into the fresher airof the courtyard. As the turnkey passed throughI lie yard, Ts'eng accosted him, and in exchange forthe contents of his purse, procured a, breakfast whichwas the fe,-ist of ;in epicure compared to the fare dealtout to i hecommon herd.

WITHIN HIS DANGER. G9Meanwhile Golden-lilies' night had been scarcelymore pleasantly spent than her husband's; and toher also had occurred the idea that it would bepossible to bay with money the consideration of thejailers. While it was yet early, therefore, she collectedall the availablecash in the house, and set outin her sedan-chair for the prison. The head jailerreceived the announcement of her name with acynical smile. He had expected that she wouldcome, and knew well the object of her visit. Accustomedto such interviews, and to the readiest meansof turning them to the best account, he at firstassumed aonly tohard and unrelaxing manner, and yieldedGolden-lilies' entreaties when he had drainedher resources. The upshot, however, of the visitwas, that Tseng was summoned before the jailer,and was told that, in consideration of his beinguntried, he shouldbe removed to another courtyard," where," said the jailer, with something approachinga smile, " I hope you will be more comfortable thanyou probably were last night." In fulfilment ofthis concession, Ts'eng was led off to a neighbouringcompound, which appeared almost clean and healthyin comparison with the one he had just left. Theprisoners in itthey were dirtyalso were fewer in number, and thoughand unshaven, they were evidentlyof a higher class than Tseng's late companions.They welcomed Ts'eng with some attempts at conversation,and performed various kindly offices forhim, which, in his weak state of health, were morethan he had either energy or strength to accomplishfor himself. One man in particular, a stout, cheeryK

70 CHINESE STORIES.looking son of Ham, was very kind and attentive ;and as the day wore on, and they began to knowmore about one another, and the offences with whichthey were severally charged, this man did much toLighten tin' cares of all, and of Ts'eng in particular,to whom lie seemed to have taken a liking. OfTseng's prospects— "as I suppose," he said, "youare willing to be liberal with your money,"—heprofessed to take a hopeful view ; while he did notconceal the fact that his own career would in allprobability be quickly cut short." Instigating a rebellion is not a crime that findsmercy, even though it might be justified, as in mycase, by the tyranny of the local mandarins.""But if you are without hope, how can youpossibly be as cheerful as you are ? " said Ts'eng." Because I am a philosopher," said Lung—for thatwas his name "; because I have drunk deep at thefountain which inspired Lao-tsze, Ohwang-tsze, andothers, and have learnt with them the true value oflifeand the art of living and dying.""The men you speak of were heretics," repliedTs'eng, "and went so far as even to speak disrespectfullyof our great master Confucius. Nothingbut disappointment must follow^ on faiththose."in such as" You boast yourself in Confucius, do you ? " rejoinedLung. "I thought you did when you firstcame in, by your look of misery. Now tell me,how does he help you in your present difficulty?Which is in the best mental case— you who trustin the stereotyped phrases of that old formalist,

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 71or I who follow the kindly lead of the Taoist philosophers?You look on the future life with terrifieduncertainty ; while I, regarding it in its truelight, see in it but a continuance of existence in anew shape."" These are all fallacies."" Show me that they are."" Did not Confucius say, in answer to Ke Lu'squestion about a future state, We do not know'about life, and how, then, can we know about anythingbeyond the grave ? ' Andif Confucius's intelligencestopped short with life, who can possiblyhope to peer beyond it ?" And are you really such a blind follower of theblind as that comes to? Has it never occurred toyou to ask yourself whence you came and whitheryou are going ? But I need not put the questionto you, for if you had, you would never tremble soat the bare idea of stepping over the brink. Tome, the knowledge that the executioner's sword willhelp me to return to the Great Mother of allthings,from whence I came and to which, in common withall created things, I must return, is no unpleasingprospect. I have played my part on this stage.I have dreamed my earthly dream, with its fancies,its nightmares, and its moments of pleasurable excitement,and now I am read}' and willing to passinto the loving arms of 'Abyss Mother.' Here weTaoists have the advantage over you Confucianists.You strut about, talking loudly over the relationsbetween man and man. parents and children, andsovereigns and ministers— all good things in their

72 CHINESE STORIES.way—but you forgel or close your eyes to thefact that existence does not end with what we calldeath. You limit your system to the short spaceof man's life upon earth, while we, overleaping allbounds of time, claim our right to immortality, andstep with assurance into the grave.""That is all very plausible," said Ts'eng, " but youhave no evidence that there is any continuance ofexistence after death. No one has ever returned tolife; to give us his experiences, and your creed onthis point must of necessity, therefore, be merely anassumption."'" Nay, it is more than that. Do we not see allaround us that nothing in creation isever absolutelydestroyed? It suffers ceaseless change, but alwaysexists. Look at the wood on a fire: it ceases tobe wood after the flames have consumed it, but itreappears as smoke and ashes. Look at the leaveswhich strew the ground in autumn : decay transformstheir shapes, but they do but change into mould,which again enters into the lifeand so created thing's g-oon for ever."of plants and trees," That is a, kind of reasoning that I don't understand,"replied Ts'eng. " If you can produce anypositive evidence that there is a future existence, Iwill believe it; but I cannot accept a faith which isbased on an analogy of burnt wood and deca} r edleaves. And so to tell me to take comfort in thecontemplation of a future state of happiness, is liketelling ahungry man to satisfy his appetite by thinkingof a feast, or a man shivering with cold to feelwarm by imagining a roaring fire."

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 73" So this is what it comes to ; that Confuciusserves as a guide through life when a man oughl tobe able to guide himself, and deserts you just at themoment when, in the face of death, you want -onestaff to support you, and some hand to lead you.But here comes the jailer, looking more like a demonthan ever ; he must have bad news for one of us."At this moment the jailer entered with the list ofthose whose names had been marked with the vermilionpencil of the emperor for immediate execution,and turning to Lung, he told him, without any unnecessaryverbiage, that his time had come. Theseal thus set to the fate of his acquaintance was asevere shock to poor Ts'eng. His tongue refused tospeak, and he durst not look on the face of thecondemned man. But Lung was quite unmoved." You see," he said, addressing Ts'eng, " my raceis run, and I only hope that if ever you should be ina like position, you may be enabled to face the futurewith the same composure that I do, and to place assure a faith in the loving tenderness of the GreatMother of us all, as that which now supports me."Tseng was too much overcome to utter a word,but wrung hisfriend's hands, and with weeping eyeswatched him led off to be questioned by the judgebefore being borne to the execution-ground.This event cast a gloom over the prison for therest of the day ; and the approach of night, eventhough it entailed a retreat into the close and fetidatmosphere of the cell, was a relief to all. The nextmorning, immediately after breakfast, the jailer paidanother visit to the courtyard and summoned Ts'eng

i4CHINESE STORIES.to appear before the magistrate. The contrast betweenhis lastinterview with his judge and the presentoccasion, covered Ts'eng with shame and remorse.As he entered the judgment-hall he scarcely venturedto lift his eyes to his former host, who was seatedbehind a large table covered with red cloth, attendedby secretaries, interpreters, and turnkeys. Hethought it just possible that when the magistraterecognised him he would pay him some consideration.But these hopes were rudely dispelled when two ofthe executioners, who stood at the foot of the dais,taking him by the arms, forced him on his knees.At the same moment, at a signal from the magistrate,one of the secretaries read out the accusation,in which he was charged with having murdered "awandering pedlar, named Ting."" Are you guilty of this charge, or not guilty ?asked the magistrate, in a cold, clear voice." Not guilty, your Excellency," said Ts'eng, vaguelyhoping that his denial would be sufficient."Call the witnesses," said the magistrate; and toTs'eng's horror, at a sign from the secretary, Tanstepped forward and fell on his knees."Now tell us what you know of thisthe magistrate.matter," saidThus adjured, Tan told the whole story from beginningto end, and though he laid great stress onthe pressure Ts'eng had put upon him to induce himto help to bury the body, he, on the whole, madeliis statement plainly and truthfully. Still Ts'engthought it possible that, if no other evidence *wasproduced, his word would be taken against his ser-

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 75vant's,—at allevents, the only answer that occurredto his cod fused mind was a flat denial."The whole story, your Excellency, is a lie frombeginning to end," he said, " and is invented by thisman out of spite, in consequence of my having hadoccasion to flog him for a gross falsehood and breachof trust." The confident manner in which Ts'£ngmade this uncompromising assertion, evidently produceda favourable effect on the magistrate, who,turning to Tan, asked" Have you any evidence of the truth of yourstory ?" Well, your Excellency, I can show you where weburied the body, and where it is at this moment, if ithas not been removed."At these words Tseng, who felt the ground slippingfrom under him, trembled allover, and would haveMien forward had not a turnkey supported him onhis knees. These signs of trepidation were not unmarkedby the magistrate, who ordered two policemento go with Tan to exhume the body, and directedTs'eng in the meantime to stand on one side. Socompletely had his nerves now forsaken him, however,that to stand was impossible, and he was thereforeallowed to sit huddled up against an angle inthe wall at the side of the court. Here he sufferedall the mental tortures to which weak and cowardlynatures are susceptible. Shame, remorse, and angeralltortured him in turns, and dominating all was theabject terror which possessed him. The knowledgethat he was completely in the power of others overwhom he had not the slightest influence or control

7GCHINESE STORIES.that he was alone without a single friend to whom toturn for advice or help ; that he was guilty of thecrime laid to his charge ; and that death at the handof the executioner would in all probability be his fate,—was an instrument which plagued him with suchQrst-.r-Rs-." Huddled up against an angle inthe wall."intensity, that it almost bereft him of reason. Rockinghimself to and fro,and moaning piteously,he sat the very pictureof misery. Other caseswere called on and disposedof, but he heardnot a word, and wasonly recalled to consciousnessby being draggedonce again into thecourtyard, and put onhis knees before thetribunal.thisHe knew thatmeant that Tan hadreturned, and he instinctivelyfelt that thebody of the murderedman was close besidehim, but he durst notlook round.Almost lifeless,he knelt waiting forthe firs) words, which seemed as though they were-'"it isnever to be uttered. At last they came."Have you brought the body?"" We have, your Excellency,' answered Tan,we put it into this coffin asand here ;

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 77it has been dead for some time; shall we open"it ?" Wait," said the magistrate, who was evidentlyanxious to avoid that operation if possible, and turningto Ts'eng, he asked, "Do you still deny yourguilt ?" No," replied Tseng, who had now lost all hope;" but I did not mean to kill him, it was an accident.indeed it was. Oh, have mercy on me," cried thewretched man, "and spare my life! Punish me inany way, but oh, let me live!"" Your pitiable cries for mercy," said the magistrate," only make your conduct worse. You hadno compassion on the man you murdered andwho now lies there in evidence against you, andI shall therefore have none on you. I sentence"youAt this moment a sound of voices and a rush ofpersons were heard at the other end of the courtyard.The magistrate paused and looked up, prepared toinflict the bastinado on the intruders, but their appearancewarned him that something unusual hadhappened. Golden-lilies led the van, and falling onher knees before the magistrate, cried" Spare him, spare him, your Excellency !it is alla mistake. Ting is not dead, but is here."At the sound of Golden-lilies' voice, Ts'eng awokefrom the trance into which he had fallen at themagistrate's rebuke, and turned his lack-lustre eyesupon his wife. Her eager look gave him confidence,and following the direction of her outstretched finger,he beheld the old pedlar on his knees. But he wasL

78 CHINESE STORIES.still too dazed to grasp the situation. .MeanwhileGolden-lilies' volubility was unchecked.••Ask him, your Excellency, and he will tell youhe is the man ; that the ferryman told a wicked lie ;and that far from having been killed, he has notsuffered the slightest inconvenience from his fall."" But your husband has confessed that he murderedhim," said the magistrate."The ferryman told him he had, and he believedliim : but it was not true," urged Goldendilies ; "andjust when I thought that the darkest hour of my lifehad come, when all hope of seeing my husband againalive seemed vanishing, who should knock at ourdoor but the pedlar himself. Without waiting to hearhis explanation, I have brought him with me; andnow do let my husband go."" Xot so fast," said the magistrate. " I must firstsatisfy nryself that this is Ting, and then I mustinquire who that dead man yonder is, or rather was.Call Tan."At this invocation Tan took up hison his knees ;former positionbut in the interval since his last appearancehe had lost confidence, and the turn events hadtaken did not, he saw clearly, reflect so brightly onhis prospects as they did on Ts'eng's. He felt that hewas compromised, though he could not understand itall,and was not quite sure how the magistrate would,on review, regard his conduct."Do you recognise thai man.''" asked the magistrate,pointing at Ting.lii.-,"Yes, your Excellency; he is Ting t lie pedlar, orghost."

WITHIN HIS DANGER. 79"But in your evidence you charged your masterwith murdering Ting, and you swore that you buriedhim ; and in support of your assertions you produce abody which is not Ting's, since Ting is here How"do you explain this ?" All I can say, your Excellency, is, that my masterordered me to bury Ting; and Lai, the ferryman,told me that the man I buried was Ting."'" Arrest Lai and bring him before me at once,"said the magistrate to a police-runner; "and meanwhileI will hear the pedlar's evidence. Bring him"forward. Who are you ?"My contemptible surname, your Excellency, isTing, and my personal name is 'Heavenly Brightness." Tell me what you know of this matter."" After leaving the house of his honour Ts'eug.said Ting, "I got into Lai's feny-boat to cross thelake. On the way over I told him the story ofthe fracas at his honour's door, and showed him thesilk which had been given me. He took a fancy tothe pattern on it, and bought it from me, as well asthe basket in which I carried it. Nothing else happeneduntil just as we got to the other shore, whenwe saw the corpse of a man floating in the water.As I walked away from the shore I turned round andsaw Lai rowing; towards the body. I reached homethe same evening; and remained there until to-day,when I called at his honour's house. On showingmyself at the door I was, to my surprise, hurriedoff here, and now I kneel in your Excellency'spresence."

SOCHINESE STORIES.At tliis juncture Lai entered. The last few weeks'dissipation had not improved his appearance, andhis ill- concealed terror at his present predicamentadded a ghastly paleness to his bleared and sallowcomplexion.• How is this," said the magistrate, "that you havecharged an innocent man with murder, and havepalmed off on him the body of some one else as thatof the man you said he had murdered ?Seeing that circumstances were against him, Laiwas silent.••Now listen/' said the magistrate : "you,"Lai, arethe principal culprit in this affair. You brought anunjust accusation against an innocent man, and bymenus of it extorted money from him. For thesecrimes I sentence, you to receive a hundred blowswith the large bamboo, and to be transported intoMongolia for five years. Because you, Tan, havingconnived at the concealment of what you believed tobe a murder, charged your master with the murderout of a spirit of revenge, 1 sentence you to receivefifty blows on the mouth, and fifty blows with thelarge bamboo. And as to you, Ts'eng, though yourconduct has been bad in attempting to conceal whatyou believed to be your crime, and in bribing othersto silence, yet, in consideration of your imprisonmentand of what you have gone through, I acquityon.Never were more life-giving words uttered thanthose addressed by the magistrate to Ts'eng. Theireffed was visible upon him physically ;heseemed togrow in bulk under their gracious influence, and his

WITIIIX HLS DANGER. 81face reverted from the pallor of death to the colourof life."May your Excellency live for ever," said he, ashe kotowed before his judge, who. however, had let'!the judgment-seat before he had completed his nineprostrations. As the magistrate turned away fromthe hall, he met Mr Tso, who had come to call uponhim." So our friend Ts'eng has got off, I see," said hisvisitor."Yes," said the magistrate, "but I have quitecome round to your estimate of his character. He isa poor creature. I sent a much liner fellow to theexecution-groundyesterday."/*«*^" Marked it as the entrance to the prison."— l'age 64

82THE TWINS.FROM THE CHINESE OF WU MING.QIHE saying commonlyattributed to Mencius,'"that Marriao-es aremade in heaven," is one ofthose maxims which unfortunatelyfind their chief supportin the host of exceptionswhich exist to thetruth which they lay down.Not to go further for aninstance than the Street ofLongevity, in our notabletown of King-chow, thereis the case of Mr and MrsMa, whose open and declaredanimosity to each other would certainly suggestthat the mystic invisible red cords with whichFate in their infancy bound their ankles together,were twined in another and far less genial localitythan Mencius dreamed of.

THE TWINS. 83With the exception of success in money-makino-,fortune has undoubtedly withheld its choicest dftsfrom this quarrelsome couple. The go-between whoarranged their marriage spoke smooth things to Maof his future wife, and described her as being asamiable as she was beautiful, or, to use her ownwords, " as pliant as a willow, and as. beautiful as agem; "while to the lady she upheld Ma as a, paragonof learning, and as a possessor of all the virtues.Here, then, there seemed to be the making of averypretty couple ;but their neighbours, as I have beenoften told, were not long in finding out that harmonywas a rare visitant in the household. The daily wearand tear of life soon made it manifest that there wasas little of the willow as of the gem about Mrs Ma,whose coarse features, imperious temper, and naggingtongue made her anything but an agreeable companion;while a hasty and irascible temper madeMa the constant provoker as well as the victim ofher ill-humours.By a freak of destiny the softening influences ofthe presence of a son has been denied them ; but enrevanche they have been blessed with a pair of themost lovely twin daughters, who, like pearls in anoyster-shell, or jewels in the heads of toads, havegrown up amid their sordid surroundings free fromevery contamination of evil. They are beyond questionthe most beautiful girls I have ever seen. Infigure they are both tall and finely shaped, withplastic waists and gracefully bending forms. Infeature—for both Daffodil and Convolvulus, as theyare called, are so exactly alike, that in describing one

84 CHINESE STORIES.I describe both— they are lovely, having eyebrowslike half-moons, eyes which are so lustrous that onewould expect them to shine in darkness, lips of themost perfect vermilion, finely shaped noses, and softlymodelled cheeks. In fact, they are more like childrenof the gods than the daughters of men ; and from allI have ever heard of them, their tempers and dispositionsare counterparts of their outward appearanceAll these charms of mind and of person were,however, cmite lost upon their sordid mother, whountil lately regarded them as though they were ofthe same mould as herself. So much so, that whenthey reached the prescribed marriageable age, insteadof proposing to seek the empire for two incomjDarablesto pair with such matchless beauties, she announcedto her husband, in her usual brusque andoverbearing manner, that she intended to look outfor two rich young shopkeepers as husbands for"the oirls." The moment she chose for makingthis announcement was not happily timed. Shehad already succeeded in ruffling Ma once or twicein the earlier part of the day, so that when shenow blurted out her intention his colour rose withmore than usual rapidity in his commonly sallowcheeks, and he replied angrily—" I forbid your doing anything of the kind. Youhave no business to meddle with matters which don'tpertain to you. Your duty in life is to obey me, andto do nothing without my instructions."" Hai-yah ! If I did that," said Mrs Ma, nowthoroughly aroused, " the household would soon cometo a pretty pass. What do you know about manag-

THE TWINS. 85ing matters? You remind me of the owl whichmade itself look like a fool by trying to sing like anightingale !" !You ignorant woman " replied her husband;"how dare you bandy words with me! Don't youknow that Confucius has laid it down as an imperishablelaw that a woman before her marriageshould obey her father, and after her marriage herhusband ?" And do you know so little of the Book of Rites,"said Mrs Ma, nothing abashed, " as not to be awarethat the mother should arrange the marriages of herdaughters ? So just you leave this matter to me. Ifyou want to be doing something, open your chemist'sshop again. What will it matter if you do poisona few more people by dispensing the wrong drugs ?" You infamous creature ! howdare you utter suchslanders ! If you ever again venture on such unparalleledinsolence, I will divorce you ! for rememberthat one of the seven grounds for divorce is violenceof language. And how would you like to be turnedadrift into the cold world at your age, and withanything but pleasing appearance ?"yourThis last shot told, and Mrs Ma flung herself outof the room without a word, contentingherself withexpressing her anger and defiance by banging thedoor furiously after her. No sooner was the doorshut than Ma took paper and pencil and wrote toinvite his friend Ting " to direct his jewelled chariotto the mean abode of the writer, who was preparinga paltry repast for his entertainment."Ting was oneof Ma's oldest friends, and, being linked to a wife ofM

86 CHINESE STORIES.a harridanish temperament, had a common bond ofunion with him.Like Ma also, he was secretly afraidof his better half, and bis counsel, therefore, on theseveraloccasions of domestic dispute on which he hadbeen consulted, had naturally tended rather towardsartifice than open war. Ma's note at once suggestedto Ting a family disagreement, and he lost no time inobeying the summons, being always glad to find freshevidences that others were asevilly circumstanced ashimself. He was a tall, stout man, witli a loud voice,but wanting that steadiness of eye which shouldmatch those outward seemings. By man}' people hewas credited with a firm and somewhat overbearingcharacter; but his wife probably showed more discernmentwhen on one occasion, after a shrill outburst,she reminded him that "an empty pot makesthe greatest noise."As Ting entered Ma's room the two friends greetedone another cordially, and into the sympathetic earof his guest Ma poured the story of his griefs.•"And now. what do you advise me to do?" askedthe host.''My insignificant daughters have arrivedat a marriageable age. and though the}' profess anaversion to matrimony and a contempt for the youngmen of this place, I consider it my duty to settlethem in life. But I see clearly that if I am to do itat all, I alone must be the doer. My wife's viewsare so invariably opposed to mine, that it is hopelesstoattempt to act in harmony with her. '"Well, 7 'replied Ting, "I myself always act onthe principle of the proverb, What the eye does not*see, the heart does not grieve after.' 1 have on sev-

THE TWINS.S7era! occasions made family arrangements without lettingmy wife into the secret until the time for interferencehas passed, and then, of course, shehas beencompelled to accept the inevitable. It is true theartifice has resulted in very unpleasant outbursts ofwrath ; butthat is nothing—nothing, my dear Ma."Here Ting's voice, in spite of his brave words, trembled,as a recollection of certain domestic scenes cameback to his memory. " Besides, I have in this waysucceeded in asserting my position as master of myown household. And my advice to you in yourpresent circumstances isthat you should do likewise.If you have made up your mind to marry yourdaughters, employ a go-between to look out fittingpartners, and make the necessary arrangements withoutsaying anything to }'our wife about it. Then,when the presents have been sent and the cardsexchanged, she will find it as easy to dam up theriver with her pocket-handkerchief as to bar theirmarriages.""Excellent! excellent:'' said Ma; "I will actupon your advice. But I must he very circumspect,Ting, very circumspect;for .Mrs Ma has a number ofold cronies about her, who gather gossip from stonewalls, rumours from the wind, and scandal fromeverything." Perhaps then it would be as well," replied Ting,rising to take his leave, " if you were to make use ofmy study for seeing the go-between and others whomyou may wish to employ in the affair. It is quite atyour disposal."' Ten thousand thanks." said Ma. " Your advice

38 CHINESE STORIES.has made aman of me, Ting, and your kindness hascarved for itself a place in my heart in which it willbe for ever enshrined.'.Meanwhile Mrs Ma, although for the moment discomfited,was by no means inclined to give up thestruggle. After a short communing; with herself shesenl for Daffodil and Convolvulus, and announced tothem her intention of forthwith providing them withhusbands of their own rank in life, directing them at"But, mother,we do not wish to marry.''''the s.nne line to preserve absolute silence on the subjectto all but old " Golden-lilies," their maid andchaperon." But, mother, we do not wish to marry," saidConvolvulus; "least of all to be tied for life to thesorl of young man whom you are kind enough tocontemplate for us. Why should we not remain as"'.we are

THE TWINS. 89"You are too young to understand such matters,"replied Mrs Ma. "I have seen mischief enough arisefrom leaving young girls unmarried, and 1 am determinedthat you shall not be exposed to any suchdanger. Besides, I have been so bothered lately bysuitors, who, it seems, have heard of your beauty,that I shall have no peace until you are settled."" Remember, mother," put in Daffodil, " that asyou have no sons, you and father are dependent onus to tend and wait upon you. Then, mother, we areso perfectly happy in each other's society that weneed no other companionship, and it would break ourhearts to be separated from each other and from you."" I am touched by your expressions of affection,my children," answered their mother; "but 'mymind is quite made up, as I have just told yourfather, who is foolish enough to think, poor man, thathe ought to have the management of the business.And now go back to your embroideries, and rememberwhat I have said to you about keeping the mattersecret."Mrs Ma's announcement, although not altogetherunexpected, fell with a heavy blow upon the twins,who had other and deeper reasons than those theyhad expressed for disliking the idea of having husbandsof their mother's choice forced upon them.Women seldom, if ever, in the first instance givetheir real reasons, at least in China. Their habit isto fence them round with a succession of outworks,in the shape of plausible excuses, which, if strongenough to resist the questioner, preserve inviolatetheir secret motives. If, however, they are driven

90 CHINESE STORIES.by persistence out of the first line of defence, theyretreal to the second, and so on, until the citadel isreached, when they arc commonly obliged to yield,though even then they generally manage to marchout with all the honours of war. In this case MrsMa had no motive for breaking the fence of the twins,and so never learnt, as she might otherwise have possiblydone, that though the garden wall was high, itwas not too hard to climb, and that often when shefancied her daughters were engaged at their embroideries,or practising their guitars, they were flirtingmerrily in the garden with the two young scholars,under the chaperonage of " Golden-lilies," to whomrecollection brought a fellow-feeling for such escapades,and who always carefully watched over hercharges, though at a judicious distance. These twoyouths, Messrs Tsin and Te, presented the real obstaclesto the adoption of Mrs Ma's proposals bythe twins. And it was at least evidence of the goodtaste of the young ladies that they preferred them tothe young men of the shopkeeper class, among whomtheir mother thought to find them husbands. It wastine that neither Tsin nor Te had at that time muchof this world's goods, nor did there appear any immediateprospect of their being ableto many; for theirfathers, who were ex-officials, were unendowed withanything beyond the savings they had accumulatedduring their terms of office, and these were not morethan enough to enable them to end their days inretiredcomfort.In these circumstances the ambitions of the youngmen centred in their chance of winning ollicial rank

THE TWINS. 91at the examinations. Of Tsin's success no one whohad sounded the depth of his scholarship had anydoubt. Te, however, was by no means so gifted.His essays were dull reading, and his odes were woodenthings, painfully elaborated in accordance with purelymechanical rules. He had none of the facility withwhich Tsin struck off a copy of verses, and could nomore have penned the lines to Daffodil's eyebrows,which first attracted the attention of the sisters tothe young scholars, than he could have flown. Itwas on the occasion of the Feast of Lanterns at thebeginning of this year, that Tsin and Te first becameaware of the existence of the twins, who, under thecharge of Golden-lilies, were on the evening of thatfestival admiring the illuminations in the streets.Struck by the incomparable beauty of the youngladies, the youths followed them about in blankamazement, until Tsin's imagination having beensuddenly fired by seeing an expression of delightpass over Daffodil's beaming countenance at the sightof an illumination more brilliant than usual, he hurriedlypenned astanza, in which the ideas of willowleafeyebrows and jade-like features were soskilfullyhandled, that when it fell into that young lady'shands she was lost in admiration at the grace andbeauty of the lines. A hurried glance of acknowledgmentwas enough to keep the young men attheheels of the twins until the portals of the ex-chemistclosed upon them ; and when, on the next afternoon,Convolvulus found in the summer-house a stanzamarked by all the grace of diction which characterisedthe ode of the previous day, she had no hesita-

92 CHINESE STORIES.lion in ascribing the authorship to the same giftedbeing. This message of homage was a prelude to ahurried visit paid and received beneath the bunchesof wistaria which hung around the favourite gardenretreat of the twins, and this again to other andLonger interviews, in which Tsin gradually came todevote himself to Daffodil, and Te to Convolvulus.It was while toying at one such meeting that thetwins were summoned to hear the designs which theirmother had formed for their future; and when theyleft the maternal presence, it was with feelings akinto despair that they poured their griefs into Goldenlilies'sympathetic bosom. " What are we to do ?was their plaintive cry.''Do ? " said Golden-lilies cheerily—" why, do asthe juggler did who was sentenced to death lastyear."" You have always some wise saying or queer storyready, dear Golden-lilies. But explain; what did thejuggler do except die ?"" That is just what he did not do, for when theEmperor told him that his life should be spared oncondition that he made the Emperor's favourite mulespeak, the man undertook to do it within twelvemonths by the calendar."" What a fool he must have been !• So his friends said; but he replied, 'Not so, formany things may happen in a year: the mule maydie, or the Emperor may die, or I may die; and evenif the worst conies to the worst, and none of thesethings happen, 1 shall at least have had another yearof life.' Now, though you are not in such a parlous""

THE TWINS. 93state as the juggler was, yet, as you cannot resistyour mother, you had better appear to submit, andtrust to the chapter of accidents."But Mrs Ma was evidently disposed to leave aslittle as possible to accident, forthe very next morningshe sallied out in her sedan-chair, and paid avisit to a well-known "go-between" in the town.This woman, delighted to have the credit of arrangingthe marriage of the beautiful twins, chose fromher list of bachelors two young men, one the son ofa silk-mercer and the other of a salt-merchant, whofulfilled Mrs Ma's main requirement of being rich." They are nice young men, too," she added," though neither of them is likely to attract theadmiration of the goddess of the North Star likethe matchless Chang - le. But if ugly men nevermated, the imperial race of China would soon dieout."" I don't care a melon-seed," said Mrs Ma, as sheate two or three of those delicacies from the daintydish by her side, " about beauty in a man. Nonecan be called deformed but the poor : moneyisbeauty, and to my mind the true deformity is anempty purse. So please make the proper overturesat once, and let me know the result. I have reasonsfor wishing to preserve secrecy in this matter, andI would therefore beg you not to talk of it untilall is arranged."It was not long before the go-between reportedconfidentially that her proposal had been receivedboth by the silk-mercer Yang and thesalt-merchantLe on behalf of their sons with enthusiasm. Nor didN

94 CHINESE STORIES.the fortune-teller throw any obstacles in the way ofthe speedy fulfilment of Mrs Ma's schemes ;for thealmanac pointed with unmistakable clearness to thenext full moon asthe whole year for marriages.wishbeing one of the most fortunate inEverything seemed therefore to lie level with theof Mrs Ma; and under the combined influencesof Q-ood fortune and satisfaction evoked from the convictionthat she was doing her duty asa mother, hergood-nature knew no bounds. She was even civil toMi. and in her superior way smiled to herself at thebeaming self -content which had lately come overhim, and which she naturally regarded as a reflectionof her own good -humour. As the day for receivingthe presents approached, she chuckled to see howeasily he was persuaded to have the chairs and divanin the reception-hall re-covered and the walls redecorated.On the day itself— poor foolish man !— farfrom expressing any surprise atthe superlative toiletin which she had bedecked herself, he paid her thecompliment of likening her to a fairy from the palaceof the " Ro} T al Mother of the West," and even wentthe length, as though following her example, of arrayinghimself in his costliest garments. As theday advanced, the actions of each seemed to have astrange fascination for the other; and when, at theusual evening hour for the presentation of betrothalpresents, the merry strains of the "Dragon and thePhoenix," played by more than one band, struckupon their ears, they glanced at one another withgratified curiosity rather than surprise. As the noisein the street swelled into a roar compounded of

THE MERRY STRAINS OF THE 'DRAGON AND THE PH(ENIX'PLAYED BY MORE THAN ONE BAND."—Page 94.

THE TWINS. 95bands, drums, and the shouts of coolies, Mrs Ma'spride rose at the thought that she had succeeded incapturing such liberal and munificent suitors, and shehad almost forgotten the opposition of her husbandwhen four young men, bearing letters, and each leadinga goose and a gander— the recognised emblemsof conjugal affection— followed by servants carryinga succession of rich presents, advanced to the audiencehall. That her two proteges should have senteight geese appeared to her unnecessary, althoughshe accepted the multiplication of the birds as apretty token of the ardour of the lovers ; but hersense of this excess was soon lost in her admirationof the unusually numerous gifts which now filled thecourtyard."With many deep reverences the young men presentedtheir letters to Ma, who was at first too muchdazed by the confusion which reigned about him todo more than to incline his head and open the envelopes.As he read the first letter, however, hisconfused expression of countenance was exchanged forone of puzzled surprise."There is," he said, "some mistake here. I knownothing; of this Mr Yang who writes. You must," headded, turning to the young man who had presentedthe letter, "have come to the wrong houseby mistake.""Pardon me," replied the young gentleman, "yourhumble servitor has made no mistake, unless, indeed,you are not the honourable father of the incomparabletwins whom you have deigned to betroth to myprincipal, Mr Yang, and his friend, Mr Le."

96 CHINESE STORIES.The mention of these names recalled Mrs Ma tothe actualities of the position; and, advancing towardsher husband, she said with some embarrassment" There is no mistake in the matter. I told youthat I should arrange our daughters' marriages, andI have done so. Messrs Yang and Le are the gentlemenI have chosen, and these are their presents indue form."For a moment Ma looked at her inangry astonishment,and then, as the whole affair took shape in hismind, he lost all control over himself, and, tremblingwith passion, he broke out—" You stupid, obstinate woman, how dare you disobeymy orders and practise this deceit upon me ? Bywhat pretence of right have you ventured to interferein this matter ? You have brought disgraceupon me and infamy upon yourself, /have arrangedalliances for the twins with the sons of my friendsMessrs Tsai and Fung, and it is these they shallmarry and no others !"Then turning to Yang's andLe's young squires, he added with scant courtesy" Take away your gifts, young men, and tell yourprincipals that this rebuff serves them right fordealing in an underhand way with a headstrongwoman.""Don't listen to him," cried Mrs Ma. "I acceptyour presents.""Take them away !" shouted Ma." You shameless boor " ! screamed Mrs Ma— "youmiserable, vapouring, good-for-nothing! Do youtalk to me of 'daring' and 'venturing'? Why, you

THE TWINS. 97ma}^ thank Buddha that you have got a wife whoknows how and when to act ; and I tell you that yourfriends Tsai and Fung may as well try to join thehare in the moon as hope to raise the veils of mydaughters. So if these young men represent themthey had better be off at once and take their rubbishwith them."This was more than Ma's irascible nature was ableto endure, and raising his hand to strike, he rushed"Mrs Ala stood readyfor the assault."at his wife. Fortunately his servants were nearenough to intervene, and an exchange of blows—forMrs Ma had seized a flute from an amazed musician,and stood ready for the assault—was for the momentaverted. Foiled in finding the natural outlet for hisrage, Ma, with as wild gesticulations as were possiblewith a man holding each arm and a third draggingat his skirts, shouted orders to his servants to turn

98 CHINESE STOEIES.Yang's and Le's squires, with their presents, out intothe street. With equal vehemence Mrs Ma invokedthe direst misfortunes and deepest curses on the headof any one who ventured to lay hands on them, andat the same time called on her partisans to throw theother people and their gifts out of doors. The hubbubthus created was aggravated by the incursion of idlersfrom the street, some of whom presently took sides,as the squires and their followers showed signs ofacting on the taunts and adjurations of Ma and hiswife. From words the adverse hosts speedily cameto blows, and a scene of indescribable confusion ensued.The presents, which had made such a goodlyshow but a, few minutes before, were broken to piecesand scattered over the courtyard ; while the eightgeese, with outstretched wings and wild cacklings,flew, seeking places of refuge. With impartial wisdomthe servants of the house, aided by some unbiassedonlookers, threw their weight on the combatantsin the direction of the door. By this manoeuvre thecourtyard was gradually cleared,and eventually thefront gates were closed on the surging fightingcrowd, which was dispersed only when some few ofthe ringleaders had been carried off to the magistrate'syamun.As ,i neighbour and an acquaintance of Ma, Ithought itbest, on being informed of what had takenplace, to call in to see if I could be of any use. Ihad some difficulty in getting inside the front gates;Init when I did, a scene of confusion presented itselfsuch as I have never seen equalled. The courtyardwas covered with debris, as though some typhoon

THE TWINS. 99had been creating havoc in an upholsterer's shopwhile in the audience-hall Ma was inflicting chastisementon his wife with a mulberry-twig, which he hadevidently torn from the tree at hand in the yard. Iwas fortunately in time to prevent the punishmentbecoming severe, though at the time I could not butfeel that Mrs Ma's conduct was of a kind which couldonly be adequately punished by corporal chastisement.As a husband and a Confucianist, I deprecate theuse of the rod towards a wife except in extreme cases.There are, however, some women whose intellectsareso small and their obstinacy so great that reasoningis thrown away upon them. They have nothing towhich one can appeal by argument ; and with suchpersons bodily fear is the only fulcrum on which it ispossible to rest a lever to move them. From all Ihear, Mrs Ma is a typical specimen of this class. Sheprides herself on her obstinacy, which she regards asa token of a strong mind, and she is utterly destituteof that intelligence which should make her aware ofthe misery and discomfort it causes to those abouther. No camel is more obstinate and no donkeymore stupid than she.But while quite recognising this, I could not but feelsome compassion for her, as, weeping and dishevelled,she escaped from the hall when I succeeded in releasingher from her husband's wrath. At first Ma's furywas so uncontrollable that I could do nothing withhim ; but gradually he quieted down, and, acting onmy advice, went over to his friend Ting to consult asto what should be done inthe very unpleasant circumstancesin which he was placed. It was plain

100 CHINESE STOEIES.thai some decided step would have to be taken, asil, t .arreslof some of the rioters had brought thewhole affair within the cognisance of the mandarins,and it is always best in such matters to be the oneto tli row tlif first stone. After much discussion itwas, as I afterwardslearned, decided that Ma shouldpresent a petition to the prefect, praying him, in theinter* si of marital authority and social order, to commandthe fulfilment of the contract entered into bythe petitioner with Fung and Tsai.On the following morning Ma, in pursuance ofthis arrangement, presented himself at the prefect'sya in u a,and, after having paid handsome douceurs tothe doorkeeper and secretary, was admitted intotheaugust presence of his Excellency Lo. Having onlylately arrived in the prefecture, Lo's appearance hadbeen hitherto unknown to Ma, who was much awedand impressed by the dignified airs and grand waysof his Excellency. A man severe he is and stern toview, and yet beneath his outward seeming there isastrong undercurrent of human nature, held in check,it is true, by the paralysing effect of our educationalsystem, but still capable of being aroused and workedupon at times. As Ma knelt before him he glanceddown the memorial, and demanded a full explanationof the circumstances. Nothing loath, Ma pouredforth bis version of the story, in which he by nomeans extenuated his wife's conduct, and wound upby emphasising the importance of cheeking the insubordinationof the women, which was becomingonly too prevalent in that neighbourhood.You certainly bave made out a primd facie case

THE TWINS. 101for further investigation," said the prefect; "andwhat you say about women is, to your credit, preciselyin accord with the teachings of Confucius, wholaid down that women should yield absolute obedi-'ence to their husbands, and that beyond the thresholdof their apartments they should not be known eitherfor good or for evil.' I shall therefore summon yourwife to appear at once before me ; and meanwhile youmay stand aside."The summoniuo- officer was not lono- in executinghis mission, and the time had scarcely begun to hangheavily on Ma's hands when Mrs Ma entered thei/d in an. That lady looked anything but comfortablewhen she saw her husband talking with an assuredair to the officers of the court, and answered hisglance of recognition with the kind of look that ahouse-dog; gives a stranger cur when it crosses histhreshold. On learning that Mrs Ma had arrived,the prefect at once took his place on the bench ; andas both disputants fell on their knees in the courtyard,he ordered Mrs Ma to explain her conduct indisobeying the commands of her husband." May it please your Excellency," she began, " Iam a poor ignorant woman."" So far I am with you," said the prefect ; " but goon with your story.""And, your Excellency, I have always tried to domy duty by my husband and children."" That is not the point. Tell me why, when yourhusband had forbidden you to interfere in thematterof the marriage of your daughters, you persisted indoing; so."

