pon which he had written a declaration of love in
seven-syllabled stanzas. He carefully folded his verses and
placed them in the cup of a white flower, which he rolled in a
leaf of the water-lily, and placed the whole tenderly upon the
surface of the lake.

A light breeze wafted the lover's message through the arches of
the wall, and it floated so near Ju-Kiouan that she had only to
stretch out her hand to receive it. Fearful of being seen she
returned to her private boudoir, where she read with great
delight the expressions of love written by Tchin-Sing. Her
joy was all the greater, as she recognized from the exquisite
hand-writing and choice versification that the writer was a
man of culture and talent. And when she read his signature, the
significance of which she perceived at once, remembering her
mother's dream, she felt that heaven had sent her the long
desired companion.

The next day the breeze blew in a different direction, so that
Ju-Kiouan was able to send an answer in verse by the same subtle
messenger, by which, notwithstanding her girlish modesty, it was
easy to see that she returned the love of Tchin-Sing.

On reading the signature, Tchin-Sing could not repress an
exclamation of surprise and delight. "The pearl," said he, "that
is the precious jewel my mother saw glittering on my bosom. I
must at once entreat this young girl's hand of her parents, for
she is the wife appointed for me by the oracle."

As he was preparing to go, he suddenly remembered the dislike
between the two families, and the prohibitions inscribed upon
the tablet over the entrance. Determined to win his prize at any
cost, he resolved to confide the whole history to his mother.
Ju-Kiouan had also told her love to Madame Tou. The names of
Pearl and Jasper troubled the good matrons so much that, not
daring to set themselves against what appeared to be the will of
the gods, they both went again to the temple of Fo.

The bronze oracle replied that this marriage was in reality the
true interpretation of the dreams, and that to prevent it
would be to incur the eternal anger of the gods. Touched by the
entreaties of the mothers, and also by slight mutual advances,
the two fathers gave way and consented to a reconciliation of the
families. The two old friends, on meeting each other again, were
astonished to find what frivolous causes had separated them for
so many years, and mourned sincerely over all the pleasure they
had lost in bein