1 HI' CHINESE STORIES.••May it please your Excellency, nry great-grandmother••"( >li. may curses resl on your great-grandmother !"shouted the prefect, losing patience. "Speak to thematter in hand or you shall be flogged."" I was only going to explain, your Excellency."'••\o\\ lake care what you are saying.""It is true my husband told me that he wouldarrange our daughters' marriages, but I knew thatanything he touched he marred, and I thought, therefore,thai as 1 had always been told, at least by mygreal A warning glance from the prefect herechecked her eloquence, and she went on— "I haveahvavs learned that the marriage of a daughter istheparticular province of her mother. I should neverhave dreamed, your Excellency, of interfering if ithad been our son's marriage. Not that we have ason, your Excellency, though many is the time Ihave been to the temple of Kwanyin to pray for oneand as to money, your Excellency" Bring a one-inch bamboo," said the prefect to oneof the lictors."Oh, please spare me, your Excellency, and 1 willsay anything you wish !""All I want is that you should tell the truth andspeak only the record. Do this, and I will listen ; lieor wander, and Ishall nog you."••Well then, your Excellency, I found also that thetwo young men selected by my husband were in noway proper matches for my daughters, who are verybeautiful. One of these wretched youths is blind inone eye, and the other has one leg shorter than its"

THE TWINS. 103fellow. In these circumstances I took the matter inhand, and discovered two veritable dragons, who wereyearning to link their fate with the pairof phoenixeswho rest beneath, my humble roof. As destiny decreed,my husband's cripples sent their betrothalpresents at the same moment that Messrs Yang andLe sent theirs. Upon this my husband gave wayto wild fury, broke the presents to atoms, beat theservants, and flogged your humble servant until shewas one mass of bruises.""Is it true that these proteges of yours are as yourwife describes them " ? asked the prefect of Ma." No, your Excellency ; she has grossly exaggeratedtheir defects. It is true that the sight of one ofFung's eyes is partially affected, and that Tsai's legsare not quite of an equal length, but the differencebetween them is so slight that it is outwardly invisible,and is only perceptible if he walks over a woodenfloor, when there is a slightly hop-and-go-one soundabout his steps. But, your Excellency, she wouldhave been wise to have remembered the proverb,'Don't laugh at your neighbours wart when your;own throat is disfigured by a wen ' for it is as wellknown as that your Excellency is the quintessence ofwisdom, that Yang is only, as we people say, nineparts of a whole ; and as for young Le, he bears soevil a reputation that no respectable citizen will allowhim to enter his doors."" Well, if this were a matter which only concernedyou two, I should not trouble myself further aboutit, for you are a pair of the simplest of simpletonsbut as your daughters' interests are at stake, I have

104 CHINESE STORIES.thought it right to send for them, that I may findou1 what they feel on the subject."At this moment the twins entered the court, andadvanced with graceful modesty, swaying from sideto side like tender shrubs gently moved by a passingbreeze. Never had they looked more lovely; theirjade-like complexions, exquisite features, and lustrouseyes lent so ethereal a beauty to their buddingwomanhood that they seemed more than mortal.With the winsomesl mien, and wielding their fansas only Chinese women can, they bowed low beforethe prefect, and then stood awaiting his orders. Thepoor man gazed on them asa man gazes on spiritsfrom the other world. He had looked up as theyentered, expecting to see in tliemrepetitions of theirvulgar-looking parents; but to his unutterable surprisethey stood before him resplendent asthe moonon the fourteenth night, and as fascinating as fairies.As it happened, they had just arrayed themselvesin their most becoming costumes in expectationof a visit from Tsin and Te, when the prefect'ssummons came. Every charm, therefore, which personaladornment could add to their natural beautywas present with them, and the picture they madeas they stood in the middle of the courtyard wasone which struckthe spectators dumb with astonishment.The prefect dropped his pencil, and seemedquite to forget that anything was expected of him;and for the moment no one, except the twins andtheir parents, did expect anything from him; forone and all—secretaries, ting-chais, lictors,and clerkswere so ravished by the sight, that all conscious-

THE TWINS. 105ness of the fitness of things was lost to view. Aftersome moments of silence, which seemed to the twinslike so many hours, the prefect awoke from his raptastonishment,and said" Are yon really the daughters of these peoplebefore me ? Is it possible that nature should haveplayed such a trick, and should have moulded youin manners as in shape, in blood and in virtue, on amodel as widely separated from your parents as earthis from heaven ?"May it please your Excellency," replied Daffodil,in a low and nervous tone, " we are the children—theonly children—of these our parents."" Come nearer," rejoined the prefect, in a voicethat had no stern judicial ring about it, "and speakwithout reserve to me ; for if I do not espouse yourcause and shield you from wrong, may my father'sashes be scattered to the wind, and my mother's gravebe dishonoured. Tell me, now, have you any desireto marry any of the four suitors your father andmother have provided for you ? and if you have, tellme to which you incline."" We know nothing of these young men, yourExcellency," said Daffodil." Well, when you hear that, according to yourparents' description, one is blind, another lame, athird silly, and the fourth wicked, I should hardlyexpect that you would care to make their acquaintance.However, as they are in attendance I shallhave them in, that you may see wdiat manner of menthey are." Turning to an officer, he added, " Send inthe four suitors in this case."

10G(HINKSH STORIES.As the young men entered, all eyes were turnedtowards them, and certainly a sorrier quartet it wouldbe difficult to findanywhere. Theirnaturaljustifiedfailings fullythe descriptiongiven of themby Ma and his wife,and were in thisinstance exaggeratedA sorrier quartet it would be difficult to find.'by the consciousnessof theordeal theywere calledupon to undergo.The prefectlookedat them withsurprise anddisgust; andthe twins, whoheld Tsin and Te as their models, regarded them withhonor from behind their fans.Well ?" said the prefect, turning to Daffodil and( 'ii\ olvulus."Oh, your Excellency!" plaintively ejaculated thei wins in one breal h.

THE TWINS. 107" I quite understand you, and your verdict isexactly what I should have expected ; andsince itis plain to me,—come a little nearer; I fear youcannot hear what I say,—that your parents are asincapable of understanding your value as monkeysare of appraising the price of apple-green jade, Ishalltake on myself the matter of your marriages. Arenot prefects the fathers and mothers of the people ''?and if so, then I am both your father and yourmother. Put yourselves into my hands, then. Trustin me; and if I do not do the best I can for you,may I die childless, and may beggars worship at my!tomb" How can we thank you," said Daffodil, who wasalways readiest withher words, "for your boundlesscondescension and infinite kindness towards yourhandmaidens ? May your Excellency live for tenthousand years, and may descendants of countlessgenerations cheer your old age!" Thank you for your good wishes," said the prefect." I must take time to consider the course Ishall pursue, and will let you know the result." Thenturning to Ma and his wife, he said in quite anothertone— "Take your daughters home, and do not ventureto make any arrangements for their future until youhear from me."So saying he rose, but, contrary to his usual habit,waited to arrange his papers until the sylph - likeforms of the twins had disappeared through thefolding-doors, when he retired precipitately.The next morning Ma was surprised by a visit fromthe prefect, who had found it necessary, he said, to

108 CHINESE STORIES.inform the twins in person of his intentions towardsthem. I [aving greeted his wards with all the affectionof a guardian, he said—"On thinking over the matter of your marriages,Ihave determined to hold an examination preliminaryto the coming official examination, and I propose tooffer you as the prizes to be awarded to the twoscholars who shall come out at the top of the list.In this way we shall have at least a guarantee thatyour husbands will be learned, and likely to gaindistinction in official life/'" But suppose," put in Convolvulus timidly, " theyshould be married men ?"" Ah, I never thought of that ! " said the prefect,laughing. "Well, I will tell you what I will do. Ithappens that a hunter brought me in this morninga brace of the most beautiful gazelles, and these Iwill give to the two top married men, as dim andbleared emblems of the still more lovely creatureswhich will fall to the lot of the two successfulbachelors."The prefect accompanied his remark with a smileand bow which added another tinge of colour tothe blushes which had already suffused the brilliantcheeks of the twins, whose modest confusion hadscarcely subsided when he took his departure.The appearance, two or three days after this interview,of a semi-official proclamation announcing theexamination and specifying the prizesin store for thewinners, produced the wildest excitement in thetown. The proceedings before the prefect had

THE TWINS. 109become notorious, and the rare beauty of the twinswas, if possible, exaggerated by the thousand-tonguedrumours which spread of their exceeding loveliness.To Daffodil the ordeal suggested no uneasiness. For,feeling confident of the surpassing talent ofTsin, sheentertained no doubt that he would come out firstupon the list. But with Convolvulus the case wasdifferent ; for, though devotedly attached to Te, shehad wit enough to recognise that his literary talentswere not on a par with his distinguished appearance.The uneasiness she thus felt found vent in words atone of the stolen interviews in the arbour, and Tefrankly admitted thathe had been tortured by thesame misgiving. o o" If I could only dive into the prefect's mind," hesaid, " and find out what themes he has chosen forthe two essays, I should have no fear."These words sank deep into Convolvulus's soul, andin a conversation with Daffodil, in which she expressedher fears for Te, she repeated what he hadsaid,adding" Do you think that we could worm out of theprefect something about the themes he is going toset ?" I do not know, but we might try," replied hersympathetic sister. " The best plan would be, Ithink, that we should express in a casual way a likingfor some classical piece, and it is possible that topay us a compliment he might be kind enough tochoose the themes out of it. For, dear old man, Isaw from behind my fan a look in his eyes when hemade us that pretty speech the other day that madep

"Now,110 CHINESE STORIES.#ne think of mother's saying, 'Men propose andwomen dispose.' Only yesterday dear Tsin taughtme a lovely ode out of the 'Book of Poetry,' be-cnnnmg-See where before you gleams the foaming tide( If Tsin and Wei down-sweeping in their pride.'1 1 was so pretty of him to choose an ode in which hisown dear name occurs, was it not ? Now, don't youthink that in the letter we have to write to the prefectto-day about the copy of the proclamation he-cut us, we might put in a quotation from this ode?1 1 would at least please him, for I know he is fond ofpoel rv. and it is possible that it might draw a remarkfrom him which we may turn to account. It is fullof lines which would make capital themes."" Oh, Daffodil, how clever you are ! If you andTsin have sons they will all, I am sure, be Chivangyuen}Your device is excellent. Let us set to workat once to compose the letter."Daffodil drafted the following:—" May it please your Excellency,—Your humbleSo down they sat to the task, and after much cogii.ition,servants on their knees have received the jade-likeepistle and proclamation which you deigned to sendthem. With rapture they have admired the pearllikestyle of your brilliant pencil, and with endlessgratitude they recognise your kindness and bounty,which are as wide and far-reaching as 'the gardensbeyond the Wei' described in the 'Book of Poetry.'what do you think of that?" said Daffodil,1The title of the senior wrangler of the empire.

THE TWINS.Illas she put down her pencil, "/think it is neat. Itbrings in the reference to the ode without any seemingeffort, and will, if I mistake not, tickle our friend'sfancy for classical quotations."" Oh, it is excellent," said Convolvulus. " Withthe twig so cleverly limed, I feel sure we shall catchour bird."And the results proved Convolvulus to be rightfor on the following day the prefectcalled again, andin conversation with the twins, with whom he hadnow grown familiar, he remarked" So I see you have read the Book of Poetry.''" Yes," said Convolvulus ;" and it was such a pleasureto be able to quote our favourite ode in writingto our dearest friend."The prefect, touched and pleased at this artlessexpression of regard, rejoined" It so happens that that is one of my favouriteodes also. The description," added he, waxing enthusiastic,"of the wide -sweeping rivers, and thelovely gardens, with theadmixture of human interestsin the mention of lovers toying beneath theshade, presents to my mind a picture which is literallyladen with beauty and delight."" Though, of course, I am quite incapable of understandingall that you mean, it has occurred to me inreading the ode," replied Daffodil, " that every line islike a seed of corn, which, if properly treated, may bemade to bring forth rich literary fruit."" I cannot help thinking, Miss Daffodil," said theprefect, " that if you were to enter the lists at theexamination you would probably win yourself."

1 11CHINESE STORIES.What a barren triumph it would be !" said Daffodil.Laughing. "But if I competed at all," she added," I should insist on your taking this ode as our text,and then I shouldreproduce the ideas you have justgiven us. and win the prize.""Well, I tell you what I will do if you will keepmy secret," said he. "1 will give the themes fromthis ode. and then you and your sister will be able tojudge whether the winners deserve the prizes. Butwhat is the matter with your sister?"This exclamation was caused by Convolvulus droppingher teacup on to the floorhysterical sobbing.'"and breaking out into< >h, she is rather subject to these attacks at thistime of the year," said Daffodil, running to her side.•Will vim excuse my attending; to her?"" Oh, don't think of me for a moment. Please lookafter your sister.I will go oft' at once, and shall sendover in the afternoon to inquire how she is."As the door closed on the prefect, Convolvulussobbed out: " Oh, how stupid I have been! But Icould not help it. Dear Te is now safe."That afternoon there were great rejoicings in thesummer-house, and Daffodil'sterms which loan unprejudicedfinesse was eulogised inobserver might haveseemed adulatory. And it was generally agreed betweenthe four lovers that by steady application duringthe month which intervened before the examination,Te might, easily make himself so completelymaster of all that had been written on the ode inquestion that he could not fail to succeed. Withready zeal, on the very next morning he set to work

THE TWINS. 113at the commentaries, and beginning with Mao's, hewaded carefully through the writings of every weightycritic down to the present time. In the intervals ofleisure he practised essay-writing under the guidanceof Tsin, and made such progress that Convolvuluswas in raptures ; and even Daffodil, reflecting theopinion of Tsin, was loud in her praises of his diligenceand success.At last the examination day arrived, and armedwith the good wishes and benedictions of the twins,the two friends betook themselves to the prefect'syarnun. On entering the courtyard they found thatrows of tables, separated by temporary partitions onthe sides and at the back, were ranged in the usuallyempty space. At the door was a secretary — astranger—who gave to each a numbered ticket, andinscribed their names on a register ; while anotherofficial allotted to each a table, and distributed paper,ink, and pencils.In their impatient anxiety our twoheroes had come early ; but from the noise and excitementwhich began immediately to echo on everyside of them, it was plain that there were very manyothers who were minded to be in good time also. Atlength, when every table was full, and every ticketgiven away, a drum was sounded, the folding-doorswere closed, and the competitors were cut off fromthe outer world for the rest of the day. Presentlythe prefect entered at the upper end of the hall, andhaving taken his seat on a raised dais, thus addressedthe assembled scholars :—" You are all doubtless aware of the unusual circumstancesunder which I am holding this examina-

IllCHIXESE STORIES.t ion. and I take il for granted that you are cognisantof the prizes which are to be won by the two mostsuccessful competitors." .Many an eye sparkled atthis reference to the twins. "The two themes onwhich I shall ask- you to write as many essays aretaken from the ode of the 'Book of Poetry,' entitled'The Tsin and the Wei. 3 "Here Te gave a great sighof relief. " The first consists of the two openinglines-See where before you gleams the foaming tideiIf Tsin and Wei down-sweeping in their pride;'and the second, of what I may call the refrain of theod

THE TWINS. 11;,offered you are well worth a struggle, and I cannotimagine any objects more calculated to stir the bloodand fire the imaginationsof young men like yourselvesthan the lovelydaughtersWhen theof Ma."students hadsettled down to their work,the prefect, acting on asudden impulse, sent toinvite the twins to lookdown at the competitorsfrom the latticed gallerywhich ran along one sideof the courtyard. Such" Oh, there is Te I "an opportunity of lookingdown upon five hundred possible husbands wasnot to be lost, and as quickly as their chair cooliesS^(LL^2 PP^could carry them they presentedthemselves at the door of theprivate apartments. The prefect,who had grown quite alertwhen Daffodil and her sisterwere in question, snatched amoment from his duties in thehall to escort them to the gal-lery. Once alone they eagerlyIP' scanned the five hundred for"Te is in difficulties."tne lineaments of their lovers." Oh, there is Te !"saidDaffodil. "I know him by the lie of his pigtail."" Where do you mean ? " asked Convolvulus, seeing

116 CHINESE STORIES.thai her sister was looking in quite another directionto tlic one in which her eyes had been riveted forsome minutes." In the front row, and about the tenth from thisend."•Why, you silly thing, there the dear fellow is,sitting in the fourth row, with his sleeves tucked upand hisspectacles on.""Well, then, all I can say is, that there is anotheryoung man with a pigtail exactly like Te's. Do yousec Tsiu'."she added, after a pause. "He is writingas though his life depended on it, and smiling attimes ashis mind."" Oh !though some happy thoughts were crossing" exclaimed Convolvulus presently, " Te is indifficulties. He is biting the end of his pencil, as healways does when he isstranded for want of matter.I wish I were by him to encourage him."" I don't think your presence would be likelyto add much to the concentration of his thoughts,"remarked her sister.'•Oh, there, lie is off again! I wonder whatthought suggested itself to him at that moment.Do you know, I sometimes think that Te and I areable to communicate mentally by speechless messages,for I have several titties found that we have both beenthinking of the same thing at the same moment.""Oh, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! But nowwe must be going, or those men near us will hear uschattering." So sending a, dutiful farewell to the prefect,they returned home to await the arrival of theirlovers, who had promised to report progress after the

"THEY LEANED OVER TO GREET THEIR LOVERS."—Page 116.

THE TWINS. 117labours of the day.As the shades of evening fell, thesound of well-known footsteps brought the sisters tothe balcony of the summer-house, and asthey leanedover to greet their lovers, the young men instinctivelypaused to admire the beauty of the picture they made.Their light and graceful forms, clothed with all thetaste and brilliancy of richly embroidered robes, andtheir exquisite features lit up with pleasure and expectancy,presented a foreground which found fittingsurroundings in the quaintcarving of the arbour andthe masses of wistaria -blossom, which drooped likebunches of grapes from the eavesvantage.and every coign of" Well ? " they asked."Good news," was the answer. "The prefect wasas good as his word, and everything turned out exactlyas we had expected."" That is capital. But we were sorry you did notsit together," said Daffodil." How do you know that we did not ? " said Tsin,with surprise."And why, Te, did you tuck up your sleeves, asthough you were going to contend with a sword,rather than with a pen ? " said Convolvulus." Now, who told you that I tucked up my sleeves ?Confess, or 111are !"" Oh, what a pair of unsympathetic mortals yousilent."broke in Daffodil, who was too happy to be" There were we looking down upon you fromthe latticed gallery, and you were no more consciousof our presence than if you had been made of stone.""And, Te, dear," said Convolvulus, "once whenQ

hewhatrepliedIt118 CHINESE STORIES.your ideas had evidently forsaken you, I longed to beal your side to help you out. And I think my longinu'wish must have been of some use, for almost immediatelyyon se1 i" work again."" Let us go for a stroll in the garden, and we willtalk it all over," was the reply of the enamoured Te.The ten days which 'elapsed between the examinationand the announcement of the results passedslowly with Tsin and Te, and were mainly occupiedin going over each point they had made and eachopportunity they had missed. In the preliminarystudies Tsin had among other points striven toimpress upon Te the importance of drawing a comparisonbetween the effect of the licentious music ofthe state of Thing, as illustrated by the manners ofthe people described in the ode, and that produced bythe austere strains of Wei. But when the momentcame for the use of this comparison, Te found himselfhopelessly confused, and ended by attributingto the exceptionally pure airs of Wei an improprietywhich bordered on grossness.The recollection of this and other shortcomingsweighed heavily on TV's spirits, and tortured himeven in the presence of his lady-love.I'mt matters it," said that young lady, "ifyou do fail in one direction, so long as you make upfor it in others'.t haii tlie river."'True,'is no use makingOa bridge widerCDTe "; but what if an architect putshis materials together so badly that they topple over"into t si ream ?'What should you say of an architect," answered

THE TWINS. 119Convolvulus, " who built a good bridge, and could notsleep of a night if a leaf stirred for fear it should beblown down ?" Well, my eyes will not now be long ' blackenedwith the pencil of sleeplessness,' to use your ownpretty imagery," answered her lover. " And I reallydon't know whether to wish that between this andthe fifteenth Time should fly or move with leadenfeet. At all events, I enjoy your presence now, andit may be that then itwill be lost to me for ever."" I should not give up hope even if you failed,"replied the cheery little Convolvulus. " There aremore ways of catching a bird than grasping his tail."The intense anxiety felt by Tsin and Te as to theirsuccess or failure caused them, as perhaps was onlynatural, to lose sight, to a certain extent, of the factthat to the young ladies there was even more dependingon the fifteenth than to themselves ; for, after all,their failure would only bring on them a negativemisfortune, while it was within the bounds of possibilitythat Daffodil and Convolvulus might find themselvesbound to partners whom they loathed. Thetwins' interest in the day was heightened by thearrival of the prefect on the afternoon of the fourteenth,to invite them to be present on the followingmorning." I have arranged," said he, " a pretty little alcoveon one side of the hall, where you can sit with yourmother and watch the proceedings. As you know,I inserted a saving clause into my proclamation,reserving to myself the right of rejecting any studentwho should appear physically unworthy of you ; and

120 CHINESE STORIES.it may be that Imaywish to refer the decision onsuch a delicate point to yourselves."••How thoughtful you are, your Excellency! Butam sure we may trust you not to give us pockmarked,Ibald, or stunted husbands," saidDaffodil,smiling.• Now describe your idea of what a husband shouldbe," replied the prefect." First of all, he must be tall," answered Daffodil,drawing a mental picture of Tsin, "with broadshoulders and an upright figure. He should havea well - formed nose, a bright eye, and a glossypigtail."" Just what I used to be in bygone days," thoughtthe prefect to himself.-Somehow1latelyhe had takento wishing that life was beginning with him anew,and after each interview with the twins he hadreturned to regard Madam Lo's matronly figure withincreasing disfavour. On this particular occasion hewas evidently bent on enjoying himself, and seemeddisposed to reproduce in Ma's garden the free andeasy manners of the frequenters of the "shady1 lowers" "beyond the watery waste of mighty Wei."Nothing loath, the girls indulged his humour, andwhen he finally took his leave he carried off withhim one of Daffodil's prettily enamelled hairpins and(!onvolvulus's bangle.On the following morning the town was early astir,and quite a crowd collected at Ma's doorway to seethe twins start for the prefect's yamun. In thatusually decorous building the scene was tumultuous.Xoi only did the five hundred competitors present

THE TWINS. 121themselves, but when it became known that thebeautiful twins would be present, nearly the wholemale population of the town, including myself, pouredinto the courtyard. The police and lictors had nolight task in keeping order; and when the twinsstepped into the alcove a rush was made to that sideof the courtyard, which threatened to break downthe barrier that enclosed the hall. Even the soundingof the drum and the appearance of the prefectproduced little or no effect on the disorder whichprevailed ; and it was not until two or three of themost obtrusive admirers of the two beauties hadbeen seized and flogged on the spot, that sufficientsilence was obtained to allow of the opening of theproceedings." I have read," said the prefect, addressing thecompetitors, " with the greatest care the essays whichyou handed in on the fifth, and after much considerationI have selected two sets as being the best ofthose contributed by bachelors, and two whoseauthors are married men. As there is less to sayabout the married men, I will dispose of them first.I find that Ping; and Lung- are the winners in thatcompetition. Let Ping and Lung step forward.Your essays," said the prefect, addressing the twoscholars, " are extremely creditable, and I have muchpleasure in presenting you with the gazelles whichI advertised as your reward. I am only sorry foryou that they are not the gazelles on my left hand,"pointing to the twins." Most cordially do we echo your regret, yourExcellency," said Ping, casting longing eyes towards

122 CHINESE STORIES.the alcove; "but failing those priceless prizes, wethank you for the gifts you have conferred upon us.'•Now."' said the prefect, '"' I come to the bachelors."At these words there was a movement and excitementin the hall, which showed how deeply theadmiration of the competitors had been stirred bythe unparalleled beauty of the two sisters. To bothTsin and Te the moment was one of supreme concern.Tsin held his breath and bit his lip, while Tewrung his perfectly dry pocket-handkerchief as thoughit had been used, as well it might have been, to wipethe perspiration from off his streaming forehead." With regard to the winner of the first prize," headded, " I have no hesitation in pronouncing myderision. Beyond compare the essays of Tsin, inwhom I am glad to recognise the son of an old friend,are infinitely the best. Not only do they displayoriginality of thought and brilliancy of diction, butthe depth of the scholarship they manifest is perfectlywonderful. I could not have believed thatany scholar could have possessed so minute andaccurate a knowledge of the writings of the scholiastsof all ages. I have known men who have beenthoroughly acquainted with the critics of the Chowdynasty; others with those of the Han dynasty;others, again, with those of the T'ang dynasty;—butnever have I met with any who had mastered sothoroughly the writings of all of them. And it becs almost bewildering when one thinks that hisknowledge of the scholia on every other ode in the'Book of Poetry' is as perfeel as his knowledge ofthe commentaries of this one. For why should I

THE TWINS. 123suppose that his attention has been especially attractedto this ode ? Without question, then, I givethe palm to Tsin. But with regard- to the secondprize I confess to have been in some doubt. However,after mature consideration, I have determinedto award it to a gentleman of the name of Te."Here Convolvulus, who had been leaning forward tocatch every word, threw herself back in her chairwith a sigh of relief. "The genius,"' went on theprefect, " displayed by Tsin is wanting here, andthere is a lack of literary ease, and sometimes a confusionof thought which has surprised me ; but at thesame time I cannot overlook the fact that, like Tsin,Te possesses an extraordinarily accurate knowledge ofthe ancient commentators. His power of quotationis prodigious, and it would almost seem that he hadlearnt the commentaries by heart. Proof of suchuntiring diligence and of such a wonderful memorymay not be passed over, and I therefore proclaimTe the winner of the second prize. Tsin and Testand forth."With some trepidation the two young men steppedforward and made a profound bow to the prefect,who rose and went over to the twins." Do these young men satisfy your requirements,young ladies ? " asked the prefect, smiling on them.''Exceedingly well, your Excellency," said Daffodil.Then returning to his seat, the prefect continued" To you, most fortunate Tsin, the fates haveawarded the incomparable Daffodil ;while to your lot.Te, falls the equally matchless Convolvulus. Ascendthe dais and let me introduce you to your brides."

124 CHINESE STORIES.With alacrity the young men mounted the stepsand advanced towards the alcove. At the momentthaithey made their bow and swore their fealty, theband, which the prefect had provided for the occasion,.-truck up the well-known wedding air, "ThePhoenixes in concord sing," and the courtyard rangwith the shouts of "Good!" "good!" "Veryaood !" "good !" "good !"After a short pause, caused by the difficulty ofgetting Ma and his wife to their appointed places inthe hall, the happy couples made obeisance to heavenand earth, and to their parents ; and then, with adeep reverence to the prefect, turned at his invitationtowards the private apartments of the yamun, where,as I afterwards learned, lie entertained them at asumptuous feast. At the moment that the bridalprocession passed from the hall the prefect turnedto the crowd and said—" I am quite aware that the course I have pursuedon this occasion is an unusual one, and that it couldonly lie justified by circumstances such as I wascalled upon to encounter. The result, however, hassurpassed my highest expectations, and to-day wehave seen two veritable dragons of learning unitedto beings of more than earthly beauty. Such a consummationis worthy the labours of the wisest ofmankind, and reminds me of those well-known linesof the great poet of the T'ang dynasty•In all tin' regions watered by Hwang-hoOr icang-tse-Keang's current, tell me whereyou'd find on sultry plain or mountain snowMen half so wist' or women half so fair?'

125A TWICE-MAEEIEDCOUPLE.WELL,if I could make versos like you, and wereas well up in the classics as you are, Ishouldlook for a wife among the families of the city merchants,and not throw myself away upon a cashlessgirl like Green-jade."The speaker was a young man of the people, andof a forbidding aspect. His sallow cheeks weredeeply marked with smallpox, his brow was overhanging,and his features were coarse and unintellectual.His dress was at the same time pretentiousand dirty, and his manners were cringing and boisterous.The person addressed was a man of abouthis own agje, but bore higher marks of culture thanany displayed by Le Poko. Not that his appearancewas by any means pleasing. His eyes were smalland restless, his cheek-bones were abnormally high,his under lip protruded in a manner suggestive ofmeanness, and there was a general air of timidityand unrest about his gait. Le's remark evidentlymade an impression upon him. His eyes dancedat the thought of the wealth and position whichhis friend's suggestion conjured up—for he was veryR

126 CHINESE STORIES.poor, and was oftendependent on kindly neighboursfor his daily food. But presently a softening influenceaffected his expression."If you knew Green-jade as well as I do," lie saidto his friend, "you would not give such advice soreadily. She has the beauty of Kinlien, the talentsof Su Siao-siao, and all the virtues of the mother ofMencius. Added to which she is very fond of me,and would be content to keep house in a mat-shedand live on broken victuals, if I could make her mywife."" And if, my dear Wang, you were to marry her,what would be your position ? You would be unableto study, for you would not be able to buy thecommonest books, and so all hope of advancementwould be over for you. And to earn your bread youwould be obliged to become either a common hawkerof cheap goods, or a hanger-on at a mandarin's yamun.But if }'ou were to take my advice, you might have alibrary at your disposal, powerful patrons tobefriendyou, and rich scholars to associate with. You wouldthen be sure to win your way at the ExaminationHalls, and you might easily rise to a high post in theempire."Lis mean advice was in accordance with the genuineinstincts of his nature; but he had anothermotive in urging his friend to be faithless to Greenjade.Being the daughter of poor parents, Greenjadewas unable to preserve the seclusion commoni" young ladies, and had not only made the acquaintanceof Wang in the market-place and in the street,but had also occasionally chatted with Le.Not that

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 127she had any sympathy whatever with that gracelessyoung man ; hut knowing that he was a friend ofWang—for whom, strange to say, she had formeda deep attachment—she was ready to be courteousto him. It is, however, a law of nature, that personsshould be most attracted towards those of the oppositesex who possess qualities in which they themselvesare deficient. And thus it came about thatsensual, mean, coarse, and ignorant Le fell head andears in love with the refined, intellectual, and gracefulyoung person whom her parents had christenedGreen-jade, in recognition of her priceless value. Hewas not long in discovering, however, that Greenjade'saffections were settled on his friend; nor hadhe any difficulty in finding out from Wang that whatpassed for his heart was given in exchange. Indeedthe intercourse between the lovers had gone beyondthe stage of chats in the market-place.Wang had oflate been constantly in the habit of dropping in ofan evenino; to see his neighbour Mr Chans, whoseo o o *daughter would bring them tea and fill their pipes,while listening to their conversation on the wisdomof the ancients, the deep philosophy of the classics,and the soul-stirring poetry of the days of Confucius.To these things did Green-jade seriously incline, andwith a greedy ear she devoured the discourse of thetw r o scholars. It even sometimes happened that whenher father was called away on household matters shewould take up the theme, and Wang was charmedto find how r just a literary taste was combined withthe striking personal charms of his inamorata.By degrees their chance interviews became less

1< mbL128 CHINESE STORIES.classical and more personal. And though nevercrossing by one iota the boundary - line of strictpropriety, Green-jade gave Wang evidences whichwere not to be misunderstood, that, if he wouldplay the pari of a Feng, she would be willing totake the rdle of a Hwang. 1Such was the position of affairs when Le pouredthe poison of his advice into Wang's ears. Noton one occasion only but repeatedly he urgedthe same counsel, and even went the length of inquiringin the town for an heiress whose parentsmight be willing- to link her fate with that of apromising scholar. Little by little his proposal,which had at first shocked Wang, became morepalatable to him, and before long he even beganto form schemes of work, and to dream of promotionwon by the wealth of his rich bride. In thisframe of mind he found visits to Chang's housedistasteful, and he avoided meeting Green-jade asfar as possible. Though he had enjoyed her company,lie was incapable of feeling any deep affectionfor her. He was nattered by her evident likingand admiration for him, but beyond the sensationof gratified vanity, he had no sentiment towardsher. With Green-jade, however, matters were verydifferent. She had, with that wild infatuationwhich is common to imaginative voung women,given her heart entirely to Wang, and she had becomeaccustomed to regard his visits to her father as thebright spots in her existence. In her blind partialityThe Feng and Hwang are the male and female phoenixes which arcins of bride and bridegroom.

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 129she licTclentirely overlooked the meanness of his character,which was sufficiently obvious to less prejudicedobservers. The discontinuance of his visits wastherefore a grief and a surprise to her. Day afterday she watched eagerly for his arrival.Every footfallraised her expectations, and her disappointmentas they disappeared in the distance was in proportionto the depth of her longing.With unnecessary scrupulousness she reproachedherself with having done something to offend Wang,never imagining it possible that any fickleness on hispart could account for the change ; and even whenrumours reached her — and Le took care that theyshould—that Wang was seeking to ally himself witha wealthy family in the neighbourhood, she stillattributed his altered conduct to some fault of herown which she had unconsciously committed. Withstern self-introspection she examined the whole courseof her conduct from the time of her first acquaintancewith Wang to find out wherein her fault lay, andwept bitter tears over words spoken and deedsdonewhich she fancied might have given offence.Meanwhile Le's agents had been busy, and hadbrought Wang a proposal which in some respects fulfilledhis highest expectations. As in all large cities,the beo-gars in K'aifeno- Fu were a numerous andpowerful body. They exercised a social tyrannyover theinhabitants, and habitually levied blackmailfrom them. If any one more daring than the restventured to resist their exactions, they invaded hisdwelling or place of business, and kept up such aclatter with bells, broken dishes, and hollow bamboos,

130 CHINESE STORIES.that lie was soon obliged to yield to their demands.There was only one man to whom these lawlessvagabonds yielded ready obedience. From timeimmemorial the chieftainship of the beggars of K'aif£ngFu had been vested in a certain Chu familywhich had grown rich on the dues paid by theindividual beggars, and by the interest exacted onmoney lent to unfortunate members of the raggedarmy in times of need. 80 wealthy had the existingchief become, that he had for some time before theperiod at which our story opens ceased to take anyactive part in the administration of the beggar elan,and having no son, had delegated his authority to anephew, known as "the Leper," from the factof hishaving unfortunately contracted that disease in pursuitof his calling.Chu had been early left a widower, with onedaughter, of whom he was dotingly fond. Herslightest wish was eagerly attended to, and in allhousehold matters her word was law.She was prettyalso, and though not highly cultured she possessedmany pleasant qualities. She was generous, affectionateand bright-humoured, and was highly popularamong her associates.So soon as she arrived at a marriageable age, herlather sought to find her a suitable husband amongthe young men of the city. Being rich, he thoughtthat he might naturally expect to ally her with ayouth of the official class, and accordingly employeda go-between, a certain Mrs Kin, to search out onewho should be worthy of her. The go-between, whohad a bitter appreciation of the position than Chu,

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 131undertook the mission with many doubts, which wereconfirmed when the parents of one and all declinedwith scorn to connect their son with so meanly born amaiden.It was just as she had received a rebuff from thewife of the districtmagistrate, whose son had originallybeen low down in the list which Chu had givenher, that Le's proposal on behalf of Wang reachedher. The suggestion appeared to her to be a reasonableone, but she felt that some diplomacy would berequired to reconcile Chu to the idea. There was awide difference between the son of a mandarin andthe penniless son of a deceased small shopkeeper,who though clever, it is true, had yet all his honoursto win.It was with some trepidation, therefore, thatshe presented herself before Chu to report on hermission."Well, dame, what news have you for me?"inquired Chu as he greeted her."In some respects," replied Mrs Kin, "the Fateshave been adverse, but they have been cruelonly tobe kind. It so happens that all those families youmention to me, from that of the Taotai downwards,are, for one reason or another, prevented, much totheir annoyance," she added without a blush, " fromaccepting your most tempting offer. In some casesthe young men were already engaged, in others illhealth made marriage impossible, and in one ortwo instances I heard such dreadful accounts ofthe young men's manners of life that I suggesteddifficulties."" So far the Fates seem to have been very adverse,"

'.L32CHINESE STORIES.said Chu; u bui whal have you to set on the otherside of the accounl"•Why, then," replied the go-between, "just as Ihad begun to think that T should have but a pooraccounl to give of my negotiation, I happened tomeel a Mr Le, who is himself a no mean scholar, andwho mentioned to me casually that a young bachelorfriend of his, who is as learned as Chu Hi and asLoftily-minded as Confucius, was anxious to allyhimself with a lady who might be fitted in all respectsto share the greatness which unquestionablyawaits him, so soon as he shall have passed hisexaminations.•Ami who isthis paragon V asked Chu."His name is Wang," said Mrs Kin, "and mostappropriately is he so called, 1 for he is made to rule.The only thing against him is that at present he ispoor; but if you consent to bestow your honouredloved one upon him you will cure that fault, and willgive wings to this butterfly which will enable himto rlv at once to the summit of the mountain ofhonour."" What is his parentage ?"His father," replied the go-between, "was atrader, and unfortunately died before he had madethat fortune which would have inevitably been hisif the hates had not snapped his thread of life. Onhis mother's side he is related with a very distinguishedfamily in Peking, one member of which nowholds office in the Board of War; and another wouldhave doubtless succeeded to great honour, had not1Wangmeans to rule."

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 133some colleagues, jealous of his rising fame, accusedhim of treason, and so turned the Dragon countenanceagainst him that he was most unjustly beheaded.""Dear, dear! that was unlucky," said Chu, who,in face of the non-success of his first proposals, beganto take kindly to Mrs Kin's overtures." But tell mesomething of this young man's personal appearance.""To be quite truthful with you," replied Mrs Kin,who constantly employed this kind of adjurationwhen she spoke the truth, in order to give an air ofauthenticity to her statements generally, " I havenot seen him yet. But if Mr Le, who has honestystamped on his face if ever man had, is to be believed,he is as handsome as one of the eight immortals."" It is a pity that his circumstances are so- poor,"said Chu, anxious not to seem over-desirous for thematch." What is there in that ? " said Mrs Kin. " Wasnot Kwan Ti 1 a seller of bean -curd in early life?And was not Han Sin. 2 when young, so poor thathe was obliged to obtain sustenance by angling forfish in a castle moat ?Overwhelmed by these historical allusions, Chugave way, and commissioned Mrs Kin to consult asoothsayer as to the agreement of the Mentanghu(family relationships) on either side. Pleased withher success, Mrs Kin went direct to Wang and com-1Kwan Ti, a celebrated general who was canonised as the God ofWar.2Han Sin, a statesman who was created Prince of Ts'u.S

1 $4 CHINESE STORIES.immicatr.l to him the result of her interview. Attli,. same time she enlarged on the immense wealthof the Lady's family, and the beauty and accomplishmentsof Miss Pearl. Wang was secretly delightedwith her news, but was shrewd enough to appearindifferent.am sure," he said. "I am very grateful to you••1for the interesl you have taken in this matter. Butunfortunately my circumstances are not .such as wouldenable me to in; ike the necessary wedding-presents,and I propose, therefore, to put off all thoughts ofmarriage until I have won my way to office."'•If Miss Pearl were an ordinary young lady, Ishould applaud your prudence," answered Mrs Kin;• but, as a matter of fact, she is one in ten thousand,a stork among poultry, a sun among stars, and toneglect the chance of an alliance with her is to flyin the lace of the gods. And as to the weddingpresents,do not bestow one moment's thought uponthem. 1 will arrange that they shall be as handsomeas any that the Prefect's daughter got yesterday, andthat vou shall not be asked for a single cash onaccount of them until your pockets are overflowingwith Miss Pearl's taels.""On those conditions 1 am, if the lady is all youdescribe her to be, read)- at least that you shouldope igotiations on the subject."With this consent .Mrs Kin took her leave, andLost no time in consulting a soothsayer on the prospect-of the match. As she was able to promisea liberal fee, the result of her conference with thedeities coincided exactly. with her wishes. The next

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 135full moon was the time indicated by the Fates for themarriage, and the happiness promised to the youngpeople was such as was to surpass the common lotof men. Mr Chu made most liberal preparations forthe ceremony ; and a complaisant money-lender, whohad many a time and oft advanced money in promotionof Mrs Kin's schemes, willingly lent the sum requiredby Wang to provide the wedding-gifts.As the match was not a particularly brilliant onein a social point of view, Mr Chu determined thathe would make up in magnificence for what waswanting in that respect. As the day approached hishouse became a scene of wild confusion.Upholstererswere at work in the reception-rooms, as well as inthose the young couple were to occupy ;presents forthe bride came pouring in ;andmilliners, accompaniedby coolies bearing loads of silks and satins,haunted Miss Pearl's apartments. That young ladylooked forward to her bridal day with mingled feelings.She knew enough of life to know that thereports of professional go-betweens were not alwaysto be believed, and that marriage was not always thestate of bliss that it was commonly reported to be.At the same time, her ambition was stirred. Shesaw plainly, if her father did not, that her parentagewas a fatal bar to agood marriage, and she felt thather only chance of escape from the stigma which wascast upon her by her father'scalling lay in marryinga man who would win by his talents a position forhimself in the State.The inquiries she made privatelyconvinced her that Wariff's abilities were such as tosecure him an official appointment, and she deter-

136 CHINESE STORIES.mined thai no expense should be spared to enablehim to surround himself with rich and powerfulfriends.Meanwhile the report which had reached Greenjade'scars of Wang's intended marriage was fullyconfirmed with every circumstance of time and place.The hope which she had cherished that he might yetreturn to his old intimacy at her father's house wascrushed fifty limes a -day by the rumours whichreached her of the magnificent preparations whichwere being made at Mr Chu's, and of the bridalgiftswhich Wang was collecting for presentation to hisbride. Little did the gossips know the misery whichthey were inflicting on the poor girl by the newsthey1 nought her, and much did they wonder thatshe turned away from their chatter without asking;i single question about the bride and bridegroom.She never told her love, and struggled on throughher daily employments with a heavy heart and adeepening sorrow. The light was taken out of herlife.There were no longer any meetings and talks tolook forward to, and there remained only a danger ofber sett ling down into a condition of despair. Evenher father, who was not an observant man, could nothelp not icing that she had lost all elasticity of manner,;iii(l putting it down to ill health, urged her to paya visit to a relative living at Tsining, on the Grand('anal.Fortunately at this juncture a letter came from therelative in question, asking Green-jade, for whom thewriter had a greal affection, to undertake the instructionof her little girl, her own health being unequal

to the task.A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 137The proposal was accompanied by mainexpressionsof kindness and regard, and a liberal remunerationwas offered for the required service. Thelady, a Mrs Ting, who was a cousin of Green-jade'sfather, had been fortunate enough to marry a manwho was not only an excellent husband, but was alsoa man of great ability. With unusual rapidity hehad risen through the lower grades of the publicservice, and was at the time of which we speak Prefectof Tsining. Green-jade, in the frame of mind inwhich she then was, eagerly welcomed the offer ;andher father, though grieved at the idea of losing- thesociety of his daughter, felt that it was an opportunityof providing for her which he ought not to refuse.The proposal was therefore accepted, and poor littleGreen -jade busied herself in making such preparationsas it was within her means to compass.The news of Green-jade's intended departureproducedon Wang and Le very opposite effects. ToWang it was a relief to know that he would be nolonger annoyed by the consciousness of her presence.He was not the least conscience-stricken for the parthe had played? but it was disagreeable to him towitness the effect of his misconduct. But Le was indespair. With all the force possible to men of hiscoarse nature he loved Green-jade, and the idea oflosing sight of her was misery to him. He had notintended urging his suit until after Wang's marriage,lest his treachery to his friend should become tooapparent. But the turn which events had takendetermined him to seek an interview with Chans; atonce. He was fortunate enough o to find him alone.

i heL38CHINESE STORIES.' :I hear/ 5 he said to his host, "that your 'honouredloved ciic' is preparing for a journey. May I askif she is likely to be long absent from your palace?""My insignificanl daughter," replied Chang, "hasqo1 been wel] of late, and I had proposed that sheshould pay a visit to the wife of the Prefect ofTsining, who is a relative of mine, when an invitationfrom thai lady came, asking her to undertakecharge of her daughter. So that, in all probability,she will he away for some years."•I havelong watched your honoured daughtergrowing up like a fairy among her young companions,up like a phoenix among crows. I have admired herbeauty, and have wondered at her learning. As youknow, I have not yet 'established a family,' and itwould overjoy me to receive your beloved one intomy cold dwelling as my bride. May I ask 'my benevolentelder brother' how he regards my proposal?"Chang had never liked he, and he was well awarethat his daughter shared in the same feeling : hehad therefore n hesitation in declining the offer,n lore especially as he knew that Le's means wereof the straitest, and that his modest description ofhis house was more in accordance with truth than hisassertions commonly were. He replied therefore"Honoured sir, your proposal reflects glory on ourhumble family. But my daughter, having undertakenthe charge of Prefect Ting's little one, cannotsnatch the precious fruit which you so temptinglyoffer for her acceptance."••I'.ni would it not be possible to decline thePrefect's proposal'."pleaded Le.

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 139"I fear not," replied Chang; "and therefore,while I am much honoured by the proposal youhave made, I am regretfully obliged to decline it."Chang spoke in so positive a way that Le feltthat it would be useless to press his suit further,and he therefore took his leave in a by no meansenviable mood. Regret at losing Green-jade, whomhe had regarded as a sure prize, was largely mingledwith wounded vanity, and anger against Chang. Fora time he even thought of kidnapping Green-jadewhen on her way to Tsining, but there were difficultiesin the way, not the least of which wasthat arising from want of cash, and he eventuallymade up his mind to take every means in his powerof revenging himself upon Chang, and of so humiliating;him as to make him wish that he had given hisconsent to the match.Meanwhile Green-jade's departure forTsining wasspeedily followed by Wang's marriage to Jliss Pearl.Every accessory which money could buy was providedto add. lustre to this last ceremony. Theprocession of bridal presents on the evening beforethe wedding; was a sight to be seen, and the streetarabs pronounced it to be, without question, thefinest thing of its kind that had been seen formany years in K'aifeng Fu. But these exteriorsplendours were entirely eclipsed by the sumptuousdecoration of Chu's reception-rooms, and by the feastprovided for the wedding guests. Wishing to doWang every honour, Chu had begged him to askall his associates to the entertainment ; and Wang,desirous to mitigate his friends' sneers at his marriage

140 CHINESE STORIES.by showing them the evidences of his father-in-law'swealth, took advantage of Chu's hospitality to inviteall his fellow - students and literary acquaintances.But numerous as these were, there was plenty forthem all. The t aides literally groaned under theweight

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 141were to be had outside Chu's house, " by ignoringme, his kinsman, and the beggars who have raisedhim to his present position of wealth, by not invitingus to his feast? The fact that his daughter ismarrying one of the literati is no reason why heshould turn his back on his relations and oldassociates.""That was just what 1 was thinking as I camealong," said the old beo-cmr in a whining tone."When I was told that you, honoured sir, were notamong the guests, and that food and cash werebeing distributed without any notice having beensent to us, I could scarcely believe it. But now Ihave seen what is going on with my own eyes, oreye I should say," parenthetically remarked the oldman with a grim smile, for he had long been blindon one side,— " and here," he said, fumbling in hisscrip, "are some of the spoils I brought along withme."This is too bad," said the Leper, working himselfup into a state of anger. " I will teach him thatwe are to be reckoned with, though we are beggars.Go," said he to the old cripple, "and call twentymen from the lodging-house, and we will give Chusome clatter which he won't forget in a hurry."In obedience to this summons, the courtyard wasspeedily filled with a group of beings who representedevery ill that flesh is heir to. The lame, the maimed,the halt, and the blind were all there, and with themvictims to every form of disease. Nothing but ragsand tatters covered the persons of these lazar-houseinmates, while in the hands of each were bells, hollowT

letter142 CHINESE STORIES.bits ofbamboo, horns, and whistles, besides the staffswhich supported their tottering frames.On this motley crew the Leper looked with pride.dressed than the beggars, he wasThough1scarcely less repulsive-looking than they. The diseasefrom whichhis nickname was7> .sss^r-^ derived had madeil\v~*^ l\ \ \ \This is too bad."strange havoc withhis features. Theskin of his facewas lumpy anddiscoloured, andthe irritation underwhich hewasat the moment sufferinghad added amalignant expressionto his afflictedcountenance." Come with meto my cousin Chu'shouse," he cried, ashe stepped into thecourtyard," andhelp me to givehim a lesson inpropriety. All the city are feasting at his table,and he has not had the decency either to inviteme as a guest or to send us a present of flesh andwine. But I will give him and his friends somemusic which they will find it hard to dance to.' ?

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 143Thus saying, lie led the way to Chu's house, andarrived just as the convives were toasting each otherin wine, and asking and answering riddles, in accordancewith the custom of wedding-feasts. As he andhis troop entered the outer courtyard he gave theword to begin the riot, and instantly there rose aclamour which defies description. Imitations, and,to do the beggars justice, very good imitations, ofdogs yelping, cats screeching, and cocks crowing,were mingled with the sound of bells, o-oiws, hollowbamboos, and whistles. Never out of Pandemoniumhad such discords been heard. At the first outbreakof the noise Chu dropped his cup and turned deadlypale, for he recognised at once the meaning of thedisturbance. The guests, less instructed, thought itwas the beginning of a mask or play devised for theirentertainment, and looked with curiosity towards thedoor which separated them from the outer yard.They had not long to wait before it was thrown open,when, to their astonished gaze, the Leper at the headof his followers marched into their midst. Straightthey walked up to the principal table, and while theLeper took the cup of wine out of Wang's hand, histroop, who were now silent, pounced greedily uponthe viands which still encumbered the tables.Involuntarily the guests slunk away from the intruders,while Chu, who had partly recovered hispresence of mind, came forward, and with the bestpretence of cordiality which he could assume, paidhis compliments to the Leper." I am glad to see you, my honoured brother," hesaid, " and I should have written to invite you if I

144 CHINESE STORIES.had not delegated my powers for the day to my newson-in-law. On the third day after the wedding Iam to have my own feast, and you will get an invitationto that in due course. And now let me intro-80 saying, Chu turnedduce my son-in-law to you."to the place where Wang had been sitting, but hischair was empty. So were all the seats round thetable, and Chu met the gaze of the Leper with a lookof blank and astonished annoyance." Ha !ha!" cried the Leper, " your fine holidayguests seem as frightened of me as poultry are of afox. Why, there is not one of them left; and as itis a pity that the table should remain empty, I andmy mates will sit down and enjoy ourselves."Suiting the action to the word, the Leper sat downin Wang's seat, and his noisome companions rangedthemselves on the chairs which had been sorecentlyoccupied by the silk and satin friends of the bridegroom.The circumstances were trying, but Chu did hisutmost to maintain an outward show of pleasure,even when his mind was tortured with the thoughtthat in the eyes of his son-in-law and his companionshe was disgraced for ever. When his tattered guestshad satisfied their hunger, which was not for a longtime,"I 1he turned to the Leper and saidrust that my benevolent elder brother willaccepl from me a present of food and wine for those1ei her 'flowery ones' who dwell in his palace, andwho have not honoured my lowly cottage by theirpresenceto-day."1Anexpression for beggars.

"THE FLOWERY OX EH." -Page 144-

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 145"Pray, do not put yourself to so much trouble,"replied the Leper. In spite of this gentle disclaimer,Chu ordered his attendants to take a goodly supplyof the choicest fare to the Leper's house. The Lepernow rose to take his leave." I fear we have put you to infinite trouble," saidhe, as he made his bow, " and that we have sadlydisturbed your other guests. But, believe me, myobject in coming was to show you that though poorand degraded, I have not lost allinterest in my kinsfolkand relations."" I am deeply indebted to you," said Chu, " forhaving directed the course of your chariot to myhumble dwelling:. Your condescension is engravenon the tablets of my heart, and I only regret that Ihad such poor fare to put before such honouredguests."So soon as the last cripple had dragged his distortedlimbs over the threshold, Chu hurried to hisdaughter's apartments to express to Wang his intenseregret at the contretemps. To his surprise he foundhis daughter alone, weeping bitterly at the disgracewhich had fallen on her.Wang, at the invitation ofone of the guests, had taken refuge in a neighbouringhouseuntil the unwelcome intruders should havetaken their departure. While Chu was explainingmatters to his daughter Wang returned, and it waseasy to see that, though outwardly polite, he wasgreatly annoyed at the incident.He accepted Chu'sapologies with courtesy, and that worthy was fainleave to hisdaughter's charms and the advantages ofthe wealth now at his disposal the task of graduallyto

14GCHINESE STORIES.obliterating the sense of shame which was plainlyuppermosl in the mind of his son-in-law. And tosome extent, as time went on, these influences hadtheireffect.Miss Pearl did all she could to soothe and amuseher husband; and to one who had been accustomed.•ill his life long to grinding poverty, the pleasure ofhaving as many taels at command as he had formerlyhad cash brought a sensation of comfort and relief,which inclined him for a time to fall a satisfied victimtohis bride's endearments.His more liberal income enabled him also to surroundhimself withfellow-students so farbooks, and by degrees his formerconsented to forget the past asto join him in his study, and to cap verses with himover the excellent Suchow wine with which his fatherin-lawsupplied him. By the help of these advantagesWang's scholarship received a finish which enabledhim to compete successfully at the examinations,and by the influence of his friends his success wascrowned by the receipt of an appointment to the postof commissariat officer to the brigade of troops stationedatCh'ung K'ing on the Yangtsze-kiang.There are some men in whom prosperity bringsout into relief the worse points in their characters.W'aiiL!' was one of these. So soon as the noveltvof wealth had worn off, the consciousness that hewas tiedto the daughter of a beggar chieftain becamemore and more unendurable to him; and his senseof the advantages he had derived from the alliancewas lost in regret that now that he was in a positionto marry a lady of rank he was no longer able to do

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 147so. Le, who, like a true parasite, had allied himselfmore closely to Wang as that scholar had risen in thesocial scale, fostered these feelings for the doublepurpose of currying favour with his patron, and ofavencrino- himself for some slight which he hadsuffered, or fancied he had suffered, at the handsof Pearl. So successfully had he wound himselfinto the good graces of Wang, that he receivedthe appointment of private secretary to the newcommissary, and embarked with his patron on thevessel which was to carry him to his post. Pearltook leave of her father with a heavy heart. Thechange which had come over her husband's demeanourtowards her was of too marked a character to admitof any self-deception, and in leaving K'aifeng Fu shefelt that she was putting herself entirely in the handsof a man whom she despised, and whose principleswere nought. She was of a hopeful nature, however,and trusted to winning back her husband by devotionto his interests and attention to his whims andwishes.The removal from Chu's house and influence j^roducedan evil effect upon Wang's cowardly nature.He was one of those men with whom fear is themost potent influence, and with his freedom fromhis father-in-law's presence disappeared the conventionalconsideration with which he had been accustomedto treat his wife. He left her more and moreto the society of her maid-servants, and spent thewhole of the day in the company of his gracelesssecretaiy. Pearl, who was of an impressionablenature, longed frequently to get him to join in her

148 CHINESE STORIES.admiration of the scenery through which they passedas they glided up the great river. But after one ortwo attempts she gave up trying to attract his attention,and sat silently wondering at the beetlingcliffs of the gorges, and the whirling rapids whichrushed through them. Accustomed as she was tothe comparatively level country near K'aifeng Fu,the height of the mountains on either side, and thegloom of the passages, occasionally produced a feelingof awe and impending danger which quite unnervedher; and not unfrequently she was obliged to tellPeony, her maid, to shut out the sight by putting upthe shutters of the boat.To these terrors of the imagination was not unfrequentlyadded the presence of real danger. Onmore than one occasion the rope by which thetrackers were towing the boat over the rapids broke,and the craft was sent whirling down through theboiling water, and was only saved from destructionby the boatmen's skill in using the sweeps. Afterone such adventure in the Witches' Gorge the trackershad with infinite labour dragged the boat up throughthe foaming surges into the comparatively smoothwater above.and for the firstThere they had anchored for the night,out (in the scenery about her.time that day Pearl ventured to look" How infinitely grand these mountains are !" shesaid to her faithful attendant, Peony, " but their sizeand gloom oppress me. I feel so strangely little andpowerless in t heir presence."'•I ambeginning to feel the same sensation myself,"said Peony; "but all day long I have been

A TWICE-MARPJED COUPLE. 149watching the monkeys on the cliffsand the trackerson the towing-path, and I don't know which lookedthe most ridiculous. The monkeys were playing allsorts of antics, springing from cragthrowing down stonesto crag, fighting,into the river, and chatteringall the while like a lot of magpies ; while the men,who had no more clothes on than the monkeys, werejumping from rock to rock, tumbling into the water,and balancing themselves on narrow ledges, like somany boys at play. I wish you could amuse yourselfas I do, but since we have been on the riveryou seem to have lost all interest in what is goingon aboutyou."" I suppose I am not well," said Pearl, " but Ifeel a depression as of impending danger, and lastnight I dreamt that that old woman who told memy fortune in the Willow Garden last year appearedbefore me, and chanted again the doggerel coupletwhich I had quite forgotten until it came back tome in my dream. Do you remember it ?'Whenwitches' cliffs encircle you ahout,Beware your fate; your sands are near run out.'What do they call this gorge ?"The Witches' Mountain o-orge.""Here, then, the fortune-teller's words will be putto the test. And if it is true that coming eventscast their shadows before, this woman spoke with theinspiration of a seer.""Oh, madam, you frighten me," said Peony, halfinclined to cry ;" please think no more about whatthat stupid old woman said. My father used to sayu"

All1L50CHINESE STORIES.'in his joking way, women are liars, and fortunetellingwomen are the greatest liars of all. Theyonly say those things tomystify and amuse people."" Well, time will show whether she was right ornot. But I'm so weary that I shall go to bed, andtry to forgel in sleep the woman's prophecy and my'own forebodings.••And in the morning, madam, we will laugh overyour fancies, and will begin the new day with freshhopes. Who can say that a new life may not beopening to you to-morrow!"" I would it might !—but come now and help me toundress."AV;iii(some lime her>'tookno notice of his wife's retirement. Forcomings and goings had been mattersof complete indifference to him. On this particularevening, having dined heavily, he was lying in theforepart of the boat with Le, smoking opium. Ashad not been unusual of late, Wang's mesalliance,as he was good enough to call it, was the subject oftheir conversation, and Le drew many a glowingpicture of the matches Wang might make were hebut live. As the night wore on Le became moreand more eloquent on the theme, unchecked byWang, whose mean and covetous nature was allaglow a1 the imaginary prospects which his friend'swords conjured up before him. At length Le's fancyfailed him, and the two men lay inhaling their opiumand enjoying the mental hallucinations which thedrug provides for its votaries. Suddenly Le raisedhimself on his elbow, and said slowly"How the water rages and foams past the boat!

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 151If any one were to fall overboard on such a night asthis, they would be swept miles away before peoplewould be aware of what had happened. No shriekwould be heard in such a rushing stream, and thebody would never be found in these countless eddiesand whirlpools."Wang turned sharply round at these words andgazed into Le's face. But that worthy avoided hiseye, and appeared to be absorbed in watching thewater lashing; itself against a boulder - rock whichstood out of the river, unmoved by the waveswhich leapt over it and the current which gurgledround it.T"What do }ou mean?" he said, in a deep excitedvoice."Nothing," said Le. "But I am going to bed.Good night."So saying, Le sauntered off, but turnedas he reached the cabin door and cast one glance atWang, who had followed his retreating form with afeverish gaze. Presently that worthy rose, inflamedby wine and evil passion, and paced excitedly up anddown the deck. Then he looked out upon the waters,and walking carefully along the edge of the boat, removeda temporary taffrail which had been put in theforepart of the vessel.His hand shook so that he accomplishedit with difficulty. He next assured himselfthat the sailors and servants were all asleep, andthen went to his wife's room. He pushed back thedoor and called "Pearl."" Who is that " ? shrieked Pearl, who awoke startledfrom her sleep, and failed to recognise her husband'svoice, so hollow and quivering it was.

•I won't152 CHINESE STOKIES.• It is 1. your husband," said Wang; "come outand look a1 the moon shining on the river."Such an invitation sounded so strange to Pearl thatshe was delighted and rose at once, and began to hopethat Peony was a truer prophet than the fortuneteller.But when by the light of the moon she sawWang's face, a horrible presentiment came over her.She shuddered all over as with cold.come out on to the deck," she said, " thenigh) air is so chill, and Icansee perfectly here."•Nonsense/' said Wang, seizing hold of her arm;"you must come when I tell you.""Your looks frighten me," she cried, trembling.••Why do you look so pale, and why do your eyesglare so ) But if I must come, let me call Peony tobring me a cloak."" Call Peony ! call the devil !her to t he prow."he said, as he dragged"Oh, have mercy upon me!" said poor Pearl, asshe struggled vehemently to get free. "Only let mego, and 1 will promise to do everything you wish,and will serve you as a dog his master. Or if youwant to get rid of me, T will go home to my father.Have pity on me, and spare my life!"" Hold your tongue, and stand here!" cried Wang,as he supported her almost fainting form near theedge of I he boat." Oh, you can't be so cruel as to mean to kill me!I Ia\ e pity, have mercy upon me !For a moment Wang's face seemed to soften, butonly for a moment. With a wild glance he lookedround to see that"no one was about, and then tearing

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 153poor little Pearl's arms from his neck, round whichshe had thrown them in her misery, he hurled herinto the torrent.With one piercing shriek, and one wild reproachfullook, she sank beneath the surface. Almost instantlyshe rose again into sight, and was then swept awayby the force of the current into the distance. Wanghad not the nerve to watch her fate, and to listen toher screams, but ran into the cabin and closed thedoor on the outer world. In a few minutes, whichseemed to him like hours, he crepthasty glanceout and gave oneover the broken, foaming waters asternof the boat. No sign of his victim was visible, andhe went back and threw himself on his bed. Sleepwas out of the question. His wife's last shriek rangagain and again in his ears, and whenever he closedhis eyes her face rose up before him out of the darkness,after an instantaneous consciousness that itwascoming, in a way which made rest impossible. Onceor twice in the night he went on deck to cool hisbrow, but the sight of the spot on the boat where hehad done the deed, and of the waters which held hissecret, was too much for him, and he crept back againto bed.At earliest dawn he awoke the captain of the boat,and ordered him to push on at once. The man,though half asleep, could not but be struck with thedeathlike look of AVang's face ; but, putting it downto the wine and opium of the night before, made noremark. The noise of the sailors moving about wasan infinite relief to Wang, and he began to picture tohimself what they would say, and how Peony would

" With one piercing shriek . . . she sank beneath the surface.

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 155behave when Pearl's disappearance became known.This made him think what part he ought to play inthe matter. So soon as he could bring his thoughtsto bear on the subject, he determined to let Peonymake the discovery when she went to her mistress'scabin in the morning, and to profess complete ignoranceof the event, allowing it to be supposed that itwas a case of suicide.At his wife's usual hour for rising he heard Peonygo to her cabin, and afterwards out on to the deck.Presently she returned, and seemed to be making asearch, and then he heard her hurry off as fast ashersmall feet would carry her to the servants' part ofthe boat. Almost immediately his valet came tohiscabin."Your Excellency," said the man, " Peony cannotfind my lady ; she has searched everywhere for her.But what is the matter, sir ? " he added, as he sawWang's blanched and terror-stricken face ;" has anythinghappened ?"Why, you fool," said Wang, "you tell me yourselfthat something has happened, when you say thatyour lady cannot be found. Help me to dress."Help was indeed needed. Wang was so completelyunnerved that he was scarcely able to stand."Shall I bring your Excellency some opium?"sim-o-ested the man, seems; his condition." Yes, quickly."The materials for a pipe of the drug were always athand in Wang's household, and before many minuteshad elapsed he was stretched on the divan greedilyinhaling the "foreign dirt." Gradually under the

156 CHINESE STOFJES.soothing influence of his pipe his eyes lost their wildexcited look, his features relaxed, and his hand recoveredsome of it- steadiness. While thus engaged,Le came in and expressed concern at the disappearanceof Pearl. lie just glanced at Wang with astrange inquiring look, and then turned away."Come and help me search for her," said Wang,who had now partly recovered his composure.Together the pair went out togo through the formof looking for one of whose fate they were equallywellinformed, lor Le had watched the struggle on thedeck through his cabin window, and had heard Pearl'swild despairing shriek as she disappeared overboard.Peony was heart-broken when it became apparentthat Pearl was not in the boat. The tone of hermistress's remarks on the previous night suggestedto her mind the idea of suicide, and this being repeatedto Wang by his valet, brought some degreeof relief to the terror-stricken mind of the murderer.The idea of searching in the troubled waters of therapids was obviously futile, and no halt was thereforemade in the progress up-stream. As the day wore onWang regained his calmness under the influence ofopium and the consciousness of personal safety. Thesailors aotieed that he never went to the forepart"1'the Ihi.h as had been his wont; and Peony took astrange and unaccountable aversion to him, which shewas (piite unable to repress. Thus the days wore onin the gloom-surrounded boat, and it was an infiniterelief to all when at the end of a week they ran alongsidethe wharf at ( ih'ung EL'ing.Meanwhile the same fair wind of promotion which

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 157had made Wang Commissary at Ch'ung K'ing hadbrought the rank of Intendant of Circuit at the sameplace to Ting, the Prefect of Tsinihg. By a furtherchance theCommissary's boat was only the length ofthe rapid ahead of that of his superior officer. And onthe particular night on which poor Pearl was thrownoverboard, Ting, his wife, and Green-jade, were sittingon deck enjoying the beauty of the moon, andwatching the foaming; waters which came rushingdown ahead of them. While thus sitting they werestartled by a%Jwoman's crvJcoming- O from the brokenwater of the rapid. Such an alarm was no uncommontiling at that spot. Scarcely a day passed butsome boat was upset, or some tracker lost his precariousfooting and fell into the flood. The watchmanon the police boat, which was moored close, toTing's, took the incident as a matter of course. Notso Ting, who, not being accustomed to these sternalarums,rushed to the head of the boat armed witha boat-hook, and eagerly looked out over the rushingwaters. Another wild scream drew his attention toa direction in which he dimly descried a living objectbeing borne rapidly along towards his boat. Withnervous energy he awaited its approach, and as itpassed he deftly caught the dress of the woman, asit now turned out to be, with the boat-hook. MrsTing and Green-jade stood by breathless, watchinghis manoeuvres ; and as he dragged the suffereralongside, they caught hold of her, and by theirunited efforts pulled her on board." Is she alive ? " asked Green-jade, pale and tremblingwith excitement.x

•Sheled.1 5 8 CHINESE STORIES.was a minute or two ago," said Mrs Ting."Bui don'1 waste time by asking questions. Chafeher hands while 1rub her chest, and maybe she willrecover.""] hope I did not make that bump on her forehead,"put in Ting."No, you did not touch her face," said his wife;••that must have been done by a blow against oneof i lie rocks iu the river. See! she breathes. lamso glad. Now, if we can only get her comfortablyto Iwe may bring her round. Do you carry herto Green-jade's bed, and I will get her wet clothesoff,poor thing."'Tenderly Ting bore the apparently lifeless form toGreen-jade's cabin, and left her to the care of thetwo women.itThat she was alive was all that could be said, andwas hours before she woke to consciousness."•Where am I ? " she murmured, as she opened hereyes."With friends," answered Green-jade, "who aregoing to take care of you until you are quite well.And now take a little of this hot wine which I haveor you."lie did not mean to do it," she wandered on,having taken Green-jade's kindly dose; "I am surehe did not.It was an accident — quite an accident;"and having said this, she dropped off into a soundsleep.From an inspection of Pearl's clothes, Mrs Tingand Green-jade had come to the conclusion that shebelonged to the official class; but it was late the

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 159next day before she was sufficiently coherent toexplain her immersion. With this explanation, inwhich she did all she conld to shield her husband,came the announcement of who she was, and Greenjaderecognised in her the bride of her faithless lover.By degrees the whole truth came out, partly in consequenceof the explanation required to account forher rooted, objection to return to her husband, andpartly in response to the confidences which Greenjadeimparted to her. A warm attachment sprangup between the two women, which had for its centralpoint their abhorrence of Wang's ungrateful and cruelconduct.Before they reached Ch'ung King they hadsworn eternal sisterhood ; and Ting, in whose eyesalso Pearl had found favour, had formally adopted heras his daughter.The fact of the rescue was kept aprofound secretoutside the boat, and Ting, his wife, and Green-jadewere the only people who were aware of Pearl'sidentity. On landing at Ch'ung K'ing, Pearl wentwith the other ladies of the household to the Intendant'syamun, and not a word was breathed as tothe way in which she had entered their household.The first duty Ting had to perform was to makethe acquaintance of his subordinates, and amongstothers that of Wang. That gentleman had not quiterecovered from the shock to his nerves occasioned bythe tragedy in the boat, and indeed it had beenprolonged by the heavy doses of opium which hehad since been in the habit of taking. His apj^earanceas he presented himself before his superior officerwas not prepossessing. His usual forbidding features

160 CHINESE STORIES.were distortedby mental disquiet and blurred by theeffects of stimulants. For some few seconds, as liemade his bows, he was unable to speak coherently,and even when seated beside his host he found Ting'ssearching gaze so disconcerting that lie had greatdifficulty in expressing himself. Altogether, Ting'sreport to his wife of his interview was not in Wang'sfavour, although he had to admit that one or twoclassical allusions which he had succeeded in makingshowed ascholarly training.Before Pearl had been domesticated at the Intendant'syamun many days she opened communicationwith Peony through a discreet servant, who broughtthai faithful maid to the yamun, without divulgingby the way more than was absolutely necessary.Peony's surprise and delight when she saw her mistresssafe and sound were overwhelming. She criedand laughed, and became quite hysterical in her joy.Bu1 the account she brought of the life which she andher fellow-voyagers had led for some days after theeventful night was terrible. Wang's condition shedescribed as having been little short of madness. Histemper had been to the last degree irritable, and anysudden noise or unexpected intrusion into his presencehad produced uncontrolled outbursts of anger. Le'sinfluence had, according to Peony, greatly increased,and Wang evidently stood in awe of him. Suspicions"I foul play had been generally entertained, and anair of doubt and reticence had pervaded the vessel.As time wore on, however, Wang's mental andphysical condition improved. He settled down tonew work at Ch'ung K'ing with zeal and dili-

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 161gence, finding in active employment the best antidoteagainst the reproaches of his conscience. Thoughhaving a profound contempt and dislike for him,Ting was compelled to admit that he showed considerableadministrative ability in the discharge ofhis duties. The one fault which his superior officerhad to find was that he permitted Le to levy blackmailon contractors and tradesmen in virtue of hisofficial position.Repeated remonstrances on this subjectproduced no effect, Wang being afraid to offendor get rid of a man who, he instinctively felt, knewso much. At length Ting was obliged to take thematter into his own bands, and finding a strongcaseagainst the offender, he threw him into prison,and thus made it impossible for Wang any longeropenly to support him.Meanwhile rumours reachedTing that Wang wasagain contemplating marriage. He announced himselfas a widower ; and as his official position andfuture prospects were decidedly good, his appearancein the matrimonial market made quite a stir amongthe ladies at Chung K'ing. This gave Ting anopportunity of carrying out a scheme which he hadlong had in his mind. He had felt for some timethat if Wang and his wife could be brought togetheragain in circumstances which would secure her againsta repetition of wrong, it was his duty to arrange it.It now occurred to him that if he could, by offeringWang his wife in remarriage under the guise of hisadopted daughter, bring thisabout, it would destroythe principal motive which had actuated Wang inthe commission of his crime, and would give Pearl

162 CHINESE STORIES.a position which would make any ill-usage on hispari impossible. After consultation with his wife,he asked I 'rail to give him an interview in hisstudy.••Your position," he said, "has long been a causeof anxiety to me.If anything were to happen to me,you would be obliged to return to your father, andthen ;ill the circumstances connected with your tragedywould necessarily become public property. Theonly way out of the difficulty, so far as I can see, isthat you should marry again."" How can you, of all men in the world, proposesuch a thing to me?Don't you know that a faithfulminister can serve only one sovereign, and a virtuous"wife only one husband ?" I expected some such answer from you. Butwhat should you say if I married you, my adopteddaughter, to Commissary Wang, who is, as I havereason to believe, looking out for a wife to supply theplace of his dear departed ?"What! remarry my own husband, and one whohas attempted to murder me? Impossible."" He attempted to murder you because you werea beggar chieftain's daughter : now you are thedaughter of the Intendant of Ch'ung K'ing. Hefell safe in doing it because he knew that you hadno official influence, but he would not dare now totouch a hair of your head.""'I >ut 1 havea horror of him.""Remember, also, you have a duty towards him.II' you I't him marry some one else, what will theposition of both of you be? Think it all over, and

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 163come to me again when you have made up yourmind."Deeply Pearl pondered the matter, and long werethe consultations which she held on the subject withMrs Ting, Green-jade, and Peony. Dutifully MrsTing advised the course recommended by her husband.Green-jade's advice was less pronounced, and Peonywas loud in her expressions of horror at the idea."Why, if, after once having escaped from histempt fortune again, you wouldcruelty, you were tobe like the rat in the fable, who, having got out ofthe trap with the loss of his tail, went back and losthis head. Besides, a wife ought at least to like herhusband, and how could you ever endure a man whohas tried to mur""Hush," said Pearl, "you must not talk in thatway. And did you never hear of Lady Le, the wifeof an officer in AYu-te's court, who recovered theaffections of her husband after years of cruel estrangement,by devotion and self-sacrifice"?" No, I never did ; and I can never believe that itcan be the duty of any one to outrage nature to suchan extent. Before I could o-o back to a man whohad treated me as the Commissary has treated yon,I would take an overdose of laudanum, or go on avoyage to England, or do anything else desperateits folly."In spite, however, of Peony's eloquence, Pearleventually agreed to accept Ting's advice, and thatgentleman arranged that his secretary should makeit known privately to Wang that a proposal on hispart for the hand of the Intendant's adopted daughterin

for104 CHINESE STORIES.would be favourably received. Wang was delighteda1 the hint. He felt that such a marriage wouldpu1 him al once al an advantage. Already Ting'sposition was illustrious, and his abilities and influencewere such thai it was beyond question that beforeLoner he would be within reach of the highest officesof the State. How different, he thought, was hispresent condition from that in which he had beenglad to marry the beggar chiefs daughter! Filledwith delight at the prospect before him, he lost notime in opening negotiations, and had just sent offthe bridal presents, when a note from Ting informedhim that, owing to his wife's serious illness, the marriagewould have to be postponed. A few days latera further notice reached him of the fatal conclusionof the illness. "The Fates," wrote Ting, "havesnapped the thread of her life, and I am left alonelike a stork in the desert. I fear that it will benecessary lor you to postpone plucking the plumblossom'a while."Wang was loud in his condolences, and was

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 165that for certain private reasons the Intendant wishedfor a still further postponement for three months. Thefact being that, for the due management of his household,he was about, as he told Wang in confidence," to take as my second wife a relative of the late MrsTing, one Green-jade, who, for some time, has been amember of my household, and who is in happy possessionof all the virtues." He further proposed that thetwo weddings should take place on the same day, when,as he wrote, " in the words of the great T'ang poet'Two happy pairs shall taste the richest joy,And welcome pleasure 'reft of all alloy.' "To this proposal Wang readily assented.To sharea marriage-feast with so high and exalted an officeras the Intendant filled his soul with delight. Herevelled in the thought of the contrast between hiscondition as a poor penniless scholar at K'aifeng Fuand his present state, and he compared with pridethe splendour of his proposed marriage with theignominy which attached to his former alliance. Hismind scarcely reverted to the midnight scene in theboat. He had written to tell Mr Chu of "the sadevent," and had received in reply a piteous letter fullof grief, and then, so far as he was concerned, thematter had ended. He was not of an imaginative turnof mind ; and so soon as all danger to himself had disappeared,his spirits revived, and his mind recoveredits wonted serenity. Le was the only man who couldbring evidence against him, and he was fast boundin prison, and was, if report said rightly, likely toexchange his cell for the execution - ground. HeY

'Destiny,166 CHINESE STORIES.therefore prepared the wedding-presents with a lightheart, and penned the following epistle to accompanythem:"With joy and humility I rejoice that your Excellencyhas deigned to give your consent to the marriageof your beloved one with me. The approach of thetime when I may taste of the feathery verdure of thematrimonial peach fills me with delight, and I trustthat our union may establish1 \\"() familiesan alliance between ourwhich shall stand as firm as the heavenlytripod. I send herewith some mean and paltry presents,which I pray your Excellency to receive."" Prostrate," wrote the Intendant in reply, " I receivedyour honourable presents ; and I look forwardwith pleasure to the time when the red cords of Destinyl shall bind your feet to those of my despicabledaughter. I am heartily ashamed to send the accompanyingpaltry gifts in exchange for your magnificentpresents; but I beg you to excuse my deficiencies.On the 15th of next month 1 shall await the arrivalof your jade chariot, and the emblematic geese' 2 willbe read)' prepared in my mean dwelling."As the wedding-day drew near, Pearl became moreand more anxious as to the wisdom of the step shewas about to take ; and if it had not been for thesupport she received from Ting, she would even atthe eleventh hour have evaded the engagement.Green-jade, in whom the love she had borne towards\\ ang was turned to bitterest contempt and hate,i! is believed, binds the feet of those who aiv to be unitedin marriage with red cords.:•the emblems of conjugal fidelity.

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 167could not cordially recommend her former rival totake upon herself againthe yoke which had provedso uncongenial, and Peony had no words in whichto express her disapproval of the arrangement." I would as soon hold out my head under theexecutioner's knife as marry that man again, if I wereyou, madam."" He has probably seen the errors of his ways bythis time," said Pearl, " and will, I have no doubt,make a oo-ood husband in the future.""The proverb says, 'The body may be healed, butthe mind is incurable,' " replied Peony ;" and until Isee a leopard change its spots, I will not believe thatthat mean and cruel man can ever be reformed.""Well, perhaps it was my fault," said Pearl, "thathe was not better at first.Besides, he will no longerhave Le to lead him astray. I will cap your proverbwith the saying, A yielding tongue endures ' ' ; and as1 intend to be yielding in everything, I have everyconfidencethat Wang will turn out as good as he hasbeen bad."" One more proverb and I have done," said Peony.''' Ivory does not come from a rat's mouth.' But asyou have made up your mind, I will say no more. Iwill only ask that if Mr Ting will give leave, weshould follow acustom, when introducing Mr Wanginto your chamber, which is common in my part ofthecountry."" What is that ? " said Pearl." We make the bridegroom run the gauntlet betweenold women armed with switches," said Peony;" and it is such fun to see the way they run."

16SCHINESE STOEIES.toTing, on being consulted, readily gave his consentPeony's proposal, and even hinted that if she stoodamong the old women with a stouter switch thanusual, he should make no objection."Only confine your custom to Mr Wang, if youplease, Miss Peony.'" he added; "I have no inclinationto have my shoulders switched."On the eventful day Wang arrived dressed in canonicals,and full of that satisfaction which smallminds feel at the achievement of social success. Hereceived the congratulations of the subordinate officialswith haughty condescension, and conversedaffably with Ting before the ceremonies began. Hewent through his part with perfect composure, whichis more than can be said for Pearl and Green-jade,who, if they had not been concealed behind theirwedding - veils, would have broken down entirely.Atlast the vows having been made to Heaven, Earth,and theancestors of the brides and bridegrooms, andthe marriage-feast having been brought to a conclu-.-ion. the bridegrooms were conducted to the apartmentsof their brides. As Wang crossed the hallleading to his bridal chamber, a number of old women,headed by Peony, formed up in double line, and asthe unconscious Wang passed between them, eachdrew from her ample sleeve a stick with which shebelaboured the unfortunate bridegroom. It didP< y's heart good to sec how the stately swaggerwith which he entered their ranks became a hastyflight, as the blows rained upon his shoulders. Aparting blow which Peony aimed with nervousstrength on his luckless head drew a cry of pain

• WANG."—Page 16S.

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 169from him, and lie rushed headlong into his wife'sroom, almost tripping over the door-curtain in hishaste to reach a place of safety.Pale and breathless he stood before the veiledfigure of his wife, and it was some seconds before hecould sufficiently recover his nerves to raise the redveil which concealed Pearl's features. When he didso he started back with horror and amazement. Thelittle presence of mind which remained to him desertedhim entirely. He trembled all over, and puttinghis hand before his eyes, cried, " Take it away,"take it away ! What fool's trick is this ?So saying, he turned and ran towards the door,where he encountered Ting."Whither away?" said that gentleman. "Yourun from your wife as though she were the plague."Have you had a quarrel already ?" Let me go," replied Wang. " Either she is aghost, or some trick has been played upon me.""She isno ghost, but your wife Pearl, whom nowfor the second time you have married.husband, lady."Speak to your" I am indeed doubly your wife," said Pearl. " AndI trust that our second nuptials will be the preludeto a longer and happier wedded existence than wasvouchsafed to us by the gods before."At these words, and fortified by the presence ofTing, Wang regained enough composure to glancefurtively at Pearl, the placidity and good temper ofwhose features bore in upon him the consciousnessthat he had nothing to fear from her. This convictiongave him courage.

170 CHINESE STOEIES.it" But how has this all happened ? " lie said. " Ispossible that you were saved from drowning in therapid ?" It is possible," said Ting. " And now let me leadyou to vour wife's side, and I will then leave her toexplain itall."So saying, he led him to a seat beside his wife, andthen retired.In as few words as were possible, Pearl related howshe had been saved, and enlarged with warmth on thekindness she had received from Ting. Not a word ofreproach did she utter, and she gave him to understandby her manner that the past was forgotten.Tortured by a remorse which was awakened by herpresence, and fearful lest Ting should take a morejudicial view of his conduct than she did, Wang fellon his knees before his wife and implored her forgiveness,vowing at the same time that he would be atrue and kind husband to her forthe rest of his life.Pearl hastily raised him from the ground, and assuredhim that, so far as both she and Ting were concerned,what had happened would be as though it had nevertaken place. Peace was thus restored ; and as withadvancing night quiet took possession of the courtyards,so harmony reigned in the bridal chambers.After ten years of most undeservedly placid marriedlife, AVang was stricken down with fever, and in;i vision of the night a spirit passed before his face.Trembling and terrified he gazed into the darkness,and though he could see nothing, he was consciousthat some form stood before him. He was too frio-ht-

A TWICE-MARRIED COUPLE. 171ened to cry out, and after a silence which seemed tohim to last for hours, he heard a voice saying"According to the original decree of the God ofHades, you should have fifteen more years of life beforeyou ; but inasmuch as you have been guilty ofthe heinous crime of attempting to murder your wife,the thread of your existence is about to be snapped."With these words the vision vanished, and AVangfell back unconscious. In this condition Pearl foundhim a few minutes later, and as the morning lightbroke through the lattice-window his spiritinto the land of forgetfulness.I am indeed doubly your wife."—Page 169.

17l'HOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS WON.BOUT two centuries before thetime of Abraham, the emperorwho then sat upon the throneof China ordained thattriennialexaminations should be heldamong the officials of the empire,in order that the " unworthy mightbe degraded and the meritoriouspromoted to honour.' The7plananswered excellently well, we aretold, and would probably havethenceforth become a recognisedpart of the machinery of government,had not evil times fallen upon the country.The peaee which reigned so long as the virtuoussovereigns Slum and Yu (b.c. 2255-2197) occupiedthe throne, disappeared with the death of Yu, anddisorder spread like a flood over the empire. Inthe council - chambers of the succeeding emperors,armed warriors took the place of the learned scholarswho had advised their predecessors, and no examin-

HOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS WON. 173ation, but such as tried the strength of their rightarms and their skill in warlike fence, found favourwith these soldiers of fortune for an instant.Thus, though at intervals the nation returned toits right mind under the guidance of wise and beneficentrulers, the scheme inaugurated by Shun fellinto abeyance, and it was not until nearly threethousand years later that Yang-te (a.d.) 605-617varied the monotony of his otherwise profligate reignby reinstituting a system of examination for office.Unlike everything European, and therefore thoroughlyChinese, the highest degree was instituted first,and the lowest last. Yang-te, like Shun, began byexaminations among his courtiers. His successors,arguing; that what was good for the courtiers wouldbe good for the people at large, ordained that " searchshould be made each year in every prefecture anddistrict for elegant scholars and dutiful sons," whoshould, after satisfying the examiners, be employedin the State.In this way were called into being the threedegrees which exist at the present day— viz., theSiu-ts'ai, or Elegant Scholar ; the Keu-jin, otherwiseHeaou-leen, or Dutiful Son ; and Tsin-sze, or AdvancedScholar, the earlier creation of Yang-te. Thesame books also upon which it was ordained that thecandidates should be examined eleven hundred yearsago, are still used for the like purpose. But as withadvancing culture the number of competitors havemultiplied exceedingly, it has become obviously impossiblethat offices should be found for all those wdio aresuccessful ;and the contests, especially for the lowestz

174 CHINESE STORIES.degree of Siu-ts'ai, have ceased to be for anything morethan the honour of the degree.Those who succeed inbecoming Tsin-sze are, as a general rule, appointed atonce to the mandarinate, and a Keu-jin who has influencein high quarters generally gets employment ;but1 he degree of Siu-ts'ai does nothing more than qualifythe holder for official life. Unfortunately for thechances of these pass-men, the practice of drawingall officials from the literati has fallen into desuetude ;and to such an extent has this departure from ancientcustom been carried, that nearly one -half of themandarins of the present day have, it is said, neverfaced the examiners. Still the competitive examinationsform the only officially recognised road to themandarinate, and this alone is enough to keep theexaminers' lists full. But, apart from this consideration,the high value which is attached by traditionto literary culture induces every one in whom glimmersthe least intellectual light to tempt fortune inthe examination-hall. The first ambition of everyself-made man is that a son may be born to himwho will reflect glory on his grey hairs by winninga degree. He feels that his acquired wealth is asnothing to him, so long as his household is withoutthe wearer of a buttoned cap to raise it above thefamilies of the people, and to link it with the inhabitantsof yam ii iis {i.e., official residences).Such a one was Le Tai, the great salt merchant,who gave the name of Le-chia Chwang to the villagewIkiv he lived. He had begun life in a very smallway, having been a junior clerk in the office of afarmer of the salt gabelle, to whose business he

HOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS WON. 1/5eventually succeeded. By constant perseverance,and by the help of some well-devised ventures, hegradually accumulated so considerable a fortune that,when his employer signified his intention of retiring,he was able to pay him down a good round sum forthe goodwill of the business, and toset at rest someofficial cravings which it was necessary to satisfybefore he could obtain the Salt Commissioner's sealto his appointment. Fortune had been kind also tohim in his domestic relations. The two sons whogrew up before him were a double assurance to himthat the sacrifices at his tomb would be duly andregularly offered. He had daughters too, but theysatisfied no ambition and dissipated no fear, and helaid, therefore, no great store on their existence.Not that he was an unkind father. On the contrary,he was fond of toying with his little daughters, buthis heart was with his sons, Le Taou and Le Ming.Taou had atan early age developed a taste for thecounting-house, and was rapidly becoming asskilledas his father in driving bargains and defrauding therevenue. Ming, on the other hand, had, from hischildhood up, displayed a studious bent of mind.When little more than an infant he would stand inthe village school with his face to the wall and hishands behind his back, after the recognised fashion,and repeat, without stumbling, the " Three CharacterClassic " at the top of his voice, heedless of the likeshrill utterances of the young Wangs and Changswho, envious of his superior attainments, declaimedin his ears their by no means perfect lessons.Fromsuch promising beginnings he made rapid strides in

L76CHINESE STORIES.his studies, until, as lie now boasts, he could saywith Confucius that " at fifteen he bent his mind tolearning." Under the guidance of a tutor, whoseCD^tit].' t teach consisted only in the fact of his having,after many ineffectualefforts, taken the lowest degreeof Siu-ts'ai some twenty years before, he made himselfmaster of the " Five Classics" and " Four Books," andcould talk with equal fluency on the eight diagramsof Fuh-he, the doctrine of the "Superior Man," andthe excellences of the "Mother of Mencius." Hisacquaintance with the interpretations put upon thesetexts by every scholar, from K'ung Ying-ta to YuenYuen, was profound; and his knowledge of rites andceremonies was such as to put to shame his lesscultured father and brother. His scrupulous attentionto every deferential observance inculcated inthe rites of Chow proclaimed him a scholar, butmarked him in their minds as a prig. He was nota lively companion, for his studies, instead of makinghim think or rousing his imagination, had only storedhis mind with philosophical platitudestruisms.and well-wornBut as the accumulation of a o-ood stock ofthese was essential to enable him to pass the examinationwhich would make him a possible mandarin, hisfriends put up with his references to Confucius andthe other sages, and allowed themselves to be boredto death with his odes and essays. It was quite arelief to them, however, when, as the examinationdrew near, lie betook himself to a summer-house inthe garden, whither he carried his books and "thefour precious things" of a scholar's study — viz.,pencil, paper, ink, and inkslab. Here he spent his

HOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS WON. 177clays and a great part of his nights in learning byheart the Nine Classics, laboriously conning the commentaries,and getting up the contents of the rhymingdictionaries. Once or twice he allowed himselfto be enticed by his quondam schoolfellows, Wangand Chang, who also hoped to nice the LiteraryChancellor, into a picnic up the river to a Buddhistmonastery embosomed in trees among the mountains.On these occasions the friends, as became scholars,lightened their feast by making couplets ; and as hewho failed in his task had to drink three cups ofwine, it not unfrequently happened that Ming was,on the morning after such expeditions, more fit forhis bed than his books. When he declared his intentionof giving up these merry-makings as interferingwith his work, his friends laughed at him,and confided to him their intention of smuggling" sleeve " editions of the classics into the examinationhall,plaited in their queues, and advised him to dothe same. But Ming, though inclined at first toyield to the temptation, refused, and went back tohis summer-house and his books. From these nothingnow withdrew him—not even the artifices of KinLeen, the pretty waiting -maid of Miss Ling nextdoor, who one day threw over the wall, so as to fallin front of his study window, a stone with a bit ofpaper tied to it. Ming picked it up, and found thepaper to contain a couplet, which it did not requirehis deep reading to discover was an invitation tohim to take the reverse direction of the stone. Buthe crunched the note in his hand and buried his facein the Book of Changes.''

Mingpicked it up, and found the paper to contain a couplet.''''

But soon theHOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS WON. 179time came when he thought himselfripe for examination for the degree of Siu-ts'ai ; soone morning he presented himself at the Le-fangdepartment of the magistrate's yamun in theneighbouringcity, and demanded of the secretary in chargethe conditions under which he could appear at thenext ordeal. "First of all." said the secretary, whowas not in a good humour that morning, " if youare the son of an actor, or a servant, it is no useyour coming, for such people are not allowed tocompete at all. But if you are not, you must sendus, in writing, your name and age, your place of residence,the names of your father, your mother, yourgrandfather and grandmother, your great-grandfatherand great-grandmother. And further, you must giveus a description of your appearance, the colour of yourcomplexion, and whether you have any hair on yourface. And now I must attend to other business."Acting on this hint, Ming made his bow, and assoon as he got home he sat down to supply the informationrequired of him. He had some difficulty ingoing as far back as his great-grandparents, and whenhe came to the question of the colour of his complexionhe hesitated, and would have liked to describeitas white, but after consulting the glass he saw thetruth was too obvious, so he wrote " yellow." Armedwith this paper, he returned to the yamun, and whenit had been examined and pronounced satisfactory,he was allowed to take away a packet of examinationpaper. Each morning after this he walked into thecity and past the yamun, in the hope of seeing theofficial notice fixino; the date of the next examination.

180 CHINESE STORIES.At last, one day, as lie turned the corner of theprincipal street, lie saw a crowd at the yamun gate,standing before a fresh placard.In his excitement heforgot for a moment the Confucian maxim, never towalk quickly, and he had almost broken into a runbefore ihis pace.lie recollection of the words of the sage steadiedAs he came up, Wang met him with a facefull of excitement :" His Honour has appointed the5th of next month," said he; "so we have now gotten more days for work, and as I have been ratheridle of late I shall go straight home and make up forlost time."Ming scarcely heard what he said, but pushed intothe crowd to read for himself the notification. Trueenough, it was as Wang had reported. The 5th wasto be the day, and full of his tidings Ming went hometo give the news to his parents. From that time hewas treated with the considerationdue to one who isabout to take his first great step in life, and, as theexcitement prevented his working, he spent most ofhis time in visiting those of his friends who wereto be among his competitors, and talking over withthem their respective chances. One thing filled himwith alarm. As the day drew near he learned thathe was to be one of upwards of two thousand competitorsfor the degrees.I )aylight on the 5th saw crowds of students ontheir way to the Kaopeng-tsze, or examination-hall,in the magistrate's yamun. As soon as they had allassembled the doors were thrown open at the upper• nil of the hall, and the magistrate entered and seatedhimself at a table covered with red cloth, on which

HOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS WON. 181were arranged pencils, inkstones, and paper, and atwhich also sat the secretaries who were to assist inthe examination. Presently, amid a deathlike silence,a notice-board was displayed, on which it was announcedthat the work for the day wonld consist of anessay on the passage from the Lun-yn ": The Mastersaid, 'Is it not pleasant to learn with a constantperseverance and application ? " ' another essay on thepassage, also from the Lun-yu : "A youth should overflowwith love for allmen;" and a, poem on " Wine,''after the manner of the poets of the T'ang dynast v.Instantly two thousand pencils were seized by asman} 7 nervous and eager hands, and the work of theday began. Fortunately for Ming, the commentator'sremarks on the first passage were tolerably fresh inhis recollection, so that he was able to start offwithout delay. "Learning," he wrote, "is onlythe first step towards perfection, and he who desiresto become a superior man must strive daily to improvehis knowledge and perfect his understanding.But the Master's words have also a wider signification.They are intended to impress upon us that in everyconcern we undertake we must not only begin, butmust also make an end. It is better not to begina matter than, having begun, to leave it unfinished.But let us further consider this text. It is with thewhole body that we pursue after an object, but itis with the heart that we accomplish it. Let ustherefore try to keep our hearts pure and our intentionssincere, and we shall then be able to dogreat things. But how are we to keep our heartspure ? " And then he went on with some very2 A

182 CHINESE STORIES.excellent Confucianism to answer his own question,and brought his essay to a conclusion with a eulogyon the supreme wisdom of the text.Flushed with his first success, he took up hissecond paper ; but his views, or rather those he hadimbibed from the commentators Chu He, Ch'ingHao, and others, were not so clearly defined onthe love with which a youth should regard all men,as on the first text. However, he began : "In thispassage it is important to bear in mind the distinctionthe Master would draw between the love of a }'outhand the love of a full-grown man. A youth broughtup within his father's house has no experience of theworld, and has not arrived at that knowledge whenit is safe for him to hate as a man should hate, orlove as a man should love. The Master said thathe hated those who spoke evil of others, those whoslandered their superiors, and those who were forwardand violent, and, at the same time, of contractedunderstanding. It is fitting, therefore, that menshould rightly hate as well as rightly love. Buthow can a }7outh who is still unlearned decide forhimself whom to love and whom to hate ?Thereforethe Master says he should love all men." Here hismemory failed him, and as he was incapable of anyoriginal thought, he would have had to lay downhis pencil had it not occurred to him that he mightdrag into his essay a panegyric on the love of childrenfor their parents. The idea was a happy one, andenabled him to complete the required number ofline- before poor Wang, who sat near him, had donemuch more than write down the text.

HOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS WOX. 183But the poem he felt to be a more serious matterthan either of the essays. Fortunately the subjectwas one upon which his favourite author Le Tai-pihhad repeatedly written, and finding that he had stillplenty of time beforehim, he shut his eyes and triedto recall to his recollection the praises which thatgreat wine-loving poet had lavished on the bottle.Gradually his memory summoned up lines and partsof lines and conventional expressions in sufficientquantity to enable him to begin the mosaic, which hewas fully aware must make up any poetical effusionon his part. After much "ploughing with thepencil " and long mental struggles, he wrote asfollows :""When o'er the village shine.-; the evening sun,And silent stand the tombs of bygone men,AVhen birds sing evening chant beside the way,Then sit you down to drink your perfumed wine.The men of old did quickly pass the flask,And sharp of wit did improvise their songs,Then youths were only bidden to the feastsWho drained their goblets to the latest drop."With this final effort his work for the day wasover, and he returned home with the happy consciousnessthat he had done well. For the benefit of hisanxious friendshe had to fight his mental battle o'eragain, and he retired to bed to dream of honourslost and won; and just as he imagined himselfintroduced into the imperial presence as Cliwangyuen,or first literate of the year, he was roused byhis father, who came to tell him that the morningwas breaking, and that it was time to be up andstirring. The sun had scarcely risen on the earth

:184 CHINESE STORIES.when liefound himself once again in the examinationhallsurrounded by his fellow-competitors of yesterday.Again the magistrate took his seat at thetable, and without further preface it was announcedthat the work for that day, which would be the lastof that examination, would consist of three essays:one on the passage from the Le Ke— " Tsze-shang'smother died, and he did not mourn for her. Hisfather's disciples therefore asked of Tsze-sze,'Inbygone days did not Confucius mourn for his divorcedmother ? Another on the text from theI llassic of Filial Piety :" The Master said, ' Formerlythe intelligent kings served their fathers with filialpiety, and thereforethey served heaven with intelligence; they served their mothers with filial piety,and therefore they served earth with discrimination.'And a third upon the passage from the Sing-le orMental Philosophy of Chu He ": Water belongs tothe female principle of nature, yet it has its root inthe male ; fire belongs to the male principle, yet it hasits rout in the female."By the time the papers were handed in Ming feltthat he had written three fairly good essays. Onseveral occasions during the day his attention hadbeen attracted to his next neighbour, an old man,whose trembling hand seemed scarcely able to tracethe characters he wished to write. His ideas alsoevidently flowed slowly, and Ming had several timeslonged to be able to otter him suggestions. Howmuch they were needed was obvious from the unfinishedstate of the papers the old scholar handedin at the close of the day, and his dejected mien as

HOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS WON. 185he left the hall showed that he was painfully consciousof his shortcomings. But, truth to tell, the feelingthat he had done well soon drove the recollection ofthe veteran out of Ming's mind, and he hurriedhometo satisfy the eager expectancy of his parents withthe tale of his exploits. He knew, however, that hissuccess would have to remain problematical untilthe publication of the lists in two or three days'time ; and he wisely determined to give himself therest which he felt he needed, and not to attempt toread for the second five-day examination, which heknew he would have to face almost immediately ifhis name should now appear in the charmed circle ofsuccessful competitors.On the third day he went into the city to see if bychance the lists were published, and found the streetsthronged by his associates, who had come on the samefruitless errand as himself. As, after mid-day, therewas no hope of his anxieties being set at rest beforethe morrow, he allowed himself to be tempted bysome of his fellow-students to join them in a picnicto a suburban garden, where the pleasure -seekersamused themselves by extemporising couplets andTowards eveningdrinking wine among the flowers.the fun grew fast and furious, and Ming found itnecessary at last to retreat to a secluded summerhouseto sleep off the effects of his potations beforereturning home.His debauch, however, did not preventhis being inthe city early the next morning, asit had been reported among his convives of thepreviousevening that the lists would be out soon afterdaybreak. On entering the gates he was met by a

186 CHINESE STORIES.candidate, by whose excitedappearance Ming saw atonce that his fate was sealed one way or the other." The lists are out," said his friend, " and my name isin the circle." " I congratulate you," answered Ming,"and may you rise to office and reap emoluments!But where does my name appear ? " "I had not timeto look," said his friend as he hurried on. With allpossible speed Ming made his way to the magistrate'syamun, outside the walls of which he saw an excitedcrowd gathered round a long strip of paper, coveredfor the most part with names written perpendicularly,but having at one end a circle composed of the centrifugallywritten names of those who had passed best.When fairly within sight of the paper which was toresolve hisdoubts, Ming suddenly felt an inclinationto slacken his pace and to look in at the shop-windows.At last, however, he made his way into the crowd,and had just discovered his name in the circle whenan acquaintance cried out, " Ah ! Le Laou-ye, 1 I congratulateyou. My name is only two from yours.But I am afraid our poor friend Wang is left out inthe cold." " I am sorry for that," replied Ming, " butlet me congratulate you on your success. Have youheard when the second examination is to be held ?" In two days' time. May you become a chwangyuen!Good-bye." "And may you have a seat atI he Feast of the Blowing of the Deer!" 2 repliedMing, as he hurried off homewards to announce hisgood fortune.At the news of his son's success the old salt mer-1A complimentary title equivalent to "your worship."aA feast given to the graduates at the provincial examinations.

HOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS WON. 187chant's joy knew no bounds, and lieinstantly issuedinvitations for a feast on the next afternoon in commemorationof the event.In the meantime the housewas besieged by friends—more especially poor oneswho came to congratulate Ming, and who exhaustedevery good wish it was possible to devise for his futurehappiness and advancement.In the estimationof his mother and sisters his success had already raisedhim on a pinnacle of fame ; and, after their first burstof joy was over, his mother reminded him that a gobetweenhad been to her several times to propose amarriage for him with Miss Yang, the daughter of anex-Prefect living in the neighbourhood ; " and nowthat you are on the fair road to office," added she," do let me authorise her to open negotiations." " Letus wait until I have made a name forn^self by takingmy degree," answered her son," and then I willobey your wishes in that as in all other respects."In the pleasurableenjoyment of being made muchof, the two days' interval passed quickly to Ming,and the morning of the third day found him seatedagain in the magistrate's hall, surrounded by all hisformer competitors, with the exception of a few whosenames had fiomred so near the tail of the loiio- straightlist that they had recognised the hopelessness of competingany more. The same old man who had excitedhis compassion at the first examination wasthere, however, looking excited and nervous. Mingwas now the more sorry for him, as he had recognisedhis name almost last upon the list ; but the entranceof the magistrate presently drove all thoughts butthose on the subjects before him out of his head.

188 CHINESE STORIES.This examination, itwas announced, was, as usual, tolasl five days. The course on each of the first fourdays was to consist of an essay on a text taken from"the Four Books,' as well as of a poem. On the thirdday an ode on a given subject was to be optional, andon the fourth day an opportunity was promised toaspiring candidates of writing additional poems.the fifth day the work was to consist only of half anessay on a theme from the Four Books.''At this examination Ming worked with varyingsuccess. His profound, knowledge of the classics andthe writings of the commentators stood him in goodOnstead, and his constant study of the T'ang dynastypoets was amply rewarded by the way in which theyhonoured his drafts on them to meet his poverty ofideas. The ode on the third day, which was " On thePleasure men take in talking of the Signs of theSeasons," exercised his imagination to the utmost.Thrice he put pencil to paper, and as often he toreto shreds his lines. The fourth time he wrote asfollows, and, as the hour of closing was drawingnear, he handed the result in with his other compositions:—" When the belated guest his host reseeks,And cloudless skies proclaim the close of day,"lis sweet to talk of treacherous weather past,And watch the dying sun's effulgent ray."Ming was no poet, but even he felt that his lineslarked freshness of ideas and vigour of diction. Hewas conscious, however, of having made one or twohappy turns in the rhymes, which, truth to tell, wereborrowed from some old published examination papers;

HOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS WON. 189but, knowing the somewhat pedantic literary tastethe magistrate, he founded some hopes upon them.And he was right. After a few days of suspense hisname appeared on the walls of the yam mi. high upin the list of successful candidates. Again the rejoicingsat Le-chia Chwang were repeated, and againcongratulations poured in upon him from all sides.Even the ex-Prefect, upon whose daughter Mrs Lewas keeping her eye, deemed the occasion of sufficientimportance to warrant a note, which he sent, accompaniedwith a red-laccpier tray full of dainty dishes andluscious sweets, some of which Mrs Le shrewdly suspectedhad been prepared by the delicate fingers ofMiss Yang.This was the most gratifying recognitionthat Ming had as yet received, and he took the letterfrom the servant reverentially in both hands. Eagerlyhe tore open the envelope, and read as follows :—" In ancient times men's merits were judged bythe speed with which they chased aof foot winning the prize.ofdeer, the fleetestBut now the way to fameis bridged by learning, and for many years it has beenmy fate to speed and bid farewell to old friends likeyourself, who fly on the wings of success to thecapital. Of all the batches of brilliant scholars whohave ever passed at these examinations, I hear thatthat to which you have lent your countenance, andwhich has now entered the epidendrum city l of thelearned, is the most conspicuous. Humbl}" I offeryou the paltry things which with this letter I lay atyour feet, and respectfully long for the sound of thegold fastening of your response."1 I.e., the joyous company.2 B

190 CHINESE STORIES.Scarcely had Ming replied to this nattering epistlewhen a messenger arrived with an invitation fromthe magistrate to dinner on the following clay. Asit was in accordance with immemorial usage that thesuccessful candidates should be entertained by themagistrate, this summons was no surprise to so keena student of rites and ceremonies as Ming; and onthe next afternoon he went in a sedan-chair to theyamun, fully prepared for the company he foundassembled there. But he was much flattered by theway in which the magistrate received him. "Yourhonourable essays are genuine pearls of literature,"said his host, " and you are possessed of a supplyof classical knowledge which cannot but gain youadmittance to the Dragon (i.e., imperial) presence."•Your honour overrates the mean pencil-scratchingsof this dullard, and allows the reflection of your loftygenius to brighten the in elegancies of his wretchedcompositions," replied Ming. This speech he hadcarefully prepared as he came along in his chair,on the chance of his having to reply to a complimentarygreeting. His fellow -students, however,being unaware of his forethought, saug aloud theirpraises of his readiness as they sat down to the feast.Before starting, Mrs Le had strictly enjoined Mingto bring back an account of the good things hewas to partake of, and in obedience to her ordersdishes:tored liis memory with the following list ofB&che de mer ; stewed duck, served with forceiicit: birds'-nest soup; hashed pigeon, with ham;Btewed crabs; fried black fish; stewed mutton, with

HOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS AVON. 191bamboo shoots ;fowl and ham ; turtle-soup ; hasheddog; stewed black cat; fried rat; macaroni - soupsalt fish ; salted eggs ; minced pork ; basins of rice ;and an infinite variety of fruits and sweets.Before beginning, the magistrate poured out a libation,and without more ado the guests set to work atthe good things before them. The wine circulatedfreely, and lent material aid to the magistrate in hisendeavours to set every one at his ease. To Mingthe magistrate showed marked attention, and withhis own chopsticks carried a fine slug from the dishto the lips of the favoured guest, a compliment whichmade quite a stir among the other scholars. Not farfrom Ming, but apart from every one, sat the oldstudent whom he had noticed in the examination-hall,but whose want of success scarcely entitled him to aseat at the feast. Some such remark Ming made tothe magistrate, who explained that each year a certainnumber of degrees were given away to pluckedold students, and that he was going to recommendhis guest for one on this occasion. After dinner Mingmade a point of congratulating the old man, who inquavering accents made a pedantically complimentaryreply, every word of which was taken from the Four'Books. 7Wang, Ming noticed, was not among the invited,and the magistrate told him that though therewere cleverhisthoughts and much sound reasoning inessays, yet it was too plain that his knowledge ofthe texts of the classics and the views of the commentatorswere not sufficiently thorough to pass him,and that therefore he had been obliged to advise himto come up again next time.

1A1 92 CHINESE STORIES.From private sources Ming heard that Wang wassorely disappointed at his want of success, so the nextmorning he wrote him the following note of condo-Lence: •The decayed willows on the Sin-ting Pass-.lit forth a sweel savour, and rotten Tung trees delightedTsai Yung 1 with their melody. If a jewel beencased in a hidden casket, it is not every swordwhich can cleave it so as to display the jewels 2 foundby Pien II on the King Mountain, or the pearlssnatched by the Earl Suy from the serpent's head.Who can explain the lofty talents enjoyed by some,or account for the meaner abilities bestowed onothers? We are as we are made, and there is nohelping ourselves." To this kindly epistle Wangsent reply :"Well may I adopt the lines of Chang Shu as mychant'A thousand miles o'er sea and fields1 have followed at your horse's heels;I have travelled over hill and dale,And now have missed the dragon's scale.' 3Gratefully I acknowledge your S3 r mpathetic words,in which I recognise the lofty nature which has en-celebrated scholar and musician of the second century. It is recordedof him that while seated at the fireside of a friend in the Stateof Wu, his attention was attracted to the sounds emitted from a log of aT'ung tree which was burning on the hearth, and declaring that its tonegave promise of rare excellence, he converted it into a lute.A block nt' jade which, being believed to he spurious, was rejectedby two emperors in succession, the last of whom condemned Pien Ho(eighth century B.C.) to lose his left foot as an impostor. The next emperor,however, perceiving the genuineness of the stone, graciously acceptedit, ami offered Pien Ho a title of nobility, which he declined./ ."Ami now have missed taking my degree." The idea, a poeticalmil-, being that a successful scholar resembles a soaring dragon.

HOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS WON. 193abled you to overcome all the difficulties in your path.Though incapable through grief to write, I fear toreturn you a verbal message. As night approachesmy sorrow almost seems to weigh me clown, and Iwrap myself in a cattle cloak, after the manner ofWang Chang, 1 and weep bitter tears. What else is"left for me to do ?Ming knew that he would now have a respite oftwo or three months before the time came for him tobe examined by the Prefect, as a preliminary to hisgoing up for his final examinations before the LiteraryChancellor. He retired therefore again to his summer-house,and devoted himself toa renewed studyof the books which had already served him so well.As the day drew near, his father wrote to an oldfriend at the prefectural city, asking him to receivehis son for the examination, and, in response to acordial invitation which was returned, Ming mountedhis mule one morning at daybreak, and started off onhis momentous journey. Late in the evening hereached the hospitable door of his father's friend, andwoke the next morning, after a sound sleep, refreshedand ready for the work before him. After eating ahasty breakfast, he hurried off to the yamun of theLiterary Chancellor, and arrived only just in time,for he had scarcely got into the hall when a gunwas fired as a signal for the fast closing; of thedoors. The arrangements he found to be in all respectssimilar to those at the magistrate's yamun,and the subjects for examination were taken from the1A well-known character, who, after enduring great poverty, afterwardsbecame a metropolitan magistrate.

194 CHINESE STORIES.same books, the only difference being that the Prefect'smore liberal mind was reflected in the texts heWith each of his five days'had chosen for the essays.work Ming was fairly satisfied, and when the examinationwas over he waited with some acquired confidencefor the publication of the result. The appearance ofhis name, however, in the first flight of successfulcompetitors was none the less a delight to him, andhe sent off an express messenger to Le-chia Chwrangto proclaim his success to his parents." Your stupidson," he added, "is but waiting to obey the invitationhim by his Excellency the Prefect to dinner to-sentmorrow before hastening to your honourable dwellingto throw himself at your feet." The dinner at thePrefect's was very much a repetition of that given 1>ythe magistrate, except that there w T as a marked weedingout in point of numbers. The reputation whichMing had brought with him for scholarship, and whichhe had just maintained, ensured him friendly notice atthe hand of the Prefect, who, however, did not seemmuch to relish his stilted style of conversation andhis Confucius-or-nothing train of thought. Beforethe students parted their host announced that, asusual, he should send the seat numbers and not thenames of the successful competitors to the Literary(Ihancellor, who would hold the final examinations onthat day month in that city.The next day Ming went home, and was met at thenumber of his associates,entrance of the village by awho greeted him with cries of congratulation. Thewelcome he received from his immediate family wasespecially joyous, and for days a succession of visitors

HOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS WON. 195poured in upon him to offer their felicitations on hismarked and sustained success. Under such agreeablecircumstances he took little heed of time, and almostbefore Ming was aware he was reminded that it wastime to betake himself again to the prefectural city.The merchant who had been his host on the previousoccasion was glad enough once more to open his doorsto a scholar who was already winning for himselfeminence ; and though he cared little for his companionship,preferring lively and suggestive conversationto dull platitudes and measured periods, he paid himmarked deference, as one to whom the door of office,the highest object of ambition, would soon be opened.The ordeal Ming was now called upon to face wasmore terrible to him than any of the other examinationshad been. Up to this time he had presentedhimself only before the local officials, men whom hehad constantly seen, and with whom he was in a sensefamiliar.Besides, hitherto the contests had been butpreliminary, whereas the examinations in which hehad now to compete were either to make or to mar him,at all events temporarily ; and the examiner was surroundedwith all the dignity and awe of an unknowngreat personage. It was with no slight trepidation,therefore, that he took his seat again on stool No. 33,by which number he was known for the time being.As soon as the gun was fired and the door shut, theChancellor entered. As he approached the table, allrose, and every eye was turned towards the man inwhose hands their fate rested. He was of mediumheight, and a plump figure, with a round good-naturedface, a pair of small twinkling eyes, and a long scanty

i heirL96CHINESE STORIES.moustache. After bowing politely to the students,be seated himself at the table and straightway proclaimedon the notice-board that on this occasion he:should require from bhem two essays on the textsfrom the Four Books ' ' " The Master said, It ' is bythe odes thai the mind is aroused; it is by the rulesof propriety that the character is established; and itis from music that the finish is received.' ' And,••When a rider sympathises in his people's joys, theytake pleasure in his rejoicings; and when he sharessorrows, they sympathise with his griefs." Anda poem on the "Pleasure of hearing the notes of adistant lute amid the sound of drippings from thewet day.''roof on aMiic was too nervous to collect his thoughts and sethis memory at work at once, and it was some timebefore he put pencil to paper. But when he did, hemade fair progress, and at the end of the day he hadt lie satisfaction of knowing that if his essays containedno new or striking thoughts, they were at all eventsthoroughly orthodox, and that the sentences wereframed in accordance with the rules laid down bysome of the best-known essayists. He was ratherdisappointed, therefore, to find, when the listof eightyuptimes came out, that " Thirty -three " was barelywithin the lirst forty. This was the first check ofany kind which he had met with, and it alarmed him;tur he gathered from it that the Commissioner didii"i take the same favourable view of his literarymatter and manner as the magistrate and prefect haddone. It was with a sobered countenance, therefore.that he took his seat again for the second trial. This

HOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS WOX. 197time several themes were given out from the ' FourBooks,' upon which the students were expected tocompose half essays. To these Ming devoted his bestenergies, and was rewarded bv finding his numberpublished two days later in the circle of successfulcompetitors.Having recovered some confidence from this result,Ming took his seat in the hall, on the morning afterthe publication of the lists, with some assurance. Thecomparatively small number of competitors, whichhad been reduced to eighty, or just double the numberof degrees competed for, by the Chancellor, gavea silent and business-like air to the assembly. On thisoccasion the candidates wrote an essay on a text fromthe ' Four Books,' one on a text from the ' FiveClassics,' and a poem. At the close of the day'swork the Commissioner announced that after examiningthe papers he should, as was customary, write tothe Prefect for the names of the best men, whom atpresent he only knew by their numbers, and shouldat once publish them. " And I have arranged," headded, " that the first competitors from the otherdistricts shall meet you here in ten days' time finallyto compete for the degrees." The next few dayswere spent by Ming in a fever of suspense, which thecomplimentary speeches of his merchant host werequite ineffectual to allay. To fail now, he felt, wouldbe a terrible blow both to his fortunes and to hispride. What would all his friends say ? and whatwould, above all, the ex-prefect Yang say ? However,fortune was kinder to him than his forebodings, andonce again he saw with triumph his name among2 c

lie] 9 8 CHINESE STORIES.the number of the successful. On this occasion hispleasure was allwas pract ically sure of his degree.the greater, since he felt that now heThe final examina-Commissioner would, he knew,tion spoken of by theconsist only of a test of his knowledge of the text ofihe sixteen " Sacred Edicts " of the Emperor K'anghe,and of "the Amplification" of the same by hissod and successor, Yung-Ching. On this point hefelt that he could trust his memory to carry himthrough, for had he not in his study at Le - chiaChwang repeated them over and over again by heartwithout missing a character ? However, to makeassurance doubly sure, he devoted some hours ofeach of the succeeding days to conning them over.( In the appointed morning at daybreak he made hisway to the Chancellor's hall, where he found assembledhis fellow pass-men, together with the pickedcompetitors from the other four districts of the prefecture.There was a semi-holiday air about themall, as though they looked on this trial more as aformality than anything else. The Commissioner,too, entered the hall with a lighter step, and his voicehad ;i cheery tone in it as he ordered the announcementto be made that the morning's work wouldconsist of writing out from memory the seventh edictiof Beneficent Emperor K'ang-he, beginning " Chuc twan," " Flee strange doctrines," with the "Amplification"of the same by his august and intelligentsonYung-Ching.Fortunately for Ming, this particular edict had beenfrequently inevidence lately at Le-chia Chwang withreference to the foreign missionary epiestion, which

HOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS WON. 109was beginning to disturb that otherwise quiet district.The passage in the "Amplification," Yew ju se-yangJceao tsung Teen elm, yih shuh puh king— "As tothe religion of the Western foreigner which exalts theLord of Heaven, it is also contrary to our sacredbooks," &c.—had been constantly quoted in oppositionto the proselytising zeal of the missionaries,and the context had been carefully studied by villageConfucianists.His task was therefore a comparativelylight one, and when he put down his pencil, he feltassured that he had not missed one of the six hundredand forty characters composing the extract. Shortlyafter noon he walked into his host's family hall, andwith so jaunty a step that it needed no words of histo assure his entertainer that he was speaking to aSiu-ts'ai almost in esse. It now only remained forhim to await the public notification of the final resultof the series of examinations which he had gonethrough during the last two months. On the thirdday this was published, and the local world was madeacquainted with the fact that Le Ming, togetherwith thirty-nine others from the same district, had obtainedthe degree of Siu-ts'ai. So soon as Ming haddespatched a letter with the news to his father, andmerchant host, hereceived the congratulations of hishurried off to one of the first tailors in the city toorder the canonicalsbelonging to his newly acquiredhonour.The next day, as in duty bound, the newly madeSiu-ts'ais went at the recognised hour to pay their respectsto the Chancellor, who received them graciously,and entertained them on tea and sweets, while a band

iiinf.sk200

HOW A CHINESE B.A. WAS WON. 201"very red cheeks," to "get up very white in themorning." When Aline- reached his -host's, he foundhis canonicals had arrived from the tailor's, and, tiredthough he was, he could not resist the pleasure oftrying them on. Early dawn saw him again beforethe looking-glass, and after a hasty breakfast, he setoff for Le-chia Chwang amid thecongratulations andgood wishes of the worthy merchant and his family.In the evening he reached his home, and when hewalked into the family hall, bearing on his person theinsignia of his success, his father fairly wept with delight.Xor wtere the other members of the familyless demonstrative as with one consent they offeredtheir congratulations, and expressed their admirationof the becoming and dignified dress which it was nowhis right to wear. After his mother had carefullyexamined his silver-buttoned cap, surmounted by asilver bird, his robe of blue silk bordered with black,and his girdle with silver pendants, she whispered inhis ear, " And now may I speak to the go-between ?" Yes, now," replied her son.

202LE MING'SMARRIAGE.ITwas aboutsix weeks after Le Ming had achievedsuccess in the examination - halls that he wassitting one sultry evening in his garden study composingcouplets. Not a breath of wind stirred thelotus-haves which covered the pond in front of hiswindows. The air was laden with the scent of ahundred flowers, which grew in profusion in potsand eccentrically shaped borders on all sides of thepavilion. For the moment he had put aside histobacco-pipe, and, yielding to the influences of aweary brain and the heat of the weather, was justdropping off into a state of dreamy drowsiness, whenlie was aroused by the sound of a footstep crossingilif quaintly devised bridge which spanned the pond.Looking up, he saw his father's old body-servantapproaching."Young sir," said the attendant, "the old masterrequests your presence in the reception-hall."Uncertain as to what the business could be onwhich he was summoned, Le Ming followed the mani'» the hall, where he found his father and mothersitting in state, evidently prepared for the discussion

LE MINGS MARRIAGE. 20;of some important family matter. Having madehis obeisances, and having seated himself on a chairespecially placed for him on his mother's right hand,his father thus addressed:him" Having now taken your degree, and havingthus a prospect of soon gaining office and enjoying" He was siltins in his garden study composing couplets."emolument, it is right and fitting that you shouldthink of marrying. Remember, a man is accountedable to govern a district only when he has shownhimself capable of ruling well a household ; and howcan you show that you can rule a household untilyou have one on which to try your hand ? Besides,

1204 CHINESE STORIES.who knows what fate may be in store for you ? Werevon to visit the 'Yellow Springs' 1 before I departfrom this life, who would offer the yearly sacrificesat my tomb ? or if you were to remain a barren pole, 2who, in course of years, would there be to performthe same offices at your grave? On all accounts,then, ii is your duty to marry, and your mother willtherefore, without lossgo-between."of time, communicate with a" To hear is to obey, as it always has been withme," replied Ming; "but, at the same time, I shouldlike to know something about the lady you mayselect as my wife before you exchange the weddingpresents.I have heard it said that in some westerncountries youths and maidens associate togetherand choose their wives and husbands forthemselves,and that even within the eighteen provinces of Chinathere exist barbarians who exercise a similar freedomof choice.Now I have no wish, as you may imagine,down by theso to outrage the rules of propriety laidMaster 3 as to follow the example of such people ; butI should like to know what my future wife is likewhether she is as beautiful as Kin-leen or as hideousas the old vegetable-seller at the corner of the street—whether she is good-tempered or a shrew—whethershe is of a complacent disposition, or jealous andrevengeful."inLMarriages, my son," said his mother, "are madeheaven, and you can no more break the heavenlylords which, unfelt but surely, bind your anklest those of your future bride, than you can upsetHades. - A bachelor. 3 Confueius.

LE MINGS MARRIAGE. 205any other decree of the gods. The family withwhich I purpose to desire the go-between to communicatein the first instance is that of the ex-prefectYang. I have already spoken to you about hisdaughter Tsai-yen, the 'Variegated Swallow,' whois, as I myself know—having seen her—extremelypretty, with a beautiful complexion and a willow-likewaist. Besides, a good daughter makes a good wife ;and remember last year, when her mother was so ill,what she did,— -how she cut a slice out of her leg tomix with the broth which the doctor ordered for hermother's recovery ! No—depend upon it, my son,if the Variegated Swallow enters your household shewill make an excellent wife, and in educating yourchildren will not fall far short of the wisdom of theMother of Mencius.""As I said just now," replied Ming, upon whomthis description had a marked effect, " my only wishis to obey you, and I am therefore ready to be led byyou whithersoever you desire."" !That is spoken like a true son of mine " saidMrs Le, smiling on the youth. " I will now at oncewrite to my old friend Mrs Siu, who has the bestpractice as a go-between in the district, and whoknows more about the youths and maidens than agreat many of their own parents do."When Ming returned to his study after this interviewhe fell into a reverie, in which he pictured tohimself the delights of being constantly in the societyof a beauty such as one of those of whomhe had occasionally caught glimpses through theblinds of their sedan - chairs ; and if such a one2 D

•For206 CHINESE STORIES.could only write verses, lie felt that his cup wouldbe full.Meanwhile Mrs Le retired to her room, and takingpencil m hand, addressed the following note to theredoubtable match-maker Mrs Siu :"My unworthy son, though grown up, has not asyet achieved wedded harmony. I know, most respectedlady, that you delight in pairing the youthsand the maids of the harems, and in thus dissipatingthe coldness of their existences. If you couldestablish an alliance firm as a tripod, and ally ourhouse with that of the ex -prefect Yang, your oldcompanion would be grateful to you for ever.Begging you to help in this matter, I wish youboundless prosperity and continual joy."Early the next morning, before Mrs Le had quitecompleted her usual housekeeping arrangements, amessenger announced that Mrs Siu was already onher way to pay her respects.Scarcely had the warningbeen given, when a sedan-chair bearing the expectedguest stopped at the side-door leading to theladies' apartments. Without a moment's delay, MrsSiu was conducted to the presence of Mrs Le, whogreeted her cordially. The match-maker was stoutand comely, with laughing bright eyes; and thoughher nose was, judged by a European standard, rathertoo flat and her mouth too wide to be consideredreally pretty, yet, taken as a whole, she was a goodlookingwoman. Her manner, too, was cheery andconfident, and she had a power of inspiring her clientswith aprofound belief in her skill and sincerity.some rune," she said, when the first greetings

LE MINGS MARRIAGE. 207were over, " I have been expecting to receive fromyon some such pearl-like epistle as that which reachedme last night ; and, curiously enough, I had scarcelyput down your letter when a servant brought me ina note from Mrs Yang on the same subject. As Ithought you would like to see what she says, Ibrought it with me. Between our two selves, MrsYang is not a very wise woman, and her note, as youwill see, is no more to be compared with the rlowingsfrom your pencil than anything I could write wouldbe to the latest composition of your talented son.But read it for yourself."Nothing loath, Mrs Le took the note, and read asfollows :"My daughter, though still young, is, let me tellyou in confidence, anxious to have her feet tied withthe red silk with which heaven connects the feet ofbrides and bridegrooms.Let me beseech you to actas a go-between for me, and I shall eagerly await the"result. He ! he !all" Well," said Mrs Le, returning the note, " it is atevents fortunate that her daughter should be thisway of thinking just now. But do tell me all youknow of the Variegated Swallow ; for though I haveseen her, I have no very distinct recollection of her.But wait ; I will send for my son, and you shall describeher to us both. Before he comes, however,let me ask you whether there is any reason, physicalor otherwise, which might make the marriageobjectionable."" None whatever," replied Mrs Siu ;andthe twoladies had scarcelv finished a conversation carried on

208 CHINESE STOKIES.for a minute or two in an undertone when Le Mingentered. As the young man bowed his acknowledgmentof the presence of the two ladies, Mrs Siu castupon him a scrutinising glance, which ended in a lookof that kind of contemptuous amusement with whichwomen of experience regard pedantic young men.After a few words leading up to the subject in hand,she said, addressing Ming, " And now let me tell you,young sir, something about the Variegated Swallow.1 have known her all her life, and so can speak confidentlyabout her. Her filial piety is renownedthroughout the prefecture ; she attends upon herparents in complete fulfilment of the Book of Rites '';a inl though so learned a scholar as yourself might notconsider her deeply versed in literature, she is yetwell read, and has an art of striking off a copy ofverses which is wonderful. Only last week I wasremarking on the beautv of the view of the distanthills from their garden, and, quick as thought, shecomposed this couplet :'Sec, floating clouds enshroud the distant hills,A down whoso sides pour countless dazzling rills.'Then her appearance is perfect. Her eyebrows arearched like the rainbow; her complexion is as themingled white and pink of the apple-blossom; herlips are red as roses; her feet are veritable goldenlilies ;and she sways as she walks like a willowbranch swinging [n the wind. In a word, she isperfection; and a, marriage between so ripe a scholaras yourself and so accomplished a maiden would, intruth, be as the marriage of a pair of phoenixes."

LE MINGS MARRIAGE. 209It was impossible that Ming could be otherwisethan moved by the description of such excellences,and the interview ended with a cordially expressedwish on his part that Mrs Siu might be successfulin her negotiations. Thus far all was well, and thematch-maker started in prosecution of hermission tothe Variegated Swallow's parents in high spirits, whichwere by no means lessened when, on arriving, shefound Mrs Yang was already a keen partisan ofyoung Le Ming. The Variegated Swallow also, whojoined in their deliberations, and who, seen by thelight of nature, and not through Mrs Siu's rosecolouredspectacles, or through the medium, of MrsLe's doubtful recollection, appeared as a very ordinary-lookingyoung woman, with a heavy expressionof face and a somewhat stout unwieldy figure, assentedwith alacrity to endow the young graduatewith her abundant person. The only other memberof the family concerned—the ex-Prefect—after someinquiries as to the probability of young Ming obtainingemployment in the mandarinate, and as to theprovision which Mr Le was willing to make for theyoung couple, on both of which points Mrs Siusatisfied him by drawing on her sanguine imagination,solemnly gave his consent to the proposedalliance, and finally arranged with Mrs Siu that onreceiving notice from her at any time during thenext few days, he would be ready to receive themessenger who, according to custom, should be thebearer of a formal proposal from Air Le.With this favourable response Mrs Siu hurriedback to Mrs Le, not altogether without some mis-

210 CHINESE STOKIES.otivings as to what Ming would think of his bridewhen he should lift her veil on the wedding-day.If she had only cut a slice or two off her waist to' ;mix with her mother's broth, instead of from herthigh, she would have come nearer my descriptionof her.'" she said to herself* as she was carried throughthe streets in her sedan. But, after all, she consoledherself with the reflection that bridegrooms are notover particular, and that Ming did not appear likelyto be very observant. Mrs Le was, she found, awaitingher return in full dress. Her hair was stiffenedout with bandoline, and gay with bright-headed hairpinsand gaudy flowers. Her face was thickly coveredwith cosmetics, and her lips were painted a ruddy red.She wore a handsomely embroidered dress, Avhich onlyhalf concealed a many-coloured plaitedpetticoat, beneathwhich her crippled bandaged feet appeared, asshe tottered rather than walked forward to receiveher guest. Mrs Sin's complacent expression of faceas she returned Mrs Le's greeting at once assuredthat lady that she was the bearer of good news.Eagerly Mrs Le listened to allthat had passed at theinterview, and nothing that had been said which wascomplimentary lost anything in Mrs Siu's recital.After communicating the news to Mr Le, it was delith lined that he should send a formal proposal onthe following day at noon, and that Mrs Siu shouldtake amessage to the ex-Prefect to that effect.So soon as Mrs Siu had taken her leave, a familycouncil was held, to which Ming was summoned.The proceedings of the last two days had added considerablyto his sense of self-importance, which had

LE MINGS MARRIAGE. 211already been sufficiently developed by his success asa scholar, and he entered the family hall with aswagger and a conceited air which fairly reflectedthe condition of his mind, lie listened with an expressionof approval to his father's account of thenegotiations, and then replied: "My gratitude isboundless for the infinite trouble you are taking onbehalf of your unworthy son, and I can assure youthat it will be the endeavour of this little one toinsist on my future wife paying every respect to you,my exalted parents. But let me remind you that,being now a Siu-ts'ai, more is expected of me in thematter of ceremonial than from one who has notconquered in the examination - halls " —Mr Le hererather winced as he thought of the three ineffectualattempts he had made years ago to win a bachelor'srobe— "and I would therefore pray you that inevery respect the marriage-rites as laid down in theKitual of the Great Pure Dynasty may be followedon this occasion. I have just been looking over thechapters relating to the subject, and I find that thenext step will be for you, honourable sir, to send amessenger with a letter of proposal to the lady'sfather."" I am quite aware of the fact," said the old mantestily ;" and you may be sure that nothing will bedone which could by any possibility be consideredderogatory to your position as a Siu-ts'ai. I havealready requested your cousin Chang Kin, 'theGolden,' to act as my ambassador, and, if you like,you may be present when I give him directions tomorrowat noon."

212 CHINESE STORIES.Of this permission Ming availed himself, partlyout of a desire to sec that the prescribed etiquettewas really carried out, and partly out of a wish todisplay again his uniform as a graduate. On enteringi he hall at the appointed hour, he found thatcarefulpreparations had been made for the ceremony.The room had been swept and garnished, and theredli;iP"in"S which adorned the divan and the chairswere new and brilliant. He had scarcely time tonotice these particulars when hiscousin was usheredin. dressed like himself in the full canonicals of aSiu-ts'ai, and with him he exchanged ceremonialgreetings. Almost immediately afterwards, Mr Leentered, attired in robes of the finest silks, but lackingthose insignia of scholarship or of office whichare so dear to the hearts of Chinamen. Havinglowed to the young men, he advanced by slow Confucian1steps to the east side of the hall, whileyoungI Jhang, who had evidently been drilled for the occasion,took up a position on the west side, facing him.They then bothadvanced, and Mr Le, with an obeisance,gave a letter to his nephew, at the same timedescribing to him its contents, and requesting himto hand it to the ex -prefect Yang, together withthe presents which he confided to his care. Withmany bows, Chang the Golden retired from thehall, and entering his sedan, was borne swiftly tohisdestination.Notso swiftly, however, but that a messenger hadpreceded him to announce his approach to the ex-Prefeel s aide-de-camp, who was awaiting his arrivalin the outer courtyard. The instant the messenger

LE MINGS MARRIAGE. 213came, word was sent in to the ex -Prefect, whoreached the front door just as ('hang the Golden "ssedan arrived in front of it. "Lai lot" (he hascome !) shouted the porters, as they threw open thecentral doors ; and at the same time the ex-Prefectstepped outside to receive the welcome guest. Asmall knot of spectators, who, attracted by the evidentpreparations which had been made, had collectedto see who the expected stranger could be,were greatly edified at the low bows which wereexchanged by the host and his guest, and by theglimpse they caught of the easy courtesy with whichMr Yang ushered young Chang through the outercourtyard, before the heavy doors were again swungback in their faces.The house had been in the possession of the headof the Yang clan for many generations, and was ofconsiderable pretensions. In the outer courtyard,on the east and west sides of which were servants'rooms, stood a number of ornamental shrubs inimmense wooden tubs, while in the middle theresplashed a fountain. A passage through a hall atthe northern end of this courtyard led into anotherwhich was gay with flowers, and at the northern endof which was the hall to which Mr Yang conductedhis guest, followed by the aide-de-camp and two orthree servants in full official livery. On reachingthe middle of the hall, Chang the Golden, who hadentered on the left of his host, faced eastwards andhanded to him Le's letter, at the same time brieflydescribing its contents, while the servants spread theceremonial gifts on a table especially prepared for2 E

214 CHINESE STORIES.the occasion. Mr Yang, having made an obeisancenorthwards towards the family altar, took theletterwith a deep reverence from Chang, who bowed andmade as though he would retire, saying, " I willtrouble you no further, but beg to be allowed todepart."The aide-de-camp, however, herestepped forward,and invited him to a room at the side of the courtyard,where he besought him to stay his footstepstor a few minutes. The young men w T ere acquaintancesof long standing, and the half-hour they nowspent in each other's company passedquickly enoughin conversation over the coming event, accompaniedby sips of tea and whiffs of their tobacco-pipes.Meanwhile Mr Yang, having; first laid the letterupon a table before the family altar, again raised it,and opening the envelope, read as follows :"My unworthy son's name is Ming, and, bowinghis head, he pays his respects to you." Respectfully I beg that your Excellency maydeign to be kind, and not reject these cold and meanadvances, but may listen to the proposal of the gobetween,and be pleased to bestow your beloveddaughter in marriage on the son of your servant.Let us, I beseech you, fulfil the ritual to the letter,and respectfully cast the horoscopes of your honourable!daughter and my unworthy son, that by faithfulat lent ion to the wedding ceremonies we may weldtogether a compact which shall unite our families fora century to come. I send herewith a few paltrypresents, in accordance with usage, and I pray yourExcellency to cast the light of your countenance upon

le ming's marriage. 2 1 5them. I will say no more, but merely append tliedate of my son's birth, which was at the hour of theRat (between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.), on the 7th day ofthe 9th month of the 10th year of the reign of Heenfung(I860)."In a short invocation Mr Yang informed the spiritsof his deceased ancestors of the contents of the letter,and of his intention to accept the proposal for hisdaughter's hand ;and with a prayer for their blessingon the union, and a prostration before the altar, hereturned to his study, where, taking pencil in hand,he wrote this reply:"Humbly I rejoice that you have listened to thewords of the go - between, and have selected thedaughter of your slave to be the bride of your honourableheir. I quite agree with you that we shouldproceed in accordance with the rites, and thus cementan alliance which shall last for all time. I am perfectlyashamed to offer in exchange for your lustrouspresents the paltry turnip-like things which I nowventure to send, and upon which I beg that you willdeign to cast a glance. My daughter was born at thehour of the Dragon (between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m.), onthe 21st day of the 3d month of the 4th year of thereign of Tung-che (1865)."This epistle, which was written on delicately tintedsheets of paper on which were stamped sprays ofplum-blossom, the emblems of marriage, having beenenfolded in a handsome envelope to match, was carriedby Mr Yang to the hall, whither the aide-decamphad already reconducted Chang the Golden.Here the principals took up the same positions as

21GCHINESE STORIES.before, and, with a profound bow, the ex -Prefecthanded the document to Chang, who received itwith every expression of respect, and having givenirinto the charge of a servant, begged leave to retire.This he well knew Mr Yang would not allow, andwas prepared with an acceptance when his host invitedIiim to a repast in the outer hall. As a matterof course, though not until he had protested vehemently,Chang the Golden occupied the seat ofhonour on the left of his host. The sweetmeatsand viands were all good, and the wine was excellent: so that, although Mr Yang was not a manafter the Golden One's heart, that worthy succeededin enjoying himself. Love for the Confucian classicswas the only bond of union between the two men.The one was by nature coldand austere, and havingspent many years in official life, his natural reservehad grown upon him until lie had become as uncommunicativea man as it was possible to meet with.Chang, on the other hand, was of a rollickingnature,and found an even greater delight in a convivialsupper than in achapter of the 'Confucian Analects.'After a few vain attempts to break the ice, Changdetermined to devote his attention to his plate andcup; and so gratifying were their contents to histaste that it was with some unwillingness that, when(lie wine had been passed round thrice, he rose totake his leave.With much formality Mr Yang conductedhim to the door, and bade him adieu, withmany bows, at the side of his sedan-chair..Mi- Le was delighted with the account broughtback by Chang of the reception he had met with

LE MING''S MARRIAGE. 217from Mr Yang, and having read that gentleman'sanswer, lie spread it on the family altar for theinformation of those unseen but ever present membersof his household who, though dead, yet spake,and who were as real and 'living personages in theimaginationof the worshipper as when they walkedthe halls of the family dwelling in corporeal form.An inward consciousness assured him that theseguardian's of his household approved of theproposedalliance, and he therefore at once sent for a Taoistpriest to cast the horoscope of the youthful couplefrom their nativities.Mr Yang also followed exactlythe same course, and, as it happened, sent for anotherpriest of Tao from the same temple. By a privateunderstanding; these worthies, having extracted thelargest possible amounts from their patrons by meansof threatened difficulties, agreed to a favourable reporton the destinies of the young people. Theyfurther earned an additional fee by choosing a luckyday for the interchange of a formal engagement.At one moment there was a danger that this mightnever be entered upon, for on the very day afterthe horoscopes had been cast, Mrs Le, in dustingher china ornaments, dropped from her hands oneof her most cherished bowls, and broke it into athousand pieces. Horror-stricken at the ill omen,she was at first inclined to forbid the banns ; butin talking the matter over with her less superstitioushusband, it was agreed between them that themarriage offered so many positive advantages that itwould be a pity to break it off for an idea. Sothe incident was suppressed, and Mr Le set about

218 CHINESE STORIES.preparing the presents which were to be the sealof the engagement.Willi great care lie chose, with the help of his wife,six silken dresses befitting the Variegated Swallow'sfuture rank as wife of a Siu-ts'ai, six ornaments consistin-'- of bangles and earrings, and eight boxes ofcakes. Having carefully packed these in red-lacquerboxes, each inscribed with a complex character meaning"double happiness," he despatched them, borneby servants dressed in red tunics, together with apair of engagement-cards, adorned with a dragon anda phoenix, and a complimentary letter addressed totheex-Prefect, all of which he again intrusted to thecare of Chang the Golden.After another formal interviewand silent meal, the ambassador was glad tohurry hack, bearing asuitable reply, to the more congenialhousehold of his principal, where a place waskept for him at the dinner which was spread tocelebrate the engagement.A few days later another procession left the Lemansion. This time Chang the Golden's sedan-chairwas followed by another and a larger band of redtunickedmen bearing on bamboo poles red-lacquerboxes containing ladies' ornaments and knick-knacks,a couple of wild geese, a sheep, and jars of wine.On his arrival at Mr Yang's house he was metby that gentleman, as at other times, at the doorway,and was conducted to the hall, where, aftera few complimentary remarks, Air Yang beggedthai lie would name a day for the marriage. Inanswer to this cue Chang produced from the foldsof a ivd cloth a letter, which Mr Yang, having

LE MINGS MARRIAGE. 219first laid on the family altar, opened and read asfollows :" Humbly and joyfully I congratulate myself thatyour Excellency lias given your consent to the marriageof your beloved daughter to my unworthy son,who is now longing to go forth to meet her. Let me,therefore, beseech your Excellency to choose a fortunateday for their nuptials.Should you not alreadyhave determined upon one, I venture to suggest the15th day of the 9th month of the present year. Ibeg to hand you herewith a few trifling presents,and trust that they may not be utterly beneathyour notice."Exactly thesame formalities were observed in thedelivery of this letter as on the former occasion, andafter a similar delay in the aide-de-camp's room and arepetition of the same ceremonious repast, Chang theGolden returned to Mr Le bearing this reply :" Prostrate I received your felicitous commands.The emblematic geese are in my cold hall. But Ilong for a respite, for the thought of the separationfrom my daughter is more than I can bear. I prayyou to overlook my shame, and tocontemptible presents.receive kindly myAs to the time you name forthe marriage, I should not dare to oppose your decision,but listen reverently for your orders to assistas may be necessary.On my knees I beseech you tolook down on this epistle."As the eighth month was already far advanced,not much time was left to the parents of the youngpeople for the completion of all the necessary arrangements; and while the Variegated Swallow, her sisters,

( 1 1 1 NES STORIES.: 1female cousins, and servants daily wept with loudlamentations at the prospecl of her removal from herold home, Le Ming was entertaining his friends in aseries of banquets. Ob the day immediately precedingthe wedding, a procession of porters arrived atMr Le's door, bearing on open trays the trousseau ofthe bride, together with a basket, a broom, curtains,cushions, a mattress, and other things for domesticuse. These objects were both numerous and handsome:and as the procession had paraded the principalstreets on its route, the people in the neighbourhoodhad ample opportunities of admiring the liberality ofMr Yang.Just as the evening was closing in, a letter wasbrought to Ming by a travelling merchant, who saidhe had been strictly enjoined to give it into the handsof Ming by agentleman whose name he had forgotten,,ii a town he had stopped at for the night two daysbefore. He added that he should be starting on hisreturn by the same road thenext morning, and thatif Ming would send an answer to his inn, it shouldbe faithfully delivered. Ming recognised the handwritingas that of his former companion and competitorin the examination-halls, Wang, who, havingfailed to take his degree, had entered his uncle's bankin a neighbouring prefecture as accountant. Glad tolind that his friend had not forgotten him, Mingopened the envelope and read as follows:" I rejoice that the male and female phoenixes singin harmony, and that you are within reach of thefeathery verdure of the matrimonial peach, andwithin sight of the river's banks. May every joy

LE MINGS MARRIAGE. 221attend you ! Let not any coldness or backwardnesson your part mar your joys, and may heaven andearth combine to give you progeny ! And now I praythat the heavenly chanticleer may 1delay his crowing,and that the river drum 2may not break in upon yourslumbers."Ming, who was in high good-humour, was delightedat receiving the good wishes of his friend, and withoutloss of time he retired to his study and thuswrote in reply:" It is true that I have now harmoniously arrangeda well-assorted marriage, and that the silken threadswhich entwined our feet have done their work. Itnow, therefore, only remains for me to hope that, asthe ode says, ' the dawn may be darkened.' I wasovercome with gratitude when Iread your letter, thewords of which are engraved on my heart. I thankyou for the wish it contains that the heavenly chanticleermay forget to crow, and that the river drummay leave me undisturbed. Did these wishes originatefrom a recollection of a similar period in your"own existence ? Ha, ha !It was late before the last light was put out at Le'shouse, while at Yang's the friends of the bride wailedwithout ceasing throughout the night. As to thebride herself, she was sent off to bed early in preparationfor the morrow. But at early dawn theservants and work-people in both houses were astir.Mr Le had portioned off two courtyards, which ad-1This is an allusion to the belief that the cocks are set crowing eachmorning by a heavenly chanticleer, who crows at earliest dawn.2The morning star.2 F

222 CHINESE STORIES.joined the principal buildings of his mansion, for hisson's use, and to these rooms the carpenters andupholsterers had given their final touches on theprevious .veiling. On the wedding morning theservants took possession, and devoted their firstcareto the preparation of the wedding - feast. In theprivate apartment they set out two tables, one facingeasl and the other west, on which they placed fruit,vegetables, ajar ofwine, four cups, and the weddinggoblet. The legs of the two tables they bound togetherwith threads of red silk, and on the threadsthey hung two silver bells to tinkle sweet harmony.All these and other preparations occupied thegreater part of the day, and as the evening advanced,Ming, who was already dressed in full canonicals,was summoned to the family hall, where hefound his father awaiting him. Having graciouslyreceived the homage of his son, Mr Le handed him,while yet on his knees, " the parting cup," filled withthe choicest wine of Suchow. This Ming drainedto the dregs, and returned empty to the ever-presentChang the Golden, who stood by ready to take it,•'And now, my son," said his father, " as you wishto go in person to receive your bride, go forth, andmay every blessing attend you. As soon as }~ouhave crossed the threshold I shall betake myself tothe family altar, there to inform the spirits of myancestors of the events of this day." " I obey,"replied .Mine-; and rising from his knees he went out,followed by ('hang Kill carrying a pair of live wildgeese under his arms,—for Ming was determined tohave tie' real thing, and none of the artificial sym-

LE MINGS MARRIAGE. 223bols common on such occasions. Before the frontdoor the wedding procession had already been dulymarshalled. In front were twelve drummers andmusicians ; behind these stood two servants carryinglighted candles, for by this time it was dusk ; nextcame Ming's and Chang's horses, followed by servantsand bannermen ; and last of all came the bride's sedanchair,richly carved, adorned with many colours andbright with gay fringes. As Ming mounted his steedand the procession started, the musicians struck upa sonorous and appropriate air, which attracted acrowd of sightseers along the route.Meanwhile the Variegated Swallow had been goingthrough the formalities proper to the occasion.having been attiredAfterin her wedding garments by theprofessional Instructress of matrimony, who had beenengaged for the occasion, she also went to receivea parting cup at the hand of her father ; but, lessfortunate than Ming, she was doomed to listen onher knees to a long lecture on the duties of her newposition, in which implicitherobedience to the orders ofhusband and dutiful attention to her father- andmother-in-law were duly insisted upon. This exhortationended, her mother had scarcely time to saya few words of supplementary wisdom when a servantcame to say that the bridegroom's procession wasapproaching.Instantly the ex-Prefect hurried to thefront door, while the bride betook herself again to herbedroom, to add the last finishing touches to herdress.The meeting between Mr Yang and Ming, asthe latter dismounted from his horse, was ceremoniousand cordial, and the ex-Prefect lavished most unusual

1>24 CHINESE STORIES.compliments on his guest, who, with a wild-gooseunder each arm, had some difficulty in performingthe necessary bows as lie accompanied his host tothe hall of audience. The scene at this moment wasbustling and bright. The courtyard was full of themale friends of the Yang family, all dressed in theirmost brilliant robes, while those among them whowere or had been holdersof office wore on their capsthe coloured buttons of their ranks, to which, in theciMS of some who had distinguished themselves, wereattached peacocks' feathers of one, two, or three"eyes," according as the wearers had earned a greateror less amount of the Emperor's approval. Insidethe hall, under the glazed tilesof the roof, were visible the richand upturned cornersred hangings of thefurniture, the delicate tracery and exquisite carvingof the doorway, and numerous priceless curiositiesarranged artistically about the room ;while countlessservants moved to and fro bearing the nuptial giftsbrought by the guests, and attending to the wantsof all.Through this throng the ex-Prefect led Ming upthe steps into the hall. All eyes w T ere now turnedto the two men as they walked with measured paceto the centre of the hall and stopped. The ex-Prefect,with a slight inclination of his head, then turnedtowards -Ming, who still kept his face northwards;while ('hang the Golden, taking the geese fromMing's arms, quickly tied their legs together withred silk, and placed them in position on the ground.Mr Yang's aide-de-camp now stepped forward, andwith a bow presented a. goblet of wine to Ming, who

LE MINGS MARRIAGE. 225poured from it a libation to the bound birds, accompanyingthe action with a loto/r towards thefamily altar.At this moment, from behind the screen which concealedthe doorway at the northern end of the hall,entered the Variegated Swallow, whose features andeven form were completely hidden under a red silkenveil, which at the last moment the Instructress hadinvisibleto her as she was to him. and it was only,therefore, by the guidance of her two attendants,who supported her one on each side, that she wasable to advance and bow in the direction of the spotwhere her future husband stood. While Ming wasgazing with eager curiosity on the figure before him,the attendants cried in chorus, " Bridegroom, bowyour bride departs." Thus recalled to a sense of hisduties, Ming returned the poor Variegatedthrown over her head. This veil made Mi noasSwallowsreverence, and inviting her to accompany him, leftthe hall, followed by his bride. On reaching thedoorway the bride's two attendants, who had beenparticularly selected for the office as being " womenof luck," with husbands and children living, liftedthe helpless Variegated Swallow into the chair andcarefully shut the door. Again the chorus chanted," Bridegroom, mount your horse and go before thechair ; " and, again obedient to the cue, Ming didas he was bidden. At the same moment the processionstarted on its return journey, the musiciansin front performing an air of triumph. Only oneaddition was made to the cavalcade, and that wasthe sedan-chair of the bride's youngest brother, which

2 2G CHINESE STOEIES.followed immediately behind his sister's more gorgeousconveyance.< >n arriving at the door of his house, Ming dismountedand stood ready to receive his bride, whose sedanwas carried to the door between the lines of musiciansand bannermen, who on halting had formed up oneither side of the road. As the chair was deposited,Ming stepped forward rather nervously and tappedt lie door of the chair with his fan. The summons wasanswered by the Instructress, who opened the doorand handed out the trembling Variegated Swallow,who was still enshrouded in her impenetrable veil.With the help of an attendant theInstructress liftedher bodily over a pan of lighted charcoal which stoodon the threshold, while at the same time a servantwent through the form of offering her some rice andpreserved fruits. At one time Ming had intended toreceive the homage of his bride on entering; the house,as was the custom of the neighbourhood, but notfinding any sanction for the practice in the ' Rituals,'he determined to dispense with it ; and he thereforeat once conducted his bride to the ancestral hall,where already the attendants had spread two prayermatsmi the floor. As Ming took up his position onthe eastern mat, the Instructress led the VariegatedSwallow to the western mat, and ala signal from themaster of the ceremonies the pair fell on their kneesbefore the ancestral altar, while Ming repeated thefollowing invocation :'The relation of man and wife is that of the higheslimportance; and of all the rites marriage is themosl estimable, since from it How successive genera-

Wn'oLE MING 8 MARRIAGE. 227tions. Acting on my father's command, I have marrie< 1Yang-Tsai-yen ; and in obedience to the lots cast beforethe altars of our respective ancestors, we have onthis day completed the ceremony. We now offer upthis information to you. beseeching you, at the sametime, to help, and bestow your gifts upon, this wellorderedhouse and harmonious family."At a word from the master of the ceremonies the pairnow rose to their feet, and again at another word ofcommand prostrated themselves in humble adorationto heaven and earth. Again they rose, and oncemore knelt to call down the blessings of the householdgods on their union. This concluded the religiouspart of the ceremony ;and as the da}' had beena long one, and the formalities endless, even Ming,ritualist as he was, was glad to think that they hadnearly performed their task. As for the poor VariegatedSwallow, whose cramped feet made every movementwearisome, and whose long silken veil effectuallyexcluded every breath of air, she was wellnigh readyto sink down from heat and fatigue.Gladly, therefore,they retired to their private apartment, where,though servants were constantlv bustling inand out,guided by the orders of the Instructress, they wereto be allowed a few minutes' respite. An additionalinterest also attached to the adjournment in Ming'seyes, as now for the first time he was to see the faceof his bride.The apartment was a large one. In the centrewere placed the two tables which had already beenprepared facing one another, while against the backwall stood the mat-covered bedstead which, denuded

22SCHINESE STORIES.as it was of all bed furniture with the exception ofthe curtains, looked less like a bedstead than a divan,the purpose of whirl) it was now intended to serve,and for which it might have been mistaken had it notbeen for various mottoes hung about it, such as,••May a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons beyour portion." Slowly—too slowly for Ming's impatience—the instructress led the Variegated Swallow tothe back of the tables, and slowly lifted the veil fromher head, when she stood revealed before her husband.The moment was a trying one. Custom had forbiddenNo hennaher to paint or adorn her face in anyway.grave lustre to her eyes, or relieved the black rimswhich fatigue had imprinted around them. No rougeadded colour to her pale cheeks, nor was there a traceof powder to conceal the somewhat yellow tinge whichthe heat of the day and the natural bilious hue of hercomplexion had together produced. Conscious of thedisadvantages under which she appeared, and naturallynervous at having to face Ming's inspection, thepoor Variegated Swallow looked shy and awkward,and was once or twice on the point of bursting intotears. Ming on his part was certainly disillusioned,but he was not much accustomed to the presence ofyoung ladies.His two sisters were the only maidensof his own rank with whom he had ever been broughtinto contact, and nature had not endowed them bountifully.It was true that he had occasionally caughtglimpses in the streets and temples of ladies very unlikehis sisters in appearance, but they had alwaysseemed to him as something visionary; whereas herewas his bride standing before him in very substance,

LE MINGS MAERIAGE. 229and being a young man of a kindly disposition, hefelt compassion for the nervous shyness of the poortrembling maiden. He spoke to her encouraginglyand cordially, therefore, and seated her on the bedsteaddivan. The Instructress watched this processwith superstitious eyes, and remarked with inwardsatisfaction that the Variegated Swallow had seatedherself on the lappet of Ming's robe." Dull as she undoubtedly is," said the Instructressto herself, " it is plain that she has sense enough torule in this house."At this moment the servants announced that thefeast was ready, and Ming sat down at the easterntable opposite his bride. In the courtyard, outsidethe open doors of the apartment, tablesfor the guests, who had no sooner taken theirwere spreadplacesthan there broke forth a continual clatter of chopsticks,wine-cups, and conversation, after the mannerof wedding-feasts. The appearance and conduct ofthe bride were freely observed and criticised ;and asetiquette forbade her to eat anything, she had to gothrough the trial of sitting motionless, and of enduringthe gaze of her husband opposite and of the guests inthe courtyard. So soon as Ming's appetite was appeased,the Instructresspresented him with the weddinggoblet in which to pledge his bride, who in her turnreceived the same goblet, replenished, from the handsof Chang the Golden, and timidly returned the pledgeof her husband. With this ceremony the feast cameto an end, and the newly married pair rose from thetable. The Variegated Swallow betook herself to thedivan, and Ming, afterexchanging a few words with2 g

230 CHINESE STORIES.her, went out to join the revellers in the courtyard.As he passed out of the door it was shut behind himl>v the [nstructress, who remained in full possessionto make such alterations as were necessary to fit theroom for its original purpose.The presence of Ming added zest to the revel in thecourtyard, which was by this time becoming rathertame. To have the bridegroom in person at whom tolaunch their jokes and sallies was the vinegar to thesalad of their wit, while his somewhat clumsy attemptsto answer their attacks served only to stimulate theirmirth. Altogether this part of the entertainmentwas not, in Ming's opinion, a success, and he was byno means sorry to bid adieu to the last guest.Tiredthough he was, however, his countenance brightenedand his spirits rose as he turned towards his bride'sapartment. As he entered the room the Instructresswas in the act of bidding good-night to the VariegatedSwallow, Avho seemed unwilling to part fromher only remaining link with her old home." You won't be far off? " she whispered."No," replied the Instructress; "I shall sleep onyour door-mat, so as to be at hand if you want me."The faithful and weary woman was true to herword, and in five minutes the rays of the full moonshone through the lattice of the window on her sleepingform coiled up at the door of the bridal chamber.

231A BUDDHIST STORY.[The following story is of Buddhist origin, and has referenceto the doctrine of the transmigration of souls. Accordingto this tenet ofthe faith every soul passes through a varietyof existences, the conditions of the successive states of whichdepend on the amount of merit or demerit acquired in theprevious life. Those who have done good pass into higherspheres of enjoyment and prosperity, while those who havedone evil descend in the scale of creation by leaps and bybounds. Thus, a man who has kept most of the commandmentsof Buddha, but failed in others, may expect to beborn a horse or one of the more respectable animals in Insnext state of existence ; while one who has persistentlybroken the whole law, may think himself fortunate if hereappears as a fish or a dog. This doctrine, which representsall animated creation as being one and interchangeable,makes the killing of animals acts of murderand of possible impiety. For how can one be sure that inkilling an ox or a horse one is not murdering a friend who,when a man, may have failed in some of his religiousduties ? or in crushing a beetle, that one is not cuttingshort the career of a near but perhaps dissolute relative ?Eating animal flesh, of course, only adds to the crime ofmurder, and in the following pages we see how very easilyMr Le may have eaten his old friend Sin.]

232 CHINESE STORIES.SO^NIE years ago there lived in the village of"Everlasting Felicity," in the province of " TheFour Streams," two officials, who from differentcauses had been relieved from the necessity ofserving their country and their emperor. Mr Le,the elder of the two, was a somewhat heavy andmorose man—one in whom it was difficult to saywhet her his appetite for his creature-comforts or hisindifference to the feelings and opinions of his fellowmenpredominated. In the last post which he hadhad the honour to fillhe had been charged, his friendssaid unjustly, with having inflicted on innocent personsillegal torture, some refinements of which hademanated from his not otherwise inventive brain, andof having levied blackmail with so greedy a hand thatthepeople had been driven to the verge of rebellion."When the storm was about to break Le wisely retiredto the village of "Everlasting Felicity," carrying withhim quite a little fortune which he had neither inheritednor had saved out of his official income.Mr Sin, the younger of the two, was of an impulsiveand a rather erratic nature. As an officialhis chief fault was the restlessness of hisadministration.He worried the people in his district ; andwhen the infliction of constant worry is combinedwith an itching palm, even the sluggish Chinesenature will after a time turn on the worrier. Andso it came about that he was recommended by hissuperiors to resign; and he also, having gatheredtogether his ill-gotten goods, found his way to thesame haven of rest to which Mr Le had turned hisfootsteps.

A BUDDHIST STORY. 233The similarity of their fates induced these twoworthies to set up house together. Both being rich,they surrounded themselves withevery comfort, andspent their leisure in entertaining those of theirneighbours who could entertain them in return, andin discussing the ineffable wisdom of the moralmaxims of Confucius. While pursuing the eventenor of this most inestimable way, it chanced thatMr Sin, having exposed his clean-shaven head undulyto the sun, fell sick of a fever. Mr Le, thoughannoyed at the circumstance—for he was expectingsome rich friends to dinner that day—sent for a doctorand gave generally directions that Sin was tobe looked after. In answer to the call the doctorarrived. He was an old man and lean, perhaps frommuch study, and he wore a pair of large horn-rimmedspectacles. His first glance at his patient showedhim that the hot principle in Sin's nature was ridingrough-shod over the cold principle, and had completelyupset the equilibrium which should be maintainedin all well - regulated constitutions. Thesymptoms of high fever were so plain that hethought it unnecessary even to feel the patient'spulse, but at once prescribed a decoction of powdereddeer horns and dragon'sblood, with pills made fromhare's liver, to be taken at intervals. Before leavingthe house he took Ting, Sin's valet, aside, and toldhim that on no account was he to leave his masteralone. "At any moment," said he, "he may becomedelirious, and then Buddha alone can say whathe may do."Ting promised, with many asseverations, that

234 CHINESE STORIES.nothing should induce him to leave his master'spresence for an instant. But even Chinamen occasionallyfail to act up to their professions, andwhen, after some restlessness, Sin fell off into a profoundsleep, Ting, hearing sounds of merriment inthe servants' quarters, persuaded himself that it would'•

A BUDDHIST STORY. 235noiselessly out to enjoy himself among his fellows.He had scarcely left the room, however, when Sinbecame restless again. He turned and twisted inbed and rolledhis weary and aching- head from sideto side."Hot, hot, hot!" he moaned; "my head burns,the pillow scorches ! I can't breathe ! The room issuffocating me ! Oh for a breath of the fresh air ofheaven in the fields and woods ! Why should I notgo and enjoy it ? I will ! " he exclaimed, and in aninstant he sprang out of bed, rushed out of the room,threw open the front door, and ran down the road intothe neighbouring meadows." Ah," he shouted as he threw himself on a bank." this is delicious ! Xow I can live and breathe.The air of heaven cools my throbbing head, and Iam myself again."But presently the air again became oppressive.Shooting pains pierced his brain. His skin burnedand his tongue became parched. " Oh," he cried,"the fire-demon has followed me here! What canI do to cool my tortured head \ If I might onlyplunge into a river of cold water I should be well."So saying, he rose from the bank and wandered onthrough woods and fields until, to his infinite delight,he saw before him a broad, cool, shining river."Now is my chance," he exclaimed, and withouta moment's hesitation he plunged into the rollingtide. Being an expert swimmer he dived to thebottom, then skimmed along the top, his queuelooking like an eel floating- behind him on the surface,and presently stretched himself out flat on the

236 CHINESE STORIES.water. "Ah," lic said >" tllis is happiness. Wnowould live on land who can live in water?" As lieed speaking, he heard close to him a kind ofgurgling chuckle, something between the noise madeby a person choking, and by water poured out of aRushed out of the room and ran do7

A BUDDHIST STORY. 237"You " ! replied the fish."And what do you see in me to laugh at?" heinquired,somewhat angrily."I heard what you said," answered the fish, "andthe idea of a man knowing what the delight ofliving in water is, was so ludicrous that it sent meinto a fit of laughter which has made me feel very«$4,s$;.-'~ :"Oh," he cried. " thefire demon has followed me here I " — Page 235.uncomfortable, for I am not much accustomed tolaugh."" So I should imagine from the hideous noise youmade," said Sin. " But tell me, how can you enjoythe water more than I do ?" Why, you are a stranger and a foreigner to theelement.For a few minutes you may enjoy swim-2 H

238 CHINESE STORIES.ming and diving, but your limbs would soon tire,those ugly limbs which make you look like a frog,though frogs have the advantage over you of movinghorizon (ally, while yon by some perversion in yournature are born to walk upright, for all the worldlike trees moving. And then, when you are hungry,you have to seek your food on land, while we, aswe glide swiftly through the rushing waters withoutfatigue, and almost without movement, findthe means of our nourishment in the midst ofourenjoyment."" If this is really so," said Sin, " I would givesomething to be like you."fish ?" Do you mean that you would like to become a" Yes ; I would give up all the money I squeezedout of the people when I was a magistrate to enjoythe river as you enjoy it."" Come with me, then," said the fish ; and turninground, he swam up-stream at such a pace that Sinwas obliged to call to him to stop." Ah !" he said, in a tone of pitying contempt, " Iforgot you were a man."After going for a few minutes at a reduced speed,the fish led the way into a small bay in the bank,where, surrounded by attendant fishes, lay a hugee;np whose size and gravity of deportment markedhim out as a ruler of his kind.As Sin's guide approached the monarch he indicatedreverence and submission by wrigglinghim in the mud.towards••May it please your Majesty," he began, "I have

A BUDDHIST STORY. 239found a poor man who wants very much to becomea fish. Knowing your infinite benevolence I haveventured to bring him into your august presence."So saying, he motioned Sin toapproach, who, beinganxious to propitiate the king, began wriggling inthe mud in imitation of his guide. But in so doing© ©he made such a commotion in the water and stirredup so much dirt that the fishes all began to choke,and his own eyes were so completely blinded that hecould not see where he was goino'." Ah ! " said the carp, " 1 forgot you were a man.'" Stop"! shrieked the king. " What are youdoing ? " Sin was glad enough to obey, and whenthe water had cleared a little he lay prone beforethe carp awaiting instructions."Are you really desirous of becoming a fish?"inquired the king, in a husky voice, for his throathad not quite recovered from the effects of Sin'swrio-o-linor;'I am, your Majesty," replied Sin."This gentle-

im240 CHINESE STORIES.man here has shown me that fishes alone can reallyappreciate life in streams, and as the slight taste ofthat existence which I am able to enjoy is so delightful,I am persuaded that the full enjoyment ofitmust be ravishing."You shall have your desire then," said the king,and turning to an attendant trout he told him to goand fetch a large fish's skin.Presently the messenger returned with a carp'sskin of a size which proved to be just the rightlength. At a word from the king the courtiers putSin into it, and having tucked him in with the exceptionof his hands and feet, fastened him up.Fora moment or two Sin felt very uncomfortable, butby degrees he became conscious of a physical changein his constitution. His limbs began to tingle andto lose their identities. His arms gradually contracted,while his hands flattened out and assumedthe shape of fins. His legs became welded together,and his feet by degrees took the form of a tail.Whenthis strange transformation was completed, Sin wasdesirous of trying his new powers, and so,with a bowand an expression of thanks to his Majesty, he turnedto swim off." Don't be in such a hurry," said the king ;" 1have a. word of advice to give you. Know, then, that'i i are always trying to catch us fishes, and thatthere are two methods which they especially employ-hook and net. Now, if ever you see a wormdangling in the water in the shape of a hook, don'ttouch it, for if you do you will be a dead fish; andit'ever you chance to see a net before you, turn round

A BUDDHIST STORY. 241and swim as fast as you can in the opposite direction,lest you should be caught in its meshes.""I thank your Majesty for your instructions,"answered Sin, " and your words shall be engravenon my " —he was going to say heart, but he wasnot sure whether fishes had hearts, and so he said"memory." So saying, and with a reverent wrigglein the mud, he turned down -stream. At first heexperienced some little difficulty, being unaware ofthe steadying force of his tail and fins. He waggedhis tail as a man would kick out his legs, and theresult was that instead of turning slightly, as was hisintention, to avoid a stick, he made a complete circuit.And he more than once threw himself on his back bythe too violent use of a fin. But by degrees he becamemaster of the situation, and swam fairly along,the cool water gently lashing his sides as he glidedswiftly with the current. Never in his life on earthhad he felt so fresh and invigorated. The sensationof activity and power in an element which constantlyrefreshed without stint and without foil wasexquisitely delightful. Every variety of movementadded fresh enjoyment to the enraptured Sin, whowas fairly entranced with the pleasures of his newexistence. After a time, however, he began to feelthe discomforts of hunger, and remembering that hehad now to seek his own food, he devoted his energiesto finding a worm. But whether through want ofskill in the kind of search, or from scarcity of worms,certain it is that he was eminently unsuccessful. Heprowled along the muddy banks, he dived down tothe bottom, and he peered among the rubbish collected

242 CHINESE STORIES.round the wrecks of punts and stumps of trees whichstrewed the bed of the river. But all in vain ;andwhat made his failure the more distressing was thathis appetite was becoming voracious.In one of his predatory expeditions he saw a worm,and at first his joy was intense ; but he was fain torecognise that it hung in the water inhook, and remembering thehe passed by on the other side.the shape of aking's words of warning,After many fruitless.swimmings to and fro, however, and when his strengthbegan to fail and his energies to slacken for want offood, it chanced that he again found himself face toface with the dandling worm which he had beforeavoided. "Eat it,'" whispered the demon of hungerin his ear ;" never mind what the old carp said. Heis a fish of a past generation, and has not the knowledgeand intelligence that we have. As to its shape,who ever saw a worm straight ? and see, its tail isquite wagging with enjoyment." " Or pain," suggestedprudence. " Not a bit of it," answered thedemon. "But if you are afraid of gulping it downaltogether, bite a bit off and then you can put itthe proof." Weakened by hunger, Sin yielded to thetemptation and nibbled off a piece. The taste of foodand the innocuousness of the first mouthful brokedown the little hesitation he bad left, and with greedymaws he swallowed the whole worm.Never was delight turned more instantly into pain.The hook, which had been concealed in the worm,pierced lhe roof of his mouth with an agonising prick.In bis pain and terror he tried to swim away, butevery movement, every writhe, added to his misery,to

A BUDDHIST STORY. 24:and to complete his horror, he found that he wasbeing pulled up towards the surface. When he hecameconscious of this he struggled violently, regardlessof the torture it entailed, but all in vain.In spite of his efforts he was drawn out of the"/« spite of his efforts he -was drawn out of the water.' 1 ''water, when, looking upwards, he saw, to his surpriseand relief, that his captor was his own boatman,^hang." Let me go this instant, Chang," he said. " I amnot a fish, but your master Sin. Take this horrid

244 CHINESE STORIES.hook out of my mouth and put me back in the waterat once."" Well," thought Chang, " I never heard a fishmake ;i noise like that before. But he is a wonderfullyfine one, and I will just take him hometo Mr I.e." So thinking, he seized the fish, torethe hook out of its jaws and threw it down in theboat."Ah, you scoundrel!" shouted Sin. "How dareyou treat your master in this way ? You have brokenmy jaw, and injured my side. I dismiss you frommy service. Put me back into the water."" I have heard old women tell tales of birds thattalked," said Chang, aloud, " but I will be bambooedif I don't think I have got hold of a fish that talks.But I daresay he will eat just as well as one thatdoesnot."" What are you talking about, you fool ? " said Sin." I am not a fish, but your master. Once again Iorder you to let me go." These brave words ill consortedwith the terror suggested by Chang's word" eat." The idea of being served up as a meal wasalmost more than he could endure.At this moment the boat touched the shore, andwithout more ado Chang lifted the fish by its gills,and stepped on to the bank.-Oh! oh! oh! you will kill me!" shouted Sin.••How dare you behave to me in this way? I willhave you flayed alive for this. Oh, for an hour ofmanhood!By this time Chang had learned to disregard thestrange noises made by the fish, and he trudged home

A BUDDHIST STORY. 245with it, full only of the thought of the "cumshaw " 'which Mr Le would probably give him for bringinghome so fine a carp. Sin, also, who was beginningto feel weak from pain and the absence of water,determined to reserve his energies until he shouldcome to his house, when he felt sure that the oldporter would certainly know him.On arriving at the gate, they were met by theporter, who, on seeing Chang and his prize, exclaimed," Hai-yah ! Chang, you are in luck to-day.What a splendid fish you have got ! Mr Le hasjust sent out to know whether you have broughtinanything.""Porter," said Sin, "I am not a fish, but yourmaster Sin, and this insolent fellow Chang has torturedme inexpressibly, and refuses to put me backin the river. I depend on you to take me back atonce.""Now, by Confucius! Chang," said the doorkeeper," you have got hold of a queer fish. Inever heard a carp growl and snuffle like that before.You had better take it in at once to Mr Le."Alas ! thought Sin, it is useless trying to makethese fools understand me. I must wait until I canexplain myself to Le. His opportunity soon came,for Chang carried off his prize straight to Mr Le'sapartment.Le." Well, Chang, what have you got there ? " asked" May it please your Excellency, I have broughtone of the finest carp T ever saw."1I.e., present.2 i

24GCHINESE STORIES." "Le;said Sin in the loudest voice he could nowcommand, "listen to me a moment. I am your" Hai-yah ! Chang, you air in luck to-day."friend Sin, and I put on this fish's skin merely totry what it is to be a fish. Alas ! I know now only

A BUDDHIST STORY. 247too well what that is. This villain Chang has torturedme beyond endurance. Tell him, as he willno longer obey me, to take me back to the river,as I should be glad now to resume my former shape.I have had enough of fins and scales." And hooksand worms, he might have added."Why, Chang, you have got hold of an extraordinarybeast. He grunts like a pig. However, Idaresay he will make a good dish." (" Oh !" groaned" Take him to the cook."" What ! eat your old friend Sin ? Impossible,Sin.)Le!""And tell him to split him open and grill him withsome of that hot sauce I had yesterday."" Le ! Le ! Le ! has it come to this—that you willeat your old friend ? " screamed Sin. " Alas thatmy end should be to be split open and grilled !Myonly chance now is that the cook may know me."But even this last hope was destined to be disappointed.As Chang handed the fish to the cook, Sinsaid, as loudly and asdistinctly as he could— " Cook,I am not a real fish, I am Mr Sin. I have alwaysbeen kind to you, cook, and I now beg you to takeme back to the river."" Your carp makes strange noises, Chang," said thecook, " but I will soon stop his grunting. Give methechopper."" Oh !spareme ! spare me my life !"screamed Sin.But, regardless of his cries, the cook complacentlyplaced him on the kitchen block, and lifting the chopper,gave him a violent blow on the head." !Oh " exclaimed Sin, sitting up in bed and thor-

248 CHINESE STORIES.oughly aroused, "what a knock I have given myhead against the bedpost"! At first he could scarcelyrealise that he was safe in his own bed, his sensationshad been so vivid. But at length he fell back witha sigh of relief, for, behold ! it was a dream.

249A FICKLE WIDOW.ADAPTED FROM THE CHINESE.[At the time when Plato and Aristotle were elaborating theirsystems of ethical and political philosophy, the Taoist philosophersof China were devoting their lives to the study ofmysticism, and to vain attempts to master the powers ofNature by the use of the philosopher's stone. One of themost noted of these searchers after immortality was a certainChwang Chow (circd B.C. 330), who is popularly believed tohave been endowed with rare supernatural gifts. Manyweird stories are told of his extraordinary powers, not theleast strange of which is the following, which is adaptedfrom the tale as told in the K'in koo k'e Kwan/ or Strange' 'Stories of Ancient and Modern Times.' The story has beentranslated into several languages, and in some of its detailsbears a resemblance to Voltaire's ' Zadig.' It may possiblyalso have inspired the author of " The Knight and the Lady,"in the Ingoldsby Legends.']'})T a distance from the capital, andin the peaceful retirement of thecountry, there dwelt many centuriesago a philosopher namedChwang, who led a pleasurable existencein the society of his thirdwife, and in the study of the doctrinesof his great master, Lao-tsze. ^Like manyphilosophers, Chwang had not been fortunate in his

250 CHINESE STORIES.early married life. His first wife died young; hissecond he found it necessary to divorce, on accountof misconduct ; but in the companionship of theLady Tien he enjoyed a degree of happiness whichhad previously been denied him. Being a philosopher,however, he found it essential to his peacethat he should occasionally exchange his domesticsurroundings for the hillsides and mountain solitudcs.On one such expedition he came unexpectedlyon a newly made grave, at the side of whichwas seated a young woman dressed in mourning,who was gently fanning the new mound. So strangea circumstance was evidently one into which a philosophershould inquire. He therefore approached thelady, and in gentle accents said, " May I ask whatyou are doing ]""Well," replied the lady, "the fact is that thisgrave contains my husband. And, stupid man, justbefore he died he made me promise that I would notmarry again until the soil above his grave shouldbe dry. I watched it for some days, but it got dryso very slowly that I am fanning it to hasten theprocess." So saying, she looked up into Chwang'sface with so frank and engaging a glance that thephilosopher at once decided to enlist himself in herservice.lie"^ our wrists are not strong enough for such work,"said, "let me relieve you at it."" By all means," replied the lady briskly. " Hereis the Jan, and 1 shall owe you an everlasting debt ofgratil ude if you will fan itdry as quickly as possible,"Without more ado Chwang set to work, and by the

A FICKLE WIDOW. 251exercise of his magical powers he extracted, everydrop of moisture from the grave with a few wavesof the fan. The lady was delighted with his success,and with the sunniest smile said, " How can I thankyou sufficiently for your kindness ! As a small markof my gratitude, let me present you with this embroideredfan which I had in reserve ; and as a tokenof my esteem Ireally must ask,"l/fe' lA^'you to accept f^ ^Lfone of my silverhair-pins." ^T^^^r""W i t hthesewords she presentedthe philosopherwiththe fan, anddrawing; outone of her ornamentedhairpins,she offeredit for his acceptance.The philosophertookthe fan, but,possibly havingthe fear of Lady T'ien before his eyes, he declinedthe pin. The incident made him thoughtful ; andas he seated himself again in his thatched hall, hesigheddeeply."Heir is thefan.. . . fan it dry as quicklyas possible."" Why are you sighing," inquired the Lady T'ien,who happened to enter at that moment, "and where

252 CHINESE STORIES.does the fan come from which you hold in yourhand?Tims invited, Chwang related all that had passedat the tomb. As he proceeded with the tale, LadyT'ien's countenance fell, and when he had concludedshe broke forth indignantly, inveighing against theyoung widow, whom she vowed was a disgrace to hersex.So soon as she had exhausted her vituperations,Chwang qnietly repeated the proverb, "Knowingi lien's faces is not like knowing their hearts."Interpreting this use of the saying as implyingsome doubts as to the value of her protestations,Lady T'ien exclaimed:" How dare you condemn all women as thoughthey were all formed in the same mould with thisshameless widow ? I wonder you are not afraid ofcalling down a judgment on yourself for such aninjustice to me, and others like me."" What need is there of all this violence ? " rejoinedher husband. " Now, tell me, if I were to die, wouldyou, possessed as you are of youth and beauty, becontent to remain a widow for five, or even threeTears ?}"" A faithful minister does not serve two princes, and.1 virtuous woman never thinks of a second husband,"sententiously replied the lady. " If fate were to derivethat you should die, it would not be a questionof three years or of five years, for never, so long aslife lasted, would I dream of a second marriao;e.""It is hard to say, it is hard to say," replied( ihwang."Do you think," rejoined his wife, "that women

A FICKLE WIDOW. 253are like men, destitute of virtue and devoid of justice? When one wife is dead you look out foranother, you divorce this one and take that onebut we women are for one saddle to one horse.Why do you say these kind of things to annoyme ḶWith these words she seized the fan and tore it toshreds."Calm yourself," said her husband;"I only hope,if occasion offers, you will act up to your protestations."Not many days after this Chwang fell dangerouslyill, and as the symptoms increased in severity, hethus addressed his wife" I feel that my end is approaching, and that it istime I should bid you farewell. How unfortunatethat you destroyed that fan the other day !have found ituseful for drying my tomb."Tou would}" Pray, my husband, do not at such a moment suggestsuch suspicions of me. Have I not studied the'Book of Kites,' and have I not learnt from it to followone husband, and one only ? If you doubt mysincerity, I will die in your presence to prove to youthat what I say, Isay in all faithfulness.""I desire no more," replied Chwang; and then, asweakness overcame him, he added faintly, "I die.My eyes grow dim."With these words he sank back motionless andbreathless.Having assured herself that her husband was dead,the Lady T'ien broke out into loud lamentations, andFor days andembraced the corpse again and again.2 k

254 CHINESE STORIES.nightsshe wept and fasted, and constantly dwelt inher thoughts on the virtues and wisdom of the deceased.As was customary, on the death of so learneda man as Chwang, the neighbours all came to offertheir condolences and to volunteer their assistance.Just as the last of these had retired, there arrived atthe door a young and elegant scholar, whose face waslike a picture, and'•There arrived a young cmd elegant scholar."whose lips lookedas though they hadbeen smeared withvermilion. He wasdressed in a violetsilk robe, and w T orea black cap, an embroideredgirdle,and scarlet shoes.His servant announcedthat hewas a Prince of theKingdom of Tsoo,and he himself addedby way of explanation" Some years agoI communicated to( 'liwang my desire to become his disciple. In furtheranceof this purpose I came hither, and now, to myinexpressible regret, I find on my arrival that mymaster is dead."To evince his respectful sorrow, the Prince at onceexchanged his coloured clothing for mourning gar-

A FICKLE WIDOW. 255ments, and prostrating himself before the coffin, struckhis forehead four times on the ground, and sobbedforth—" Oh, learned Chwang, I am indeed unfortunate innot having been permitted to receive your instructionsface to face. But to show my regard and affectionfor your memory, I will here remain and mournfor you a hundred days."With these words he prostratedhimself again fourtimes, while he watered the earth with his tears.When more composed, he begged to be allowed topay his respects to Lady T'ien, who, however, thricedeclined to see him, and only at last consented whenit was pointed out to her that, according to the mostrecondite authorities, the wives of deceased instructorsshould not refuse to see their husband's disciples.After then receiving the Prince's compliments withdowncast eyes, the Lady T'ien ventured just to castone glance at her guest, and was so struck by hisbeauty and the grace of his figure, that a sentiment.of more than interest suffused her heart. She beowclhim to take up his abode in her house, and whendinner was prepared, she blended her sighs with his.As a token of her esteem, so soon as the repast wasended, she brought him the copies of " The Classic ofNan-hwa," and the " Sutra of Reason and of Virtue,"which her husband had been in the habit of using,and presented them to the Prince. He, on his part,in fulfilment of hisdesire of mourning for his master,daily knelt and lamented by the side of the coffin,and thither also the Lady T'ien repaired to breatheher sighs. These constant meetings provoked short

256 CHINESE STORIES.conversations, and theglances, which on these occasionswere exchanged between them, gradually betookless of condolence and more of affection, as timewent on. It was plain that already the Prince washalf enamoured, while the lady was deeply in love.Being desirous of learning some particulars about herrii"aino- guest, she one evening; summoned his servantto her apartment, and having plied him withwine, inquired from him whether his master wasmarried."My master," replied the servant, "has never yetbeen married."" What qualities does he look for in the fortunatewoman he will choose for his wife ? " inquired the lady." My master says," replied the servant, who hadtaken quite as much wine as was good for him, "thatif he could obtain a renowned beauty like yourself,madam, his heart's desire would be fulfilled."" Did he really say so ? Are you sure you are tellingme the truth ? " eagerly asked the lady." Is it likely that an old man like myself w T ould tellyou a lie ? "replied the servant." If it be so, will you then act as a go-between, andarrange a match between us ?" My master lias already spoken to me of the matter,and would desire the alliance above all things, ifit were not for the respect due from a disciple to adeceased master, and for the animadversions to whichsuch a marriage would give rise.""But as a matter of fact," said the Lady Tien," the Prince was never my husband's disciple ; andas to our neighbours about here, they are too few and"

A FICKLE WIDOW.'Zoiinsignificant to make their animadversions worth athought.The objections having been thus overcome, the servantundertook to negotiate with his master, andpromised to bring word of the result at any hour ofthe day or night at which he might have anything tocommunicate.So soon as the man was gone, the Lady T'ien gaveway to excitedimpatience. Shewent backwardsand forwards tothe chamber ofdeath, that shemight pass thedoor of t h ePrince'sroom,and even listenedathis window,hoping tohear him discussingwithhisservant the proposedalliance." She went baclavards andfotiuards to the chamber ofdeath."All, however, was still until she approached thecoffin, when she heard an unmistakable sound ofhard breathing. Shocked and terrified, she exclaimed," Can it be possible that the dead has"come to life ao-ain !A light, however, relieved her apprehensions bydiscovering the form of the Prince's servant lying ina drunken sleep on a couch by the corpse. At any

258 CHINESE STORIES.other time such disrespect to the deceased would havedrawn from her a torrent of angry rebukes, but onthis occasion she thought it best to say nothing, andon the next morning she accosted the defaulter withoutany reference to his escapade of the night before.To her eager inquiries the servant answered that hismaster was satisfied on the points she had combatedon the preceding evening, but that there were stillthree unpropitious circumstances which made himhesitate," What are they ? " asked the lady." First," answered the man, " my master says thatthe presence of the coffin in the saloon makes it difficultto conduct marriao-e festivities in accordance withusage ; secondly, that the illustrious Chwang havingso deeply loved his wife, and that affection havingbeen so tenderly returned by her in recognition of hisgreat qualities, he fearsthat a second husband wouldprobably not be held entitled to a like share of affection; andthirdly, that not having brought his lugo-ao-e,he has neither the money nor the clothes necessarvto play the part of a bridegroom."" These circumstances need form no obstacle to ourmarriage," replied the lady."As to the first objection,I can easily have the coffin removed into a shed atthe back of the house ;then as to the second, thoughmy husband was a great Taoist authority, he was notby any means a very moral man. After his firstwife'sdeath he married a second, whom he divorced,and just before his own decease, he flirted outrageouslywith a widow whom he found fanning her husband'sgrave on the hill yonder. Why, then, should

A FICKLE WIDOW. 259your master, young, handsome, and a prince, doubtthe quality of my affection ? Then as to the thirdobjection, your master need not trouble himself aboutthe expenses connected with our marriage, Iwill providethem. At this moment I have twenty taels ofsilver in my room, and these I will readily give himto provide himself clothes withal. Go back, then,arid tell the Prince what I say, and remind him thatthere isno time like the present, and that there couldbe no more felicitous evening; for our marriage thanthat of to-day."Carrying the twenty taels of silver in his hand, theservant returned to his master, and presently broughtback word to the lady that the Prince was convincedby her arguments, and ready for the ceremony.On receipt of this joyful news, Lady Tien exchangedher mourning for wedding garments, paintedher cheeks, reddened her lips, and ordered some villagersto carry Chwang's coffin into a hut at the backof the house, and to prepare for the wedding. Sheherself arranged the lights and candles in the hall,and when the time arrived stood ready to receive thePrince, who presently entered, wearing the insigniaof his official rank, and dressed in a gaily embroideredtunic. Bright as a polished gem and a gold setting,the two stood beneath the nuptial torch, radiant withbeauty and love. At the conclusion of the ceremony,with every demonstration of affection, the Prince ledhis bride by the hand into the nuptial chamber.Suddenly, as they were about to retire to rest, thePrince was seized with violent convulsions. Hisface became distorted, his eyebrows stood on end,

260 CHINESE STOEIES.and lie fell to the ground, beating his breast withhis hands.The Lady Tien, frantic with grief, embraced him,rubbed his chest, and when these remedies failed torevive him, called in his old servant."Has your master ever had any fits like this before?"she hurriedly inquired."Often," replied the man, "and no medicineever"•The coffin removed.'alleviates his sufferings; in fact, there is only onething that does."" Oh, what is that ? " asked the lady."The brains of a man, boiled in wine," answeredthe servant. " In Tsoo, when he has these attacks,the king, his lather, beheads a malefactor, and takeshis lira ins to form the decoction; but how is it possibleImtc to obtain such a remedy?"

A FICKLE WIDOW.2G1"Will the brains of a man who has died a naturaldeath do ? " asked the lady." Yes, if forty-nine days have not elapsed since thedeath."" My former husband's would do then. He hasonly been dead twenty days. Nothing will be easierthan to open the coffin and take them out."" But would you be willing to do it ?" I and the Prince are now husband and wife. Awife with her bodyserves her husband,and should I refuseto do this for himout of regard forcorpse, which is fastbecoming dust ?So saying, she ^?fcLtold the servant tolook after his master,and seizing ah a tc h e t, w entstraight to the hutto which the corpseaThe Prince was seized with violentconvulsions.'"— Page 259.had been removed.Having arranged the light conveniently, she tucked upher sleeves, clenched her teeth, and with both handsbrought down the hatchet on the coffin -lid. Blowafter blow fell upon the wood, and at the thirty-firststroke the plank yielded, and the head of thecoffinwas forced open. Panting with her exertions, shecast a glance on the corpse preparatory to her furthergrim office, when, to her inexpressible horror, Chwang2 L

262 CHINESE STORIES.sighed twice, opened his eyes, and sat up. With apiercing shriek she shrank backwards, and droppedthe hatchet from her palsied hands."My dear wife," said the philosopher, "help metorise."Afraid to do anything else but obey, she assistedhim out of the coffin and offered him support, whilehe led the way, lamp in hand, to her chamber. Eememberingthe sight that would theremeet his eyes, the wretched woman'She . . . droppedthehatchet from her palsiedhands."trembled as they approached the door.What was her relief, however, to findthat the Princeand his servanthad disappeared.Taking;advantageof this circumstance,assumedwoman'ssheeverywile,and in softestaccents, said" Ever since your death you have been in mythoughts day and night. Just now, hearing a noisein your coffin, and remembering how, in the talesof old, souls are said to return to their bodies, thehope occurred to me that it might be so in your case,and I took a hatchet to open your coffin. ThankEeaven and Earth my felicity is complete; you areonce more by my side."'Many thanks, madam," said Chwang, "for your

A FICKLE WIDOW. 263deep consideration. But may I ask why you aredressed in such gay clothing."" When I went to open your coffin, I had, as I say,a secret presentiment of my good fortune, and Tdarenot receive you back to life. in mourning attire."" !Oh " replied her husband, " but there is oneother circumstance which I should like to have explained.Why was my coffin not placed in thesaloon, but tossed into a ruined barn ?To this question Lady T'ien's woman's wit failedto supply an answer. Chwang looked at the eupsand wine which formed the relics of the marriagefeast, but made no other remark thereon, except totell his wife to warm him some wine. This she did,employing allher most engaging wiles to win a smilefrom her husband; but he steadily rejected her advances,and presently, pointing with his finger overher shoulder,he said" Look at those two men behind you."She turned with an instinctive knowledge that shewould see the Prince and his servant in the courtyard,and so she did. Horrified at the sight, sheturned her eyes towards her husband, but he wasnot there. Again looking towards the courtyard shefound that the Prince and his servant had now disappeared,and that Chwang was once more at herside.Perceiving then the true state of the case, thatthe Prince and his servant were but Chwang' s otherself, which he by his magical power was able toproject into separate existences, she saw that allattempts at concealment were vain ; andtaking her

264 CHINESE STORIES.girdle from her waist, she tied itto a beam and hungherself on the spot.So soon as life was extinct Chwang put his frailwife into the coffin from which he had lately emerged,and setting fire to his house, burnt it with its contentsto ashes. The only things saved from theflames were the " Sutra of Reason and of Virtue," and" The Classic of Nan-hwa," which were found by someneighbours, and carefully treasured.As to Chwang, it is said that he set out as on ajourney towards the West. What his ultimate destinationwas is not known, but one thing is certain,and that is, that he remained a widower for the restof his life.

265A CHINESEGIKL GRADUATE.CHAPTEE I.wHO among thethree hundredmillion sons ofHan does notknow the s a y-ingThere's Paradise above,'tis truePut here below we'veHans: and Soo " 1 1And though no one will deny the beauty of thosefar-famed cities,they cannot compare in grandeur ofsituation and boldness of features with many of thetowns in the province of the " Four Streams." Foremostamong the favoured spots of this part of theempire is Mienchu, which, as its name implies, iscelebrated for the silky bamboos which grow in itsimmediate neighbourhood. These form, however,1Hano-chew and Soochew.

• astern266 CHINESE STORIES.only one of the features of its loveliness. Situatedat the foot of a range of mountains which rise throughallthe gradations from rich and abundant verdure tothe region of eternal snow, it lies embosomed in grovesof beech, cypress,and bamboo, throughthe leafy screensofwhich rise the upturnedyellow roofsof the temples andofficialresidences,which dot the landscapelike goldenislands in an emeraldsea ; while beyondthe wall hurries,between highand ruo-o-ed banks.oothe tributary of theFu river, whichbears to the mightywaters of theYangtsze - Ki -ang- the goodsand passengerswhich seek anmullet to theprovinces.The streets within the walls of the city are scenesof life and bustle, while in the suburbs stand theresidences of those who can afford to live in peace

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 267and quiet, undisturbed by the clamour of the Lesand Changs 1 of the town. There, in a situation" The streets within the walls . . . are scenes of busy life."which the Son of Heaven might envy, stands theofficial residence of Colonel Wen. Outwardly ithas all the appearance of a grandee's palace, and1I.e., the people. Le and Chang are the two commonest surnamesin China.

2 68 CHINESE STORIES.within the massive boundary-walls which surroundit, the courtyards, halls, grounds, summer-houses, andpavilions are not to be exceeded in grandeur andbeauty. The office which had fallen to the lot ofColonel Wen was one of the most sought after inthe province, and commonly only fell to officers ofdistinction. Though not without fame in the field,Colonel Wen's main claim to honour lay in the highdegrees he had taken in the examinations.His literaryacquirements gained him friends among the civilofficers of the district, and the position he occupiedwas altogether one of exceptional dignity.Unfortunately, his first wife had died, leaving onlykind than his first,a daughter to keep her memory alive ;but at thetime when our story opens, his second spouse, morehad presented him with a muchdesiredson. The mother of this boy w T as one ofthose bright, pretty, gay creatures who commonlygain the affections of men much older than themselves.She sang in the most faultless falsetto, sheplayed the guitar with taste and expression, and shedanced with grace and agility. What wonder, then,that when the Colonel returned from his tours of inspectionand parades, weary with travel and dust, heluu iid relief and relaxation in the joyous company ofEyacinth ! And was she not also the mother of his-n { Next to herself, there can be no question thatthis young gentleman held the chief place in the( 'oloiiel's affections ; while poor Jasmine, his daughterby his first venture, was left very much to her ownresources. No one troubled themselves about whatshe did, and she was allowed, as she grew up, to

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 209follow her own pursuitsand to give rein to herfancies without let orhindrance. From herearliest childhood one ofher lonely amusementshad been to dress as aboy, and so uncheckedhad the habit become,that she gradually driftedinto the characterwhich she had chosen toassume. She even persuadedher father to lether go to the neighbouringboys' school. Hermother had died beforethe Colonel had beenposted to Mienchu, andamong the people of thatplace, who had alwaysseen her in boy's attire,she was regarded as anadopted son of her father.Hyacinth was only tooglad to get her out ofthe way as much aspossible,and so encouragedthe idea of allowing; herto learn to read and writein the company of theirneighbours' urchins.2 Mhi a situation -whichthe Son of Heavenmight envy, stands theofficial residence ofColonel JVen."—Page267.

2 70 CHINESE STORIES.Being bright and clever, shesoon gained an intellectuallead among the boys, and her uncommonbeauty, coupled with the magnetism belonging toher sex, secured for her a popularity which almostamounted to adoration. She was tall for her age, asare most young daughters of Han; and her per-almond-shaped eyes, willow-leaf eye-fectly oval face,brows, small, well-shaped mouth, brilliantly whiteteeth, and raven-black hair,Bycompleted a face and figurewhich would have been noticeable anywhere.the boys she was worshipped, and no undertaking wastoo difficult or too troublesome if it was to give pleasureto Tsunk'ing, or the "Young Noble," as she wascalled ; for to have answered to the name of Jasminewould have been to proclaim her sex at once. Eventhe grim old master smiled at her through his hornspectacles as she entered the school-house of a morning,and any graceful turn in her poetry or scholarlydiction in her prose was sure to win for her hisunsparing praise. Many an evening he invited the" young noble " to his house to read over chaptersfrom Confucius and the poems of Le Taipoh ; andyears afterwards, when he died, among his mostcherished papers were found odes signed by Tsunk'ingin which there was a o-ood deal about bendingwillows, light, flickering bamboos, horned moons,wild geese, the sound of a flute on a rainy day, andthe pleasures of wine, in strict accord with themodels set forth in the 'Aids to Poetry-Making'which are common in the land.If ithad not been for the indifference with whichshe was treated in her home, the favour with which

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 271she was regarded abroad would have been mostprejudicial to Jasmine ; but any conceit which mighthave been engendered in the school-house was5s•*,^^speedily counteracted when she got within theportals of the Colonel's domain. Coming into the

272 CHINESE STORIES.presence of her father and his wife, with all theincense of kindness, affection, and, it must be confessed,flattery with which she was surrounded byher schoolfellows fresh about her, was like steppinginto a cold bath. Wholesome and invigorating thechange may have been, but it was very unpleasant,and Jasmine often longed to be alone to give ventto her feelings in tears.One deep consolation she had, however :she wasa devoted student, and in the society of her bookssheforgot the callousness of her parents, and, livingin imagination in the bygone annals of the empire,she was able to take part, as it were, in the greatdeeds which mark the past history of the State, andto enjoy the converse and society of the sages andpoets of antiquity. When the time came that shehad gained all the knowledge which the old schoolmastercould impart to her, she left the school, andformed a reading party with two youths of her ownage.These lads, by name Wei and Tu, had been herschoolfellows, and were delighted at obtaining herpromise to join them in their studies. So industriouslywere these pursued, that the three friendssucceeded in taking- their B.A. degree at the nextexamination, and, encouraged by this success, determinedto venture on a strug-gle for a still higherdistinction.Though at one in their affection for Jasmine, Tuand Wei were unlike in everything else, which probablyaccounted for the friendship which existedbetween them. Wei was the more clever of thetwo. He wrote poetry with ease and fluency, and

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 273his essays were marked by correctness of style andaptness of quotation. But there was a want ofstrength in his character. He was exceedingly vain,and was always seeking to excite admiration amonghis companions. This unhappy failing made himvery susceptible of adverse criticism, and at the sametime extremely jealous of any one who might happento excel him in any way. Tu, on the other hand,though not so intellectually favoured, had a roughkind of originality, which always secured for hisexercises a respectful attention, and made him atall times an agreeable companion. Having no exaggeratedideas of his capabilities, he never stroveto appear otherwise than he was, and being quiteindependent of the opinions of others, he was alwaysnatural. Thus he was one who was sought out byhis friends, and was best esteemed by those whoseesteem was best worth having. In outward appearancethe youths were as different as their characterswere diverse. Wei was decidedly good-looking, butof a kind of beauty which suggested neither restnor sincerity ;while in Tu's features, though there wasless grace, the want was fully compensated for by thestrength and honest firmness of his countenance.For both these young men Jasmine had a liking,but there was no question as to which she preferred.As she herself said, "Wei is pleasant enough as acompanion, but if I had to look to one of them foran act of true friendship—or as a lover," she mentallyadded, "I should turn at once to Tu." It wasone of her amusements to compare the young menin her mind, and one day when so occupied Tu

274 CHINESE STORIES.suddenly looked up from his book and said toher" What a pity it is that the gods have made usIf / were a woman, the object of myboth men !heart would be to be your wife, and if you were awoman, there is nothing I should like better thantobe your husband."Jasmine blushed up to the roots of her hairat having her own thoughts thus capped, as itwere ; but before she could answer, Wei broke inwith" What nonsense you talk ! And why, I shouldlike to know, should you be the only one the young'noble ' mightother sex ?choose, supposing he belonged to the" You are both talking nonsense," said Jasmine,who had had time to recover her composure, " andremind me of my two old childless aunts," sheadded, laughing, "who are always quarrelling aboutthe names they would have given their children ifthe goddess Kwanyin had granted them any halfa century ago. As a matter of fact, we are threefriends reading for our M.A. degrees, neither morenor less. And I will trouble you, my elder brother,"she added, turning to Tu, " to explain to me whatthe poet means by the expression ' tuneful Tunginthe line'The greedy flames devour the tuneful Tung.'A learned disquisition by Tu on the celebratedmusician who recognised the sonorous qualities of;i piece of Tung timber burning in the kitchen fire,

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 275effectually diverted theconversation from the inconvenientdirection it had taken, and shortly afterwardsJasmine took her leave.Haunted by the thought of what had passed, shewandered on to the verandah of her archery pavilion,and while gazing half- unconsciously heavenwards,her eyes were attracted by a hawk which flew pastand alighted on a tree beyond the boundary-wall,and in front of the study she had lately left. Ina restless and thoughtless mood, she took up herbow and arrow, and with unerring aim compassedthe death of her victim. No sooner, however, hadthe hawk fallen, carrying the arrow with it, thanshe remembered that her name was inscribed on theshaft, and fearing lest it should be found by eitherWei or Tu, she hurried round in the hope of recoveringit. But she was too late. On approaching thestudy, she found Tu in the garden in front, examiningthe bird and arrow." Look," he said, as he saw her coming, "what agood shot some one has made ! and whoever it is, hehas a due appreciation of his own skill. Listen tothese lines which are scraped on the arrow'Donot lightly draw your bow;But if you must, bring down your foe.'Jasmine was glad enough to find that he had notdiscovered her name, and eagerly exchanged banterwith him on the conceit of the owner of the arrow.But before she could recover it, Wei, who had heardthe talking and laughter, joined them, and took thearrow out of Tu's hand to examine it. Just at that

'276 CHINESE STOEIES.moment a messenger came tosummon Tu to his father's >|\presence, and he had no ,v * *«k"sooner gone than ^

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 277Who, among the goddesses of heaven, can Jasminebe?"" Oh, I will take the arrow then," said Jasmine.'•It must belong to my sister. That is her name."" I did not know that yon had a sister," said Wei." Oh yes, I have," answered Jasmine, quite forgetfulof the celebrated dictum of Confucius— " Be truthful.""She is just one year younger than I am,"she added, thinking itwell to be circumstantial." Why have you never mentioned her ? " askedWei, with animation. " What is she like ? Is sheanything like you ?"" She is the very image of me."" What ! In height and features and ways ?" The very image, so that people have often saidthat if we changed clothes each might pass for theother."" !What a good-looking girl she must be " saidWei, laughing. "But, seriously, I have not, as youknow, yet set up a household ; and if your sisterhas not received bridal presents, I would beg to beallowed to invite her to enter my lowly habitation.What does my elder brother say to my proposal ?" I don't know what my sister would feel about it,"said Jasmine. " I would never answer for a girl, if Ilived to be as old as the God of Longevity."" Will you find out for me ?" Certainly I will. But remember, not a wordmust be mentioned on the subject to my father, or,in fact, to anybody, until I give you leave.""So long as my elder brother will undertake forme, I will promise anything," said the delighted2 N""

278 CHINESE STORIES.Wei. " I already feel as though I were nine-tenthsof the way to the abode of the phoenix. Take thisbox ofprecious ointment to your sister as an earnestof my intentions, and I will keep the arrow as atoken from her until she demands its return. Ifeel inclined to express myself in verse. May I?""By all means," said Jasmine, laughing.Thus encouraged, Wei improvised as follows :—" 'Twas sung of old that Lofu had no mate,Though Che was willing ;for no word was said.At last an arrow like a herald came,And now an honoured brother lends his aid.""Excellent," said Jasmine, laughing."With sucha poetic gift as you possess, you certainly deserve abetter fate than befell Lofu."From this day the idea of marrying Jasmine's sisterpossessed the soul of Wei. But not a word did hesay to Tu on the matter, for he was conscious that,as Tu was the first to pick up the arrow throughwhich he had become acquainted with the existenceof Jasmine's sister, his friend might possibly lay aclaim to her hand. To Jasmine also the subject\vas an absorbing one. She felt that she was becomingmost unpleasantly involved in a risky matter,and that, if the time should ever come when she.should have to make an explanation, she might in1 on1our be compelled to marry Wei—a prospect whichtilled her with dismay. The turn events had takenbad made her analyse her feelings more than she hadever done before, and the process made her doublyconscious of the depth of her affection for Tu. "Ahorse," she said to herself, " cannot carry two saddles,

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 2 79and a woman cannot marry more than one num.Wise as this saw was, it did not help her out of herdifficulty, and she turned to the chapter of accidents,and determined to trust to time, that old disposer ofevents, to settle the matter. But Wei was inclinedto be impatient, and Jasmine was obliged to resort tomore of those departures from truth which circumstanceshad forced upon this generally very uprightyoung lady." I have consulted my father on the subject," shesaid to the expectant Wei, "and he insists on yourwaiting until the autumn examination is over. Hehas every confidence that you will then take yourM.A. degree, and your marriage will, he hopes, putthe coping-stone on your happiness and honour.""That is all very well," said Wei "; but autumn isa long time hence, and how do I know that yoursister may not change her mind ?" Has not your younger brother undertaken tolook after your interests, and cannot you trust himto do his best on your behalf ?" I can trust my elder brother with anything inthe world. It is your sister that I am afraid of," saidWei." But since you will undertake for her" No, no," said Jasmine, laughing, " I did not saythat I would undertake for her. A man who answersfor a woman deserves to have ' fool ' written on hisforehead."" Well, at all events, I will be content to leave thematter in your hands," said Wei.At last the time of the autumn examination drewnear, and Tu and Wei made preparations for their"

280 CHINESE STORIES.departure to the provincial capital. They were bothbitterly disappointed when Jasmine announced thatshe was not going up that time. This determinationwas the result of a conference with her father. Shehad pointed out to the Colonel that if she passed andtook her M.A. degree, she might be called upon totake office at any time, and that then she would becompelled to confess her sex; and as she was by nomeans disposed to give up the freedom which herdoublet and hose conferred upon her, it was agreedbetween them that she should plead illness and notgo up. Her two friends, therefore, went alone, andbrilliant success attended their venture. They bothpassed with honours, and returned to Mienchu toreceivethe congratulations of their friends. Jasmine'sdelight was very genuine, more especially as regardedTu, and the first evening was spent by the threestudents in joyous converse and in confident anticipationsof the future. As Jasmine took leave of thetwo new M.A. 's, Wei followed her to the outer doorand whispered at parting" I am coming to-morrow to make my formal proposalto your sister."Jasmine had no time to answer, but went home fullof anxiousand disturbed thoughts, which were destinedto take a more tragic turn than she had everanticipated even in her most gloomy moments. Thesame cruel fate had also decreed that Wei's proposalwas to be suspended, like Buddha, between heavenand earth. The blow fell upon him when he waslit i pin-himself in the garments of his new degree, inHe was in the act of tyingpreparation for his visit.

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 281his sasli and appending to it his purse and trinkets,when Jasmine burst into the young men's study,looking deadly pale and bearing traces of acutemental distress on her usually bright and joyouscountenance." What is the matter ? " cried Tu, with almost as" The first evening was spent by the three studentsin joyous converse."much agitation as was shown by Jasmine.what has happened."'" Oh ! my " sobbed Jasmine.father, my poor father !" Tell me" What is the matter with your father ? He is notdead, is he ? " cried the young men in one breath.

282 CHINESE STORIES.• No, it is not so bad as that," said Jasmine, "but agreat and bitter misfortune has come upon us. Asvon know, some time ago my father had a quarrelwith the Military fntendant, and that horrid manhas, out of spite, brought charges against him forwhich he was carried off this morning to prison."The statement of her misery and the shame involvedin it completely unnerved poor Jasmine, w T ho,l rue to her inner sex, burst into tears and rockedherself to and fro in her grief. Tu and Wei, on theirknees before her, tried to pour in words of consolation.Willi a lack of reason which mioht be excused underthe circumstances, they vowed that her father wasinnocent before they knew thenature of the chargesagainst him, and they pledged themselves to restneither day nor night until they had rescued himfrom his difficulty. When, under the influence oftheir genuine sympathy, Jasmine recovered somecomposure, Tu begged her to tell him of what herfatherwas accused."The villain," said Jasmine, through her tears,"has dared to say that my father has made use ofrovernment taxes, has taken bribes for reconimendino;Imen for promotion, lias appropriated the soldiers'ration-money, and has been in league with highwaymen."'•Is it possible ? " said Tu, who was rather staggeredby this long catalogue of crimes. "I should nothave believed that any one could have ventured tohave chargedyour honoured father with such things,least of all the Intendant, who is notoriously possessedof an itching palm. But I tell you what we can do

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 283at once. Wei and I, being M.A.'s, have a right tocall on the Prefect, and it will be a real pleasure to usto exercise our new privilege for the first time in yourservice. \Ve will urge him to inquire into the matter,and I cannot doubt that he will at once quash theproceedings."Unhappily, TVs hopes were not realised. The" Tu and Wei on their knees before her.Prefect was very civil, but pointed out that, since ahigher court had ordered the arrest of the Colonel, hewas powerless to interfere in the matter. Many werethe consultations held by the three friends, and muchpersonal relief Jasmine got from the support andsympathy of the young men. One hope yet re-

284 CHINESE STORIES.mained to her: Tu and Wei were about to go toPeking for their doctor's degrees, and if they passedfchey might be able tobring such influence to bear aswould secure the release of her father."Let not the 'young noble' distresshimself overmuch,"said Wei to her, with some importance."This affair will be engraven on our hearts andminds, and if we take our degrees we will use ourutmost exertions to wipe away the injustice which hasbeen done your father.""Unhappily," said the more practical Tu, "it istoo plain that the examining magistrates are all inleague to ruin him. But let our elder brother remainquietly at home, doing all he can to collect evidencein the Colonel's favour, while w T e will do our best atthe capital. If things turn out well with us there,our elder brother had better follow at once to assistus with his advice."Before the friends parted, Wei, whose own affairswere always his first consideration, took an opportunityof whispering to Jasmine, " Don't forget yourhonoured sister's promise, I beseech you. Whetherwe succeed or not, I shall ask for her in marriage onmy return."" Under present circumstances, w r e must no longerconsider the engagement," said Jasmine, shocked athis introducing the subject at such a moment, "andthe best thing that you can do is to forget all about11."The moment for the departure of the young menbad come, and they had no time to say more. Withbitter tears, the two youths took leave of the weep-

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 285ing Jasmine, who, as their carts disappeared in thedistance, felt for the firstin misery.time what it was to be aloneShe saw little of her stepmother in thosedark days. That poor lady made herself so ill withunrestrained grief that she was quite incapable ofrendering either help or advice. Fortunately theofficials showed no disposition to proceed with theindictment, and by the judicious use of the money ather command Jasmine induced the prison authoritiesto make her father's confinement as little irksome aspossible. She was allowed to see him at almost anytime, and on one occasion, when he was enjoying herpresence as in his prosperous days he had neverexpected to do, he remarked" Since the officials are not proceeding with thebusiness, I think my best plan will be to send apetition to Peking asking the Board of War to acquitme. But my difficulty is, that I have no one whomI can send to look after the business."" Let me go," said Jasmine. " When Tu and Weiwere leaving, they begged me to follow them toconsult as to the best means of helping you, andwith them to depend on I have nothing to fear."" I quite believe that you are as capable ofmanaging the matter as anybody," said her father,admiringly ; " but Peking is a long w T ay off, and Icannot bear to think of the things which mighthappen to you on the road."" From all time," answered Jasmine, " it has beenconsidered the duty of a daughter to risk anything inthe service of her father, and though the way is long,I shall have weapons to defend myself with against2 o

ies286 CHINESE STORIES.injury, and a clear conscience with which to answerany in1 err< >ga11which may be put to me. Besides,I will take our messenger, 'The Dragon/ and his wifewith me. I will make her dress as a man—what funit will be to see Mrs Dragon's portly form in trousersand gaberdine ! When that transformation is made,we shall be a party of three men. So, you see, sheand I will have a man to protect us, and I shall havea woman to wait upon me; and if such a gallantcompany cannot travel from this to Peking in safety,I'll forswear boots and trousers and will retire intothe harem for ever." Well," said her father, laughing, " if you canarrange inyou start the sooner Ithat way, go by all means, and the soonerhope you will be back."Delighted at having gained the approval of herfather to her scheme, Jasmine quickly made thearrangements for her journey. On the morning ofthe day on which she was to start, the results of thedoctors' examination at Peking reached Mienchu, and,to Jasmine's infinite delight, she found the names ofTu and Wei among the successful candidates. Armedwith this good news, she hurried to the prison. Alldifficulties seemed to disappear like mist before thesun as she thought of the powerful advocates she nowhad at Peking.'Tu and Wei have passed," she said, as she rushedinto her father's presence, "and now the end of ourtroubles is approaching."

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 287CHAPTERII.AVith impatient hope Jasmine took leave of herfather, and started on her eventful journey. Asevening drew on she entered the suburbs of Ch'&Qfftu,the provincial capital, and sent " The Dragon " on tofind a suitable inn for the couple of nights which sheknew she would be compelled to spend in the city."The Dragon" was successful in his search, andconducted Jasmine and his wife to a comfortablehostelry in one of the busiest parts of the town.Having refreshed herself with an excellent dinner,Jasmine was glad to rest from the fatigues and heatof the day in the cool courtyard into which her roomopened. Fortune and builders had so arranged thata neighbouring house, towering above the inn, overlookedthis restful spot, and one of the higherwindows faced exactly the position which Jasminehad taken up. Such a fact would not, in ordinarycircumstances, have troubled her in the least ; butshe had not been sitting long before she began tofeel an extraordinary attraction towards the window.She did her best to look the other way, but she wasoften unconsciously impelled to glance up at thelattice. Once she fancied she saw the curtain move.Determined to verify her impression, she suddenlyraised her eyes, after a prolonged contemplation ofthe pavement, and caught a momentary sight of agirl's face, which as instantly disappeared, but not

As she passed thr Wgk /he courtyard

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 289before Jasmine had been able to recognise that itwas one of exceptional beauty."Now, if I were a young man," said she to herself," I ought to feel my heart beat at the sight of suchloveliness, and it would be my bounden duty toswear that I would win the owner of it in the teethof dragons. But as my manhood goes no deeperthan my outer garments, I can afford to sit here witha quiet pulse and a whole skin."The next day Jasmine was busily engaged in interviewingsome officials in the interest of her father,and only reached the shelter of her inn towardsevening. As she passed through the courtyard sheinstinctively looked up at the window, and againcaught a glimpse of the vision of beauty which shehad seen the evening before. " If she only knew,"thought Jasmine, " that I was such a one as herself,she would be less anxious to see me, and more likelyto avoid me."While amusing; herself at the thought of the fairwatcher, the inn-door opened, and a waiting-womanentered carrying a small box. As she approachedJasmine she bowed low, and with bated breath thusaddressed her" May every happiness be yours, sir. My younglady,Miss King, whose humble dwelling is the adjoininghouse, seeing that you are living insolitude,has sent me with this fruit and tea as a complimentaryoffering."So saying, she presented to Jasmine the box, whichcontained pears and a packet of scented tea."To what am I indebted for this honour?" replied

.m290 CHINESE STORIES.Jasmine; "I can claim no relationship with yourlady, nor have I the honour of her acquaintance.""My youn

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 291"My young lady," said the woman, "is thedaughter of Mr King, who was a vice-president ofa lower court.Her father and mother having bothvisited the ' Yellow Springs,' l she is now living withan aunt, who has been blessed by the God of Wealth,and whose main object in life is to find a husbandwhom her niece may be willing to marry. Theyoung gentleman, my young lady's cousin, is one ofthe richest men in Chengtu. All the larger innsbelong to him, and his profitsare as boundless as thefour seas. He is as anxious as his mother to find asuitable match for the young lady, and hasthat so soon as she can make a choice he willthe wedding."promisedarrange"I should have thought," said Jasmine, "that, beingthe owner of so much wealth and beauty, theyoung lady would have been besieged by suitors fromall parts of the empire."" So she is," said the woman, " and from her windowyonder she espies them, for they all put up atthis inn. Hitherto she has made fun of them all,and describes their appearance and habits in the mostamusing way.'See this one,' says she, ' with hisbachelor cap on and his new official clothes andawkward gait, looking for all the world like a barndoorfowl dressed up as a stork ; or that one, with hisround shoulders, monkey-face, and crooked legs ; ' andso she tells them off.""What does she say of me, I wonder?" said Jasmine,amused." Of your Excellency she says that her comparisons1Hacks.

CHINESE STORIES.fail her, and that she can only hope that the Fateswin) guided your jewelled chariot hitherwards willnot tantalise her by an empty vision, but will bindyour ankles to hers with the red matrimonial cords.""How can I hope for such happiness?" said Jasmine,smiling. '-'But please to tell your young ladythat, being only a guest at this inn, I have nothingworthy of her acceptance to offer in return for herbounteous gifts, and that I can only assure her of myboundlessgratitude.With many bows, and with reiterated wishes forJasmine's happiness and endless longevity, the womantook her leave."Truly this young lady has formed a most pervertedattachment," said Jasmine to herself. "Shereminds me of the man in the fairy tale who fell inLove with a shadow, and, so far as I can see, she isnot likely to get any more satisfaction out of ithe did."the following lines on a scrap of paper :—thanSo saying, she took up a pencil and scribbled" With thoughts as ardent as a quenchless thirst,She scuds me fragrant and most luscious fruit;Without a blush she seeks a phoenix guest 1Who dwells alone like case-enveloped lute."A Tier this mental effort Jasmine went to bed.Norhad her interview with the waiting-woman made asufficient impression on her mind to interfere in anyway with her sleep. She was surprised, however,-mi coming into her sitting-room in the morning, tomeet the same messenger, who, laden with a dish1A bachelor.

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 293of hot eggs and a brew of tea, begged Jasmine " todeign to look down upon her offerings.""Many thanks," said Jasmine, "for your kindattention.""You are putting the saddle on the wronghorse," replied the woman. " In bringing youthese I am but obeying the orders of Miss King,who herself made the tea of leaves from Pu-erh inYunnan, and who with her own fair hands shelledtheeggs.""Your young lady," answered Jasmine, " is asbountiful as she is kind. What return can I makeher for her kindness to a stranger ? Stay," she said,as the thought crossed her mind that the verses shehad written the night before might prove a wholesometonic for this effusive young lady, " I have afew verses which I will venture to ask her to accept."So saying, she took a piece of peach-blossom paper,on which she carefully copied the quatrain and handedit to the woman. " May I trouble you," said she,"to take this to your mistress?"" If," said Jasmine to herself as the woman tookher departure, " Miss King is able to penetrate themeaning of my verses, she won't like them. Withoutsaying so in so many words, I have told her withsufficient plainness that I will have nothing tosay toher. But stupidity is a shield sent by Providenceto protect the greater part of mankind from manyevils ; so perhaps she will escape."It certainly in this case served to shield Miss Kingfrom Jasmine's shafts. She was delighted at receivingthe verses, and at once sat down to compose a2 p

294 CHINESE STORIES.quatrain to match Jasmine's in reply. With infinitelabour she elaborated the following :—"Sung Vuli on th' eastern wall sat deep in thought,A n.llonged with P'e to pluck the fragrant fruit.If all the well-known tunes be newly set,What use to take again the half-burnt lute?"I[aving copied these on a piece of silk-woven paper,she sent them to Jasmine by her faithful attendant.On looking over the paper, Jasmine said, smiling :" What a clever young lady your mistress must be !These lines, though somewhat inconsequential, areincomparable."But, though Jasmine was partly inclined to treatthe matter as a joke, she saw that there was a seriousside to the affair, more especially as the colours underwhich she was sailing were so undeniably false. Sheknew well that for Simp- Yuh should be read MissKing, and for P'e her own name ;and she determined,therefore, to put an end to the philandering of MissKing, which, in her present state of mind, was doublyannoying to her." I am deeply indebted to your young lady," she>aid, and then, being determined to make a plungeinto the morass of untruthfulness, for a good end asshe believed, added: "and, if I had love at my disposal,I should possibly venture to make advancesinwards the feathery peach 1 but let me confess toyou that I have already taken to myself a wife. Had1 had the felicity of meeting Miss King before Icommitted myself in another direction, I might, perhaps,have been a happier man. But, after all, if1Anuptial emblem.

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 295this were so, my position is no worse than that ofmost other married men, for I never met one whowas not occasionally inclined to cry, like the boys at'toss cash,' ' Hark back and try again.'" This will be sad news for my lady, for she liasset her heart upon you ever since you first came tothe inn ; and when young misses take that sort offancy and lose the objects of their love, they are asbad as children when forbidden their sugar-plums.But what's the use of talking to you about a younglady's feelings!" said the woman, with a vexed tossof her head ;" I never knew a man who understood awoman yet."" I am extremely sorry for Miss King," said Jasmine,trying to suppress a smile. " As you wiselyremark, a young lady is a sealed book to me, but Ihave always been toldthat their fancies are as varialtie as the shadow of the bamboo ; and probably,therefore, though Miss King's sky ma}' be overcastjust now, the gloom will only make her enjoy tomorrow'ssunshine all the more."The woman, who was evidently in a hurry to conveythe news to her mistress, returned no answer tothis last sally, but, with curtailed obeisance, tookherdeparture.Her non-appearance the next morning confirmedJasmine in the belief that her bold departure fromtruth on the previous evening had had its curativeeffect. The relief was great, for she had felt thatthese complications were becoming too frequent tobe pleasant, and, reprehensible though it may appear,her relief was mingled with no sort of compassion for

CHINESESTORIES.Miss King. Hers was not a nature to sympathisewith such sudden and fierce attachments.Her affectionfor Tu had been the growth of many months,and she had no feeling in common with a young ladywho

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 297said was true or not, for she knows what she's aboulas well as most people, and they both with one voiceassured me that, far from being married, you had noteven exchanged nuptial presents with anybody. Youmay imagine Miss King's delight when I took herthis news.She at once asked her cousin to call uponyou to make a formal offer of marriage, and she hasnow sent me to tell }'ou that he will be here anon.''Every one knows what it is to pass suddenly froma state of pleasurable high spirits into deep despondency,to exchange in an instant bright mental sunshinefor cloud and gloom. All, therefore, mustsympathise with poor Jasmine, who, believing theroad before her to be smooth and clear, on a suddenbecame thus aware of a most troublesome and difficultobstruction. She had scarcely finished callingdown anathemas on the heads of " The Dragon " andhis wife, and cursing her own folly for bringing themwith her, than the inn-doors were thrown open, anda servant appeared carrying a long red visiting-cardinscribed with the name of the wealthy inn-proprietor.On the heels of this forerunner followed youngMr King, who, with effusive bows, said, " I have venturedto pay my respects to your Excellency."Poor Jasmine was so upset by the whole affair thatshe lacked some of the courtesy that was habitual toher, and in her confusion very nearly seated her gueston her right hand. Fortunately this outrageousbreach of etiquette was avoided, and the pair eventuallyarranged themselves in the canonical order." This old son of Han," began Mr King, " would nothave dared to intrude himself upon your Excellency

1298 CHINESE STOEIES.if it were not that lie lias a matter of great delicacyto discuss with you. He has a cousin, the daughterof Vice-President King, for whom for years he hasbeen trying to find a suitable match. The positionis peculiar, for the lady declares positively that shewillnot marry any one she has not seen and approvedof. Tn til now she has not been able to find any onewhom she would care to marry. But the presenceof your Excellency has thrown a light across her pathwhich has shown her the way to the plum-groves ofmatrimonial felicity."but Jas-Here King paused, expecting some reply;mine was too absorbed in thought to speak, so MrKing went on" This old son of Han, hearing that your Excellencyis still unmarried, has taken upon himself to make aproposal of marriage to you, and to offer his cousin asyour 'basket and broom.' 1 His interview with youhas, he may say, shown him the wisdom of his cousin'schoice, and he cannot imagine a pair better suited forone another, or more likely to be happy, than yourExcellency and his cousin."" I dare not be anything but straightforward with-your worship,''said Jasmine, " and I am grateful forthe extraordinary affection your cousin has beenpleased to bestow upon me ; but I cannot forget thatshe belongs to a family which is entitled to passthrough the gate of the palace, 2 and I fear that myrank is not sufficient for her. Besides, my father is;it present under a cloud, and I am now on my wayto I 'eking to try to release him from his difficulties.1Will - . A family of distinction.

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 299It is no time, therefore, for me to be binding myselfwith promises.""As to your Excellency's first objection," repliedKing, "you are already the wearer of a hat with asilken tassel, and a man need not be a prophet toforetell that in time to come any office,either civil ormilitary, will be within your reach. Xo doubt, also,your business in Peking will be quickly brought to asatisfactory conclusion, and there can be no objection,therefore, to our settling the preliminaries now, andthen, on your return from the capital, we can celebratethe wedding. This will give rest and composureto my cousin's mind, which is now like adisturbed sea, and will not interfere, I venture, tothink, with the affair which calls you to Pekino-."As King proceeded, Jasmine felt that her difficultieswere on the increase. It was impossible thatshe should explain her position in full, and she hadno sufficient reason at hand to give for rejectingthe proposal made her, though, at the same time,her annoyance was not small at having such amatter forced upon her at a moment when hermind was filled with anxieties. " Then," she thoughtto herself, "there is ahead of me that explanationwhich must inevitably come with AVei ; so that, altogether,if it were not for the deeply rooted convictionwhich I have that Tu will be mine at last,when he knows what I really am, life would not beworth having. As for this inn-proprietor, if he hasso little delicacy as to push his cousin upon me at thiscrisis, I need not have any compunction regardinghim ; so, perhaps, my easiest way of getting out of

300 CHINESE STORIES.the present hobble will be to accept his proposal andto present the box of precious ointment handed meby Wei for my sister to this ogling love-sick girl."So turning to King, she said••Since you, sir, and your cousin have honoured mewith your regard, I dare not altogether decline yourproposal, and I would therefore beg you, sir, to handthis." she added, producing the box of ointment, "tovour honourable cousin, as a token of the bond betweenus, and to convey to her my promise that, ifI don't marry her, I will never marry another lady."Mr Kino- with the greatest delight, received thebox, and handing it to the waiting - woman, whostood expectant by, bade her carry it to hermistress, with the news of the enp;ag;ement. Jasminenow hoped that her immediate troubles wereover, but King insisted on celebrating the event bya feast, and it was not until late in the afternoonthat she succeeded in making a start. Once on theroad, her anxiety to reach Peking was such that shetravelled night and day, "feeding on wind andlodging in water." Nor did she rest until she reachedan hotel within the Hata Gate of the capital.

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 301CHAPTER III.Jasmine's solitary journey had given her abundanttime for reflection, and for the first time she had setherself seriously to consider her position. She recognisedthat she had hitherto followed only the impulsesof the moment, of which the main one had been the desireto escape complications by the wholesale sacrifice oftruth ; and she acknowledged to herself that, if justicewere evenly dealt out, there must be a Nemesis instore for her which should bring distress and possiblydisaster upon her.In her calmer moments she feltan instinctive foreboding that she w T as approachinga crisis in her fate, and it was with mixed feelings,therefore, that on the morning after her arrival sheprepared to visit Tu and Wei, who were as yet ignorantof her presence.She dressed herself with more than usual care forthe occasion, choosing; to attire herself in a blue silkrobe and a mauve satin jacket which Tu had onceadmired, topped by a brand-new cap. Altogether herappearance as she passed through the streets justifiedthe remark made by a passer-by :" A pretty youngster,and more like a maiden of eighteen than a man."The hostelry at which Tu and Wei had taken uptheir abode was an inn befitting the dignity of suchdistinguished scholars. On inquiring at the door,Jasmine was ushered by a servant through a courtyardto an inner enclosure, where, under the grateful2Q

1302 CHINESE STOKIES.shade of a wide-spreading cotton-tree, Tn was reclininga1 his ease. Jasmine's delight at meeting herfriend was only equalled by the pleasure with whichTu greeted her. In his strong and gracious presenceshe became conscious that she was released from theabsorbing care which had haunted her, and her soulLeaped out in new freedom as she asked and answeredquestions other friend. Each had much to say. anda «" /'// was reclining at his case."it was not for some time, when an occasional referencebrought his name forward, that Jasmine noticedthe absence of Wei. When she did, she asked afterhim.• lie left this some days ago," said Tu, "havingsome special business which called for his presence atit1"inc. He did not tell me what it was, but doubtlesswas something of importance."

-A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 303Jasmine said nothing, but felt pretty certain in hermind as to the object of his hasty return.Tn, attributing her silence to a reflection on Weifor having left the capital before her father's affairwas settled, hastened to add" He was very helpful in the matter of your honouredfather's difficulty, and only left when he thoughthe could not do any more.""How do matters stand now?eagerly.'askedJasmine," We have posted a memorial at the palace gate,"said Tu, " and have arranged that it shall reach theright quarter. Fortunately, also, I have an acquaintanceinthe Board of War who has undertaken to doall he can in that direction, and promises an answerin a few days.""I have brought with me," said Jasmine, "a petitionprepared by my father. What do you thinkabout presenting it ?"At present I believe that it would only do harm.A superabundance of memorials is as bad as noneat all. Beyond a certain point, they only irritateofficials."" Very well," said Jasmine ;" I am quite content toleave the conduct of affairs in your hands.""Well then," said Tu, "that being understood, Ipropose that you should move your things over tothis inn. There is Wei's room at your disposal, andyour constant presence here will be balm to my lonelyspirit. At the Hata Gate you are almost as remote asif you were in our study at Mienchu."Jasmine was at first startled by this proposal.

304 CHINESE STORIES.Though she had been constantly in the company ofTu, she had never lived under the same roof withhim, and she at once recognised that there might bedifficulties in the way of her keeping her secret ifshewere to be constantly under the eyes of her friend.But she had 1 teen so long accustomed to yield to thepresent circumstances, and was so confident thatFortune, which, with some slight irregularities, hadalways stood her friend, would not desert her on thepresent occasion, that she gave way."By all means," she said. " I will go back to myinn, and bring my things at once. This writing-caseI will leave here. I brought it because it containsmy father's petition."So saying, she took her leave, and Tu retired to hiseasy-chair under the cotton-tree. But the demon ofcuriosity was abroad, and alighting on the arm of Tu'schair, whispered in his ear that it might be well if heran his eye over Colonel Wen's petition to see if therewas any argument in it which he had omitted in hisstatement to the Board of War. At first Tu, whosenature was the reverse of inquisitive, declined tolisten to these promptings, but so persistent did theybecome that he at last put down his book—' TheSpring and Autumn Annals'—and, seating himself atI lie sitting-room table, opened the writing-case soinnocently left by Jasmine. On the top were a number

theA CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 305recognising Jasmine's hand, both in . compositionof the document and in the penmanship. " If myattempt," he thought, " does not succeed, we will trywhat this will do." He was on the point of returningit to its resting-place, when he saw another documentin Jasmine's handwriting lying by it.This was evidentlya formal document, probably connected, as hethought, with the Colonel's case, and he therefore unfoldedit and read as follows :"The faithful maiden, Miss Wen of Mienchu Hien,with burning incense reverently prays the God of Warto release her father from his present difficulties, andspeedily to restore peace to her own soul by nullifying,in accordance with her desire, the engagement of thebamboo arrow and the contract of the box of preciousointment. A respectful petition."As Tu read on, surprise and astonishment took possessionof his countenance. A second time he readit through, and then, throwing himself back in hischair, broke out into a fit of laughter." So," he said to himself, " I have allowed myself tobe deceived by a young girl all these years. And yetnot altogether deceived," he added, trying to rind anexcuse for himself; "for I have often fancied thatthere was the savour of a woman about the ' youngnoble.' I hope she is not one of those heaven-borngenii who appear on earth to plague men, and who,just when they have aroused the affections they wishedto excite, ascend through the air and leave their loversmourning."Just at this moment the door opened, and Jasmineentered, looking more lovely than ever, with the flush

wished30 CHINESE STORIES.begotten by exercise on her beautifully mouldedcheeks.At sight of her Tu again burst out laughing,to Jasmine's not unnatural surprise, who, thinkingthat there must be something wrong with her dress,Looked herselfup and down, to the increasing amusementof Tu."So," said he at last, "you deceitful little hussy,yon have been deceiving me all these years bypassingyourself off as a, man, when in reality you are a girl."Overcome with confusion, Jasmine hung her head,and murmured" Who has betrayed me ?"" You have betrayed yourself," said Tu, holding upthe incriminating; document "; and here w r e have thestory of the arrow with which you shot the hawk,but what theknow.Confronted withbox of precious ointment means I don'tthis overwhelming evidence, poorJasmine remained speechless, and dared not even lifther eyes to glance at Tu. That young man, seeingher distress, and being in no wise possessed by thescorn which he had put into his tone, crossed over toIkt and gently led her to a seat by him." Do you remember," he said, in so altered a voicethat Jasmine's heart ceased to throb as if it wishedt

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 307But, as if suddenly recollecting herself, Jasminewithdrew her hand from his, and, standing up beforehim with quivering lip and eyes full of tears,said" No. It can never be."" Why not ? " said Tu, in alarmed surprise." Because I am bound to Wei."" What ! DoesWei know your secret ?" No. But do you remember when I shot that arrowin front of your study ?""Perfectly," said Tu. "But what has that to dowith it ?"Why, Wei discovered my name on the shaft, andI, to keep my secret, told him that it was my sister'sname. He then wanted to marry my sister, and Iundertook, fool that I was, to arrange it for him.Now I shall be obliged to confess the truth, and hewill have a right to claim me instead of my supposedsister.""But," said Tu, "I have a prior right to that ofWei, for it was I who found the arrow. And in thismatter I shall be ready to outface him at all hazards.But," he added, "Wei, I am sure, is not the man totake an unfair advantage of you."" Do you really think so ? " asked Jasmine." Certainly I do," said Tu." Then—then—I shall be—very glad," said poorJasmine, hesitatingly, overcome with bashfulness, butfull of joy.At which gracious consent Tu recovered the handwhich had been withdrawn from his, and Jasminesank again into the chair at his side."

308 CHINESE STORIES."But, Tu, dear," she said, after a pause, "there issomething else that I must tell you before I can feelthat my confessions are over."You have not engaged yourself to any" What !one else, have you ? " said Tu, laughing."Yes, I have," she replied, with a smile; and shethen o-ave her lover a full and particular account ofhow Mr King had proposed to her on behalf of hiscousin, and how she had accepted her." How could you frame your lips to utter suchuntruths?" said Tu, half laughing, and half inearnest."Oh, Tu, falsehood is so easy and truth so difficultsometimes. But I feel that I have been very,very wicked," said poor Jasmine, covering her facewithher hands." Well, you certainly have got yourself into apretty hobble. So far as I can make out, you areat the present moment engaged to one young ladyand two young men."The situation, thus expressed, was so comical, thatJasmine could not refrain from laughing through hertears;but, after a somewhat lengthened consultationwith her lover, her face recovered its wonted serenity,and round ithovered a halo of happiness which addedlight and beauty to every feature. There is somethingparticularly entrancing in receiving the firstconfidences of a pure and loving soul.on this occasion, and whileSo Tu thoughtJasmine was pouring themost secret workings of her inmost being into hisear, those lines of the poet of the Sung dynasty cameirresistibly into his mind:

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 309" 'Tis sweet to see the flowers woo the sun,To watch the quaint wiles of the cooing dove,But sweeter far to hear the dulcet tonesOf her one loves confessing her great love."But there is an end to everything, even to the'Confucian Analects,' and so there was also to thislovers' colloquy.For just as Jasmine was explaining,for the twentieth time, the origin and basis of herlove for Tu, a waiter entered toof her luggage.announce the arrival" I don't know quite," said Tu, " where we areto put your two men.But, by the by," he added, asthe thought struck him, " did you really travel allthe way in the company of these two men only ?" Oh, Tu," said Jasmine, laughing, "I have somethingelse to confess to you.""What! another lover?" said Tu, affecting horrorand surprise," No ; not another lover, but another woman.The short, stout one is a woman, and came as mymaid. She is the wife of 'The Dragon.""Well, now have you told me all? For I amgetting so confused about the people you have transformedfrom women to men, that I shallabout my own sex next."have doubts"Yes, Tu, dear; now you know all," said Jasmine,laughing. But not all the good news which wasin store for him, for scarcely had Jasmine donespeaking when a letter arrived from his friend inthe Board of War, who wrote to say that he had succeededin getting the Military Inteiidant of Mienchutransferred to a post in the province of Kwangsi,2 R

310 CHINESE STORIES.and that the departure of this noxious official wouldmean the release of the Colonel, as he alone was theColonel's accuser. This news added one more noteto the chord ofjoy which hadbeen makingharmonyinJasmine's heartfor some hours,and readily sheagreed with Tuthat theyshould set offhomewards onthefollowingColonel Wen.With no suchadventure asthat which hadattended Jasmine'sjourneyto the capital,they reachedMienchu, and,to their delight,were receivedby the Colonelin his own yarnun. Aftercongratulatinghim on his release, which Jasmine took care heshould understand was due entirely to Tu's exertions,

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 311she gave him a full account of her various experienceson the road and at the capital." It is like a story out of a book of marvels," saidher father," and even now you have not exhaustedall the necessary explanations. For, since my release,your friend Wei has been here to ask for mydaughter in marriage. From some questions I putto him, he is evidently unaware that you are myonly daughter, and I therefore put him off andtold him to wait until you returned. He is in avery impatient state, and, no doubt, will be overshortly."Nor was the Colonel wrong, for almost immediatelyWei was announced, who, after expressing thegenuine pleasure he felt at seeing Jasmine again,began at once on the subject which filled his mind." I am so glad," he said, "to have this opportunityof asking you to explain matters. At present I amcompletely nonplussed.On my return from PekingI impaired of one of your father's servants about his'daughter. He has not got one,' quoth the man.'I went to another, and he said, You mean the" young noble," I suppose.''No, I don't,' I said,'I mean his sister.''Well, that is the only daughterI know of,' said he. Then I went to your father,until theand all I could get out of him was, Wait '"young noble" comes home.' Please tell me whatall this means."" Your crreat desire is to marry a beautiful andaccomplished girl, is it not ? " said Jasmine." That certainly is my wish," said Wei."Well, then," said Jasmine, "I can assure you

;|_'CHINESE STORIES.thai your betrothal present is in the hand of sucha one, and a girl whom to look at is to love.""That may be," said Wei, "but 1113- wish is tomarry your sister."Will yon go and talk to Tu about it?" saidJasmine, who felt that the subject was becoming toofor her, and whose confidence in TVs wisdomdifficullwas unbounded, " and he will explain it all to you."Even Tu, however, found it somewhat difficult toexplain Jasmine's sphinx - like mysteries, and oncertain points Wei showed a disposition to be anythingbut satisfied. Jasmine's engagement to Tuimplied his rejection, and he was disposed to besplenetic and disagreeable about it. His pride wastouched, and in his irritation he was inclined toimpure treachery to his friend and deceit toJasmine.To the first charge Tu had a ready answer, but thesecond was allthe more annoying because there wassome truth in it. However, Tu was not in thehumour to quarrel, and being determined to seekpence and ensue it, he overlooked Wei's innuendoesand made out the best case he could for his bride.On Miss King's beauty, virtues, and ability he enlargedwith a wealth of diction and power of imagiu.ition which astonished himself, and Jasmine also,t whom he afterwards repeated the conversation."Why, Tu, dear," said that artless maiden, "howcan you know all this about Miss King? You haveie\cr1 seen her, and I am sure I never told you halfof allthis."'Don't ask questions," said the enraptured Tu."Lei it be enough for you to know that Wei is as

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 31!eager for the possession of Miss King as he was foryour sister, and that he has promised to be my bestmanat our wedding to-morrow."And Wei was as good as his word. With everyis-regard to ceremony and ancient usage, the marriageof Tu and Jasmine was celebrated in the presence ofrelatives and friends, who, attracted by the novelty

1he;i 1CHINESESTORIES.of the antecedent circumstances, came from all partsof the. country to witness the nuptials. By Tu'sespecial instructions also a prominence was allowedto Wei, which gratified his vanity, and smoothed.low 11 the ruffled feathers of his conceit,Jasmine thought that no time should be lost inreducing Miss King to the same spirit of acquiescenceto which Wei had been brought, and on the eveningof her wedding-day she broached the subject to Tu."I shall not feel, Tu, dear," she said, "that I havegained absolution for my many deceptions until thatvery forward Miss King has been talked over intomarrying AVei ; and I insist, therefore," she added,with an amount of hesitancy which reduced the demandto the level of a plaintive appeal, "that westart to-morrow for Ch'engtu to see the youngwoman."" Ho ! ho !" replied Tu, intensely amused at herattempted bravado. "These are brave words, andIsuppose that I must humbly register your decrees."" Oh, Tu ! you know what I mean. You knowthat, like a child who takes a delight in conqueringtoy armies, I love to fancy that I can command sostrong a man as you are. But, Tu, if you knewhow absolutely I rely on your judgment, }^ou wouldhumour my folly and say 'yes.' "There was a subtle incense of love and flatterya I mii it this appeal which, backed as it was by a look"I tenderness and beauty, made it irresistible; andarrangements for the journey were made in strictaccordance with Jasmine's washes.( Mi arriving at the inn which was so full of chasten-

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 315ing memories to Jasmine, Tu sent his card to MrKing, who, flattered by theattention paid him by soeminent a scholar, cordially invited Tu to his house." To what," he said, as Tu, responding to his invitation,entered his reception-hall, " am I to attributethe honour of receiving your illustrious steps in mymean apartments ?" I have heard," said Tu, " that the beautiful MissKing is your Excellency's cousiu, and having a friendwho is desirous of gaining her hand, I have come toplead on his behalf."" I regret to say," replied King, " that your Excellencyhas come too late, as she has already receivedan engagement token from a Mr Wen, who passedhere lately on his way to Peking."" Mr Wen is a friend of mine also," said Tu, " andit was because I knew that his troth was alreadyplighted that I ventured to come on behalf of himof whom Ihave spoken."" Mr Wen," said King, " is a gentleman and ascholar, and having given a betrothal present, he iscertain to communicate with us direct in case of anydifficulty."" Will you, old gentleman," l said Tu, producing thelines which Miss King had sent Jasmine, "just castyour eyes over these verses, written to Wen by yourcousin ?Feeling most regretfully that he was unableto fulfil his engagement, Wen gave these to me asa testimony of the truth of what I now tell you."King took the paper handed him by Tu, and recognisedat a glance his cousin's handwriting.1A term of respect.

316 CHINESE STORIES." Alas!" lie said, " Mr Wen told us lie was engaged,but, not believing him, I urged him to consent tomarry my cousin. If you will excuse me, sir," headded, " I will consult with the lady as to whatshould bedone."After a short absence he returned.•My cousin is of opinion," he said, "that shecannot enter into any new engagement until Mr Wenhas come here himself and received back the betrothalpresent which he gave her on parting."" I dare not deceive you, old gentleman, and willtell you at once that that betrothal present was notW6n's, but was my unworthy friend Wei's, and cameinto Wen's possession in a way that I need not nowexplain.""Still," said King, "my cousin thinks Mr Wenshould present himself here in person and tell hisown story ; and I must say that I am of her opinion."" It is quite impossible that Mr Wen should returnhere," replied Tu ; " but my'adjoining hostelry, and would bestupid thorn ' * is in themost happy to explainfully to Miss King Wen's entire inability toplay the part of a husband to her."" If your honourable consort would meet my cousin,she, L am sure, will be glad to talk the matter overwith her.Willi Tu's permission, Miss King's maid was sentto the inn to invite Jasmine to call on her mistress.The maid, who was the same who had acted as MissKing's messenger on the former occasion, glancedlong and earnestly at Jasmine. Her features were1Wife.

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 317familiar to her, but she could not associate them withany lad)' of her acquaintance. As she conducted herto Miss King's apartments, she watched her stealthily,and became more and more puzzled by herappearance.Miss King received her with civility, andafter exchanging wishes that each might be grantedten thousand blessings, Jasmine said, smiling" Do you recognise Mr Wen ?Miss King looked at her, and seeing in her a likenessto her beloved, said" What relation are you to him, lady ?" I am his very self! " said Jasmine.Miss King opened her eyes wide at this startlingannouncement, and gazed earnestly at her." Haiyah " ! cried her maid, clapping her hands," I thought there was a wonderful likeness betweenthe lady and Mr Wen.that she was he ?""But who would have thought" But what made you disguise yourself in thatfashion ? " asked Miss King, in an abashed and somewhatvexed tone."My father was in difficulties," said Jasmine," " andas it was necessary that I should go to Peking toplead for him, I dressed as a man for the convenienceof travel. You will remember that in the first in-overtures, but whenstance I declined your flatteringI found that you persisted in your proposal, notbeing able to explain the truth, I thought the bestthing to do was to hand you my friend's betrothalpresent which I had with me, intending to returnand explain matters. And you will admit that inone thing Iwas truthful.''2 s"

318 CHINESE STORIES.What was that ? " asked the maid.••Why;' answered Jasmine, "I said that if I did-SSnol marry your lady I would never marry anywoman."

A CHINESE GIRL GRADUATE. 319"Well, yes," said the maid, laughing, "you havekept your faith royally there.""The friend I speak of," continued Jasmine, "hasnow taken his doctor's degree, and this stupid husbandand wife have come from Mienchu to makeyou a proposal on his behalf."Miss King was not one who couldreadily take inan entirely new and startling idea, and she sat witha half-dazed look staring at Jasmine without utteringa word. If it had not been for the maid, theconversation would have ceased, but that youngwoman was determined to probe the matter to thebottom."You have not told us," she said, "the gentleman'sname. And will you explain why you call him yourfriend ? How could you be on terms of friendshipwith him ?"From my childhood," said Jasmine, "I have alwaysdressed as a boy.I went to a boys' school" Haiyah ! " interjected the maid."And afterwards I joined my husband and thisgentleman, Mr Wei, in a reading party.""" Didn't thev discover your secret ?" No."" Never ?"Never."" That's odd," said the maid. " But will you tellus something about this Mr Wei ?Upon this, Jasmine launched out in a glowingeulogy upon her friend."She expatiated with fervouron his youth, good looks, learning, and prospects,and with such effect did she speak, that Miss King,"

320 CHINESE STOEIES.who began to take in the situation, ended by acceptingcordially Jasmine's proposal.••And now, lady, you must stay and dine withme," said Miss King, when the bargain was struck,' ;while my cousin entertains your husband in thehall."At this meal the beginning of a friendship wasformed between the two ladies which lasted ever afterwards,though it was somewhat unevenly balanced.Jasmine's stronger nature felt compassion mingledwith liking for the pretty doll-likeMiss King, whilethat young lady entertained the profoundest admirationfor her guest.There was nothing to delay the fulfilment of theengagement thus happily arranged, and at the nextfull moon Miss King had an opportunity of comparingher bridegroom with the picture which Jasminehad drawn of him.Scholars are plentiful in China, but it was plainlyimpossible that men of such distinguished learning asTu and Wei should be left among the unemployed,and almost immediately after their marriage theywere appointed to important posts in the empire.Tn rose rapidly to the highest rank, and died, ata good old age, Viceroy of the Metropolitan Provinceand senior guardian to the heir-apparent. Wei wasnot so supremely fortunate, but then, as Tu usedto say, " he had not a Jasmine to help him."

LOYE AND ALCHEMY.TT was a lovely autumn evening, when a young-L man, dressed in the height of fashion, sat in theverandah of one of the villas which dot the bank ofthe beautiful western Lake of Hangchow, grazing atthe exquisite landscape which lay before him. Thesun had just sunk below the mountains on the westernshore of the lake, and its lingering rays were stilltouching with gold the hill - tops and the highestbranches of the tallest trees. At the moment ofthe disappearance of the sun a cool breeze hadsprung up, bringing refreshment and renewed vigouron its wing. Mr Pan, for that was the young man'sname, was looking with admiration on the scenebefore him. He was one of those men who areeasily affected by the sight of the beautiful, andin his wonderment at the exquisite mixture of

322 CHINESE STORIES.c« .louring thrown over the lake and the islandswhich diversified its surface, he rose from his seatand bent forward over the railing of the balcony withan eager attitude, which was in entire disregard of theConfucian directions as to the positions proper to theperson of a."superior man."It was plain, from the deep lines which markedPan's youthful features, that this was not by anymeans the first time that nature had mastered therules of propriety, and it was obvious that theworkings of his mind had not infrequently producedexcitement such as was fatal to the calm engenderedby rites and ceremonies. And such, indeed, was thec.isc. His excitable imagination had at an early ageseduced him from the eminently correct, thoughrather prosy, literature of the Confucian school, andhad led him into the wild rhapsodical writings of theearly Taoist prophets. From their fascinating pageshe learned the oneness of matter, that life and deathwere the same things under varying conditions, andthat as it was within the power of man to perpetuatethe joys of life by use of elixirs from the isles of theblest, so it was also possible for him to transmute thecommonest metals into their most precious shapes bythe application of the philosopher's stone.Being rich and enthusiastic, he had devoted himselfwith the keenest relish to discover the secrets bywhich the high priests of the Taoist faith had beenable t

LOVE AND ALCHEMY. 323crucibles, and other paraphernalia necessary for theaccomplishment of his great task. Sums of money,which, if devoted to any other purpose, he wouldhave considered extravagant, he expended withoutquestion on the ingredients which composed themysterious tan by which he was to be made therichest of the rich. Eepeated failures had in no waydamped his ardour ; for was it not a fact, that oneach occasion he had been on the point of success,when some unforeseen accident had just snatched theprize from his grasp ? It was after one such misfortunewhen, at the moment when the mass of metalin the crucible was assuming the yellow tinge whichmarked its conversion to the precious metal, a demonof misfortune in the shape of a fox had looked in atthe door, which by some accident had blown open,and the subtle metal, influenced by the presence ofthe ill-omened creature, had turned black in an instant,as though ithad been blasted.In proportion to his hopes, which had on that occasionbeen raised higher than ever, Pan's disappointmentnow was bitter ; and so completely upset waslie by his constant watching, and by his blightedexpectations, that his friends advised him to seekrest and refreshment in change of scene and surroundings.It was in obedience to these recommendationsthat he betook himself to the villa on the WesternLake, where we now find him. With rapt admirationon the evening in question, which was about a weekafter his arrival, he gazed on the beauties before himuntil, to his imagination, the features of the landscapeassumed the aspect of the fabled islandsof the

324 CHINESE STORIES.blest, and he fell to wondering what manner of personswere the honri and genii of the place. While thuslost in the pleasures of imagination, his attentionwas drawn to a sumptuously-fitted-up yacht, whichwas brought from a neighbouring boat-house to thelanding-place at the adjoining villa, which on thatday had received its tenants. So entirely was theappearance of the vessel in keeping with his fancifuldreams, that its actuality in no way disturbed thetenor of his thoughts, and when, presently, a handsome,gaily-dressed man led a lady of exquisite beautyon to the yacht, followed by a number of servants andsinging-girls, the illusion was complete.So fascinated was Pan by thebeauty of the lady,that he was lost to a perception of all other surroundingobjects. Intently he watched the yacht as itsailed out into the lake, and as the sound of minstrelsywas wafted over the waters from her deck, he longedfor that spiritual elixir which had enabled some ofthe greatest of alchemists to annihilate space andform, and which might enable him to bask evenspiritually in the presence of such ineffable loveliness.Absorbed in his thoughts he remained motionless,until, hours afterwards, the vessel was borne againlightly over the waves to the landing-place, whenmerry thrills of joyous laughter, testifying to theenjoyment which the voyagers had experienced ontheir cruise, delighted his ears.The shades of night prevented Pan from seeingmore than dimly the figures of the pleasure-seekersbut he recognised the object of his admiration, and«nily withdrew from the verandah when the door of

LOVE AND ALCHEMY. !25the villa closed upon her. Restless and excited, hewandered round the home of the lady, and in themorning he sauntered along the shores of the lakein the vague hope that he might have an opportunity"A handsome, gaily-dressed man led a lady of exquisite beauty on to the yacht.of making the acquaintance of the happy possessorof so priceless a jewel. Once he flattered himselfthat he saw the lady herself at an upper window.and he drew near to make a closer inspection. But2 T

326 CHINESE STORIES.great was his disappointment when he found thatthe form which had attracted him was that of asingularly ill-favouredold woman, who was engagedin washing clothes, and who very nearly drenchedhim to the skin by throwing the contents of herbasin over the wall close to the spot where he stood.Disheartened, but not in despair, he turned foranother stroll by the lake. By a turn of her wheelFortune now befriended him. For, on his returntowards his villa, he saw his happy neighbour saunteringtowards him, and talking as he walked to abeautifully sleekpet mocking-bird, which he carriedperched on a crooked stick of ivory, to which oneleg of the bird was fastened by a golden thread.As the two men approached each other the strangerlooked up from his bird with an engaging smiletowards Pan, who, encouraged by his friendly attitude,made him a deep obeisance. The stranger appearedpleased by this advance, and, having bowedin return with all ceremony, asked Pan what his"honourable surname" and "exalted personal name"might be. Pan replied that his " despicable surname "was Pan, and that his "mean personal name" wasKaentseng. By a similar process he learned thatbis new friend's name was Le Kwaitso. The twonnii now entered into conversation, in the courseof which Pan was made aware that Le came fromChungchow, and that he was paying a visit to thebeaut if'nl Western Lake for rest and enjoyment.It seems difficult to suppose." said Pan, "that'•my honourable elder brother can be in need ofI'M, seeing that he has constantly about him in

LOVE AND ALCHEMY, 327abundance all that can make life enviable andenjoyable."" It is true," replied Le, " that I now have wealthat my command, and wealth into which I can dipat will without diminishing it. But it has not alwaysbeen so, and it is 'only after much study and man}^disappointments that I have reached my present positionof complete independence."Pan had not intended his remark to refer only to" The stranger looked up from his bird with an engaging smile."Le's wealth, and he was at first shocked that hisfriend should so undervalue his beautiful wife, for soshe turned out to be, as not to mention her amongthe blessings he enjoyed. But Le's reference to awealth which could be used at will without diminishingthe store directed his thoughts into another andquite an unexpected direction."My elder brother talks in riddles," said Pan, hur-

I of32 CHINESE STORIES.riedly, and with a most un-Confucian agitation ;" howcan wealth be expended and not diminished exceptby the art which filled the coffers of Heu Chenchun." 1Le smiled, and said,"Perhaps yon are right.""If that be so," replied Pan, "I beseech yon todivulge to your younger brother this great secret.For years I have toiled in pursuit of this object,and though sometimes I have nearly gained it, theprize has by some misfortune been invariably snatchedfrom my hand.""It is not a matter to be lightly divulged," saidLe. " If I could really believe ; but no, whatreason have I to suppose that you are a fit recipientof the hidden mystery? But come and dine withme this evening on my yacht, and we will talk furtheron these matters."Pan gratefully accepted the invitation, and thetwo men parted. Once Pan turned round to lookafter the alchemist, and watched his retreating figure,resplendent with the choicest silks and satins, andpossessing all the grace and dignity of a scholar, as,with sauntering steps, he chirrupped to his bird,which fluttered in response to the length of his goldenPunctual to a moment, Pan went to Le'slandingstage.As he had sat over a bottle of wine in theearly part of the afternoon he had wondered for thefirst time whether by any chance the lovely Mrs Lewould accompany her husband on that evening'scruise. Her presence, he had felt, would add a new'A celebrated alchemist of the third century who had learned theconverting base metals into gold.

LOVE AND ALCHEMY. 329delight to the explanation which he hoped was forthcoming.This, he knew, would not be in accordancewith the rules of strict propriety, but then, hethought to himself, may not a man possessing sucha secret be above all conventionalities.However, when the time came Mrs Le was notpresent. In other respects the dinner was all thatcould be desired. The viands were excellent ; thewine was of the choicest kinds ; the music whichaccompanied the feast was bright and joyous ; andLe's conversation, which never flagged, was markedby scholarly knowledge and brilliancy of diction. Atthe conclusion of the repast, which lastedan inordinatetime, the two diners, satiated with the good thingson the table, threw themselves back on the divanand lazily smoked the pipes which were carried totheir lips and lighted by two very pretty attendantmaidens, whose names, as Pan afterwards discovered,were " Autumn Moon " and " Springday Cloud."After smoking for a few minutes in silence, Pansaid :" May I ask you, sir, to continue to your lowlypupil your instructions of this morning ?" I have been thinking over our conversation," saidLe ; "and, believing you to be a genuine inquirer,I have made up my mind to admit you into themystical body of the initiated." At these words Panraised himself on his elbow, and leaned eagerly towardsthe alchemist. " I have learned," continuedLe, " the secret of the nine transmutations which, bythe virtue of tan, convert lead and mercury into goldand silver. And since I am of opinion that everyholder of so vast a secret should ensure it against"

330 CHINESE STORIES.being lost by imparting it to a pupil, I am willing tomake known to you the materials of the mystic tan,and the method by which it is to be used. But this«»nly on one condition, and that is, that you give meyour word of honour that you never will, directlyor indirectly, tell the secret to a soul, except in afteryearsto the one pupil whom you shall choose as yourscientific heir."'•'I promise with my whole heart," said Pan, enthusiastically."That is well," said the alchemist. "And now,when are we to set to work ? I would invite you tovisit me at Chungchow, where I live, but the distanceis so great that I hesitate to do so."o" But will not my benevolent elder brother honourmy humble cottage with his presence ? I have thereall that is necessary for our work except the knowledge,which you, my master, would supply."" I should be delighted to visit your honourablepalace ; but were I to, I should not know what to dowith my wife,as I should not like her to travel homealone, and I cannot leave her in athis."strange place like" Though a bachelor," said Pan, " my humbledwelling is a large one, and if the honourable ladywould condescend to enter my door I would set apartac(»)n pound for her residence."With considerable reluctance, which kept Pan ina I oil ure of suspense, the alchemist assented to thisarrangement, and when the two friendsparted at thewharf, the day was arranged for their departure forSuneddana:.

LOVE AND ALCHEMY. 131To describe the joy which filledPan's heart at thedouble prospect before him of learning the greatmystery, and of entertaining the lovely Mrs Le,would be quite impossible. With early dawn hesent a trusted servant to Sungkiang to see thateverything was put in order for the reception of hisguests, and at the same time he wrote a note on red'Both guest and host were in excellent spirits.''paper inviting the alchemist to a sail on the lake ina yacht which he hired for the occasion. The invitationwas accepted, and the expedition proved eminentlysuccessful. Both guest and host were inexcellent spirits, and in the interval between thesmall repasts of wine and tea, which diversified theday, the conversation turned, always on Pan's initia-

332 CHINESE STOEIES.tive, on the burning question of the transmutationof metals. " And now," he said, on one such occasion,'' to come to the practical point of ways and means.What shall you require for the operation ?" First of all," replied the alchemist, " it is necessaryto have certain quantities of pure gold andsilver, which form, as we call them, the mothers ofthe gold and silver, because they give birth to andnourish the product which is obtained. The mothermetalsmust be carefully purified before they are putin the crucible. They must then be submitted to ninefusions, during which must be added to them chemicalsknown as ' yellow germs' and ' coagulated snow.'When the moment arrives for opening the crucible,a small quantity of the mystic tan powder must bethrown in, when the masses of metal become transmutedat once into the finest gold and silver."" "How much of the mother-metals do you require ?" That depends on the amount of gold and silveryou wish to obtain. The greater the quantity ofmother-metal, the more powerful is the action of thetan. Thus, if any one w T ere to put into the cruciblea considerable weight of gold, he might becomepossessed of riches before which the wealth of theState would appear as nothing."" My resources are moderate," said Pan, " but Ican scrape together several millions of taels, 1 whichI will place at your disposal."Pan was too absorbed in the prospect of the wealthbefore him to notice a queer twinkle in the alchemist'seye at the mention of the sum available, and he heard1A tael is worth about 5s. 6d."

LOVE AND ALCHEMY. 333only the somewhat condescending tone of his voice ashe said" As to the amount, that is your affair, not mine."On the following day, the two friends started byboat for Sungkiang. Pan and Le occupied a yachthired by the former, and the lovely Mrs Le travelledin the gorgeously-appointed vessel which belonged toher husband.During the last day or two, Pan had been soentirely absorbed in the idea of the boundless wealthwhich was now within his reach, that his mind hadonly reverted to Mrs Le at such times as, with pipein mouth and a flask of the famous Suchow wine athis elbow, he took his ease after his mid -day andevening meals. But now that, though not in thesame boat, they were near neighbours, the thought ofher exquisite beauty more frequently occurred to him,more especially as every now and then, when theyachts came abreast, he caught glimpses of heralmond - shaped eyes and arched eyebrows, and itcaused him infinite pleasure to notice that, far fromappearing to avoid his eye, she rather encouraged hisgaze, and even cast furtive glances in reply to hisobvious but unexpressed admiration. As a poet ofthe Han Dynasty sings" Across the flood quick glances pass as tokenThat love is there though not a word be spoken."After a voyage of two days the travellers arrivedat Sungkiang, and Pan invited Le to inspect his townhouse, which stood close to the wharf. In reply toLe's look of disappointment at the situation of the2 u

334 CHINESE STORIES.house in so busy a thoroughfare, and surrounded onall sides by other houses, Pan hastened to say, "Thisis QOt the place for our great work. Beyond thewestern suburbs stands my villa, enwalled and closelyfenced about with lofty trees. There, undisturbed byhuman eye or noise, we may disclose the secret powerof tan, and make a captive of the god of wealth."So saying, the two men returned to their yachts,and, following the course of the grand canal, soonreached the wharf, which abutted on the westernsuburbs. With some pleasure Pan led Le into thespacious grounds of his favourite residence, and indeedthey were such as to justify his pride. A longavenue of handsome trees led from the portal intoa park where, through vistas of flowering plants anddwarfed shrubs, were seen pointed kiosques and decoratedpavilions, which added colour and brilliancyto the views by the painted tiles which adorned theirupturned roofs. The principal building containedapartments without number, some of which were soconcealed that they might readily have escaped theobservation of a visitor,over the park offeredwhile the pavilions scatteredcharming retreats, and were soplaced as to refresh the eye by views from their windowsof picturesque rockwork, high bridges and artificialgrottos.Le gazed around him with admiration.•Admirable !" he cried," admirable !This is exactlyi he place fur our work. The calm of solitude such asthis place affords is precisely what we want. Herewe cannot fail to be successful, and my wife may stayherewith all the privacy and safety which are ordained

LOVE AND ALCHEMY. 335for married Ladies by the Book of Rites, and whichI would desire for her. Pray, send for her at once.But it is necessary that I should remind you thateach of the nine mutations occupies nine clays, so thaiif we are to complete our work, we shall be obliged toremain the unworthyguests ofmy benevolentelder brother forthree moons."The thoughtof having MrsLe as a neighhourfor so longgave Pan a thrillof pleasure,which addedemphasis to hisdeclaration thatif it were threeyears it wouldbe too short atime. In responseto themessage sent toher yacht, theW^iCH-'" The lady presently appeared"lady presentlyappeared, attendedby "Autumn Moon" and "Springday Cloud."She was tastefully dressed, and her dainty walk andwillow-like waist added grace to her beauty. Asshe approached the two friends, Pan would have

336 CHINESE STORIES.withdrawn in accordance with the rules of propriety.But the alchemist stopped him." We now form," said he, " one family. Suffer myunworthy wife to salute you, and let there be norestraint between us."For the first time Pan had now an opportunity ofmaking a close inspection of the lady's features, andthe sight was almost too much for him. As he afterwardssaid, " her beauty eclipsed that of the moon,and was enough to make the flowers jealous." Forthe moment all thought of his approaching alchemistictriumphs disappeared, and his heart melted in him assnow at the touch of a flame. So soon as he couldrecover himself he said" The pavilions in the gardens are all ready foryour reception. Will it please you to make yourchoice of the one you may like to occupy ?While the lady made her inspection, Pan selectedfrom among his family heirlooms a pair of goldbracelets and a pair of earrings, and bringing themto Le, presented them to him, saying, " Allow me tooffer these trifles to your noble wife.Such an offeringis authorised by the Book of Rites, and I trust that shewill not disdain my humble homage."" Your generosity is overwhelming ; but while suchtilings as these are of value to you, they are none tous, who can coin them at pleasure ; so take themback, for to accept them would be to abuse yourhospitality."" I had hoped that you would have seen in thisinsignificant present a token of the sincerity ofmy friendship," replied Pan. "Though in them-"

LOVE AND ALCHEMY. 337selves worthless, I pray you to regard only myintentions."At these words the alchemist's countenance relaxed."Your words," said he, "have overcome all my objections.I accept with pleasure these signs of yourkindness." So saying, he handed the trinkets to aservant, with directions to take them to the lady,and to invite her to come in person to thank theirhost. Again Pan had the infinite pleasure of meetingher face to face, but so overcome was he with herbeauty that words failed him, and he did nothing butbow and gaze in return for her courtly inclinationsand ograciouswords of thanks.On the next morning the two friends enteredseriously upon their work. Having carefully examinedthe laboratory, the furnaces, and the surroundings,to see that they were perfectly free fromall trace of impurity of every kind (" For know," saidLe, " that the existence in the atmosphere of thelaboratory of any material or moral impurity is fatalto the transmutation of the metal "), he pronouncedhimself satisfied. He then retired, and presentlyreturned, dressed with infinite care in new robes ofbrilliant blue, encircled round the waist by a broadredsash.Meanwhile, Pan had seen to the lighting of thefurnace, and had made ready the mother - metal,which was to produce the priceless offspring. Whenall was in order Le, with much solemnity, approachedthe crucible, and with certain cabalistic utterances,dropped the metal, accompanied by a due proportionof " yellow germs," into the pot, and fastened close

338 CHINESE STORIES.the lid. Day after day, with unremitting care, thetwo friends kept alight the fire, which was to burnwithout intermission until the completion of thetransmutation, and were so engaged on the twentiethday of the process, when a messenger, dustyand travel-stained, arrived, bearing a letter for thealchemist. As Le read the contents, the colour lefthis cheeks, and Pan saw a man, to whom the mostsubtle secrets of nature had been revealed, reducedalmost totears." I hope your messenger is not one of ill tidings,"said Pan." Indeed he is," replied the alchemist, in a brokenvoice. " I regret to say that my aged mother isdangerously ill, and that I must at once go to herbedside."" I am extremely sorry to hear it," answered Pan," and though I fear that your absence will put anend toour present experiment, I trust that you willbe able to return at some subsequent time to completethe work."" It is my earnest desire to carry out our undertaking.But what can I do ? I must go to mymother's dwelling, and my wife, who might havefilled my place, having been accustomed to watchthe furnace at home with me, is too young to beleft in the house of even such a friend as youare." Do we not, to quote your own words, now formone family," said Pan, " and cannot you trust to myhonour? Have I not studied the writings of Confucius,and do I not know the rules of propriety by

LOVE AND ALCHEMY. 339heart? Let my elder brother leave his wife here,and her honour shall be my first care."Long the alchemist hesitated, but at last heyielded." I have," he said, " complete confidence in you,and as evidemce of it I accept your proposal. But 1must go to prepare for my departure, and to give fullinstructions to my wife."" All is saved," muttered Pan, in a voice suffocatedwith emotion, as Le went in the direction of thelady'sapartments.After an interval, which seemed to Pan to beinterminable, the alchemist came totake leave of hishost."A thousand times ten thousand times," said he," I commend my wife to you. Be very careful, and donot for a moment neglect the furnace. Rememberthe least fault of omission or of commission may workirrevocable evil."With a feeling of inexpressible joy, Pan saw thealchemist ride off rapidly from his door, and as heturned intothe garden his imagination pictured theinfinite delights of the tete-a-tete interviews with hislovely guest, which were now possible. Nor had helong to wait for one such, for on the very nextmorning "Autumn Moon" presented herself at hisstudy door, and invited him to accompany hermistress to the laboratory. Overjoyed at the proposal,Pan escorted the lady to the hallowed spot,the arrangements of which he found it necessary toexplain to her very fully indeed. Nor, as Panfancied, was there any desire on the lady's part to

340 CHINESE STOEIES.cut short the lengthy descriptionsand minute detailsin which he indulged. On the next day there weremore matters to talk over, and in the momentaryabsence of "Springday Cloud," who had gone tofetch her mistress's fan, the lady gave him one ofthose dangerous glances which had electrified him onformer occasions. By degrees the attendance of" Autumn Moon " and " Springday Cloud " becameless inevitable, and Pan enjoyed the exquisite pleasureenchant-of unrestrained converse with the beautifulress. By-and-by she became confidential." You doubtless think," she said on one occasion," that I live a life of careless joy. But my husbandis very different at home to what he is abroad.""" Is he unkind to you ?" Not exactly unkind, but he is very harsh."" Is it possible that he does not love you ?" He does in a kind of way," sighed Mrs Le, " buthis love is the cold love of an unsympathetic nature,and," she added in a faltering voice, "it is thatwhich is so painful to me. I am one of those towhom love is second nature, and I long—oh, how Ilong !—for a congenial intercourse with a true andaffectionatesoul.""I am true and I am affectionate," said Pan,trembling with excitement, "and I love you withall my heart. Let me devote my life and beingto you." With these burning words the man whoknew the rules of propriety by heart, so far forgothimself as to clasp the blushing lady round thewaist.With a scream she shook herself free. " Are you

LOVE AND ALCHEMY. 341mad?" said she. "Don't you know that the least' :taint in the magic atmosphere of the laboratory is fatal"to the success of the work ?What care I for the work " ? said Pan. " It is you»IAt this inopportune moment "Autumn Cloud"rushed in to say that the alchemist had suddenlyreturned. The announcement was hardly made when' :' 'IV/iy, what has happened? he exclaimed."the unwelcome intruder entered. After exchangingcordial greetings with Pan and his wife, the alchemistturned gaily towards the furnace, saying, " Now letus see how the ingredients are working. Whv, whathas happened ? " he exclaimed, with a look of blanchedhorror, as he examined the contents of the crucible." The metals are curdled. Some wrong; has been2 x

^42 CHINESE STORIES.committed. Some evil influence has found its wayinto the laboratory."With a searching look the alchemist turned hisgaze on Pan and on his wife.At first Pan attemptedto return his stare, but his evil conscience made acoward of him, and he trembled from head to foot.As to the lady, she fairly burst into tears, and hurriedout of the laboratory as fast as her feet, three incheslong, could carry her. The fury depicted on Le's facewas terrible to behold. He seized Pan by the throat."You perjured villain," he screamed, "this is yourhonour ! This is the care you have taken of my wife.Prepare for death, for by Amito Full you shall visitthe yellow springs (Hades) before sunset."Fairly paralysed with terror, which he afterwardsconstantly affirmed was on account of the lady, Panbegged for mercy."Oh, spare our lives, for pity sake," said he, "andanything you demand shall be yours !"You miserable creature! do you think thatmoney can satisfy my wounded honour ? " screamedLe. "No you shall die, and my apostate wife with;you.At this juncture Le's valet threw himself at hismaster's feet. "Lofty sir," he cried, "before youcany out your fell decree, hear, oh hear the evidencewhich I have gathered from the servants ! Uponmyhonour, this is the first time Mr Pan and Mrs Le havebeen alone together. And though the evidence of thecrucible is enough to warrant your inflicting deathupon them, yet remember their youth, and oh!remember the situation."

LOVE AND ALCHEMY. 343" What do you mean ? " said Le, in slightly modifiedtones. "Would you have me let the villain oo"unpunished ?"By no means," pleaded the valet; "his godis his wealth. Tear a portion of that god from him,and in so doing you will inflict a punishment on himto which the loss of life will be as nothing."" There is something in what you say," said Le, instill milder accents. " But I have no taste for suchbargainings. Let him send me an offer which I canaccept within a quarter of an hour, or he dies."In less than the required time, Pan sent his outragedguest apacket containing ten thousand taelsof silver (£3,000), which sum Le's valet afterwardsassured Pan he had had much difficulty in inducinghis master to accept in condonation of the wrong doneto him through the flagrant breach of etiquette ofwhich Pan had been guilty. Accept it he did, however,and in less than an hour the indignant alchemisthad shaken the dust of Pan's dwelling from his feet,taking with him his wife, Pan's packet of silver, and,presumably, the mother-metal, for no trace of it wasever afterwards found.Scarcely, however, had he leftothe town when thedeparted guest, who was much " want-magistrate called on Pan to inquire into the whereaboutsof hised" for a series of alchemistic frauds, "to the successof which," added the magistrate, "he has, I understand,been largely indebted to his extremely beautifuland fascinating wife, and a very astute valet."

344A CHINESE BALLAD.TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL.AMAID was sitting in her boudoir snug,-£*- Stitching awayOn coloured shoes embroidering blossoms bright,When lo ! a fortune-teller met her sightPassing that way.[She calls to him.']The master stopped, right glad to hear her call,""Come here !"Advance, most learned man," she gently said," And deign to converse with this lonely maid,honoured sir."Handing the sage a wooden bench she said,"You're welcome, sir.You here will rest awhile, so let me hope,W hile I impart to you my horoscope,honoured sir.

A CHINESE BALLAD. 345'Twas in the fourth month that I first saw lightThen high up there{.'pointing to the skies]The pretty hare lwas gambolling in the moon,And peach and plum trees were about to bloom,honoured sir.In that same month, the thirteenth day thereof,My mother dearTo me, the humble maid you see, gave birthWhen from the East the sun first touched the earth,honoured sir.I ask not riches, at such paltry stuff1 do but sneerNor for high honours do I greatly care,I only crave the festive marriage-chair,honoured sir."The master took his pen and quickly wroteWith learned airAnd having reckoned, said in voice sedate," You have another three years yet to wait,My maiden fair."The hapless maiden, when she listening heardThis sentence drear,Grew angry, and with countenance irate,Said, " You know nothing of the books of Fate,honoured sir1The hare is the sign of the fourth month, and is popularly believedto derive its origin from the vital essence of the moon, in whichluminary a sublimated figure of the animal is visible to the Chinesefancy.

346 CHINESE STORIES.Across the street there lives a lady fair,Born King by name ;Her father's third child she, and strange to say,Her birth with mine is both to month and dayThe very same.Yet she when fifteen years of age embracedA son and heirAnd the next year to this most welcome joyShe added still another little boy,honoured sir.Then take these copper cash and go thy way,Nor linger hereAnd never darken more my humble gate.You are not fit to read the books of Fate,honoured sir."

147THE LOVE-SICK MAIDEN.A CHINESE POEM.WITHIN a silken curtained bed there layA maiden wondrous fair but vaguely ill,Who cared for nothing in the outside world,Contented only to lie lone and still.While lying thus her neighbour Mrs WangStepped lightly o'er to ask her how she faredAnd drawing back the curtains, stood aghastTo see how wan and pale her cheeks appeared." Tell me what ails you, dear," she kindly said." My mind's diseased," the maiden soft replied :" I cannot sleep, I loathe the sight of food,And I'm so weary." Then she turned and sighed." Shall I a doctor call to see you, dear?" A doctor ? No ; I don't want any such.They countless questions ask to earn their fees,And sometimes end by finding out too much."

348 CHINESE STORIES." Shall I call in a priest to pray with you ?'•'A priest ? Oh no, that would be worse again.His snuffling chants and dismal tinkling bellsWould rather aggravate than ease my pain."" Shall I go seek a nurse to wait on you ?"' ;I" A nurse ? Oh no," the pretty maiden said ;could not bear to have her watching me,And purring like a cat about my bed.""" But what's the cause of this distemper, dear ?The maiden raised herself and blushing said :" Last spring young Le, who to the wars has gone,Was wont to saunter over hill and glade.He loved to wander forth amongst the flowers,To revel in the beauties of the spring,To watch the blossoms opening to the sun,And hear the lark and tuneful throstle sing."" But what has that to do with you, my child?" Oh blind, oh blind, and can't you really see ?Ilove him as the wakening dawn loves lightAnd let me whisper to you, he loves me."" Then shall I call this Mr Le to you ?" What use to call, he's many leagues away.Oh, if I could but see him once again !" You shall, my child, for he comes home to-day."TRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS.

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