rast between her youthful beauty, so still in its repose, and the old
haggard Emperor, fevered with the lust of beauty and love of life.

"O Majesty," said his wisest counsellor, "is there any sect in thy
dominions that possesses the secret of perpetual youth?"

And the Emperor made proclamation, but no such sect could be found. And he
mourned exceedingly, and caused strong perfumes to be burned around the
sleeper, and conches to be blown and gongs beaten in her ears, hoping that
she would awake ere he was dead or wholly decrepit. But she stirred not.
And he shut himself up with her and passed his time praying to Fo for her
awakening.

But one day the door of the chamber was beaten down, and his old wife came
in passionately upbraiding him.

"Sin-Woo," she cried, "thou hast not the heart of a man! Thou wouldest be
deathless, leaving me to die! I shall be laid in the grave, and thou wilt
reign with another! Wherefore have I been true to thee, if not that our
ashes might mingle at the last? Thou hoary sensualist!"

"Su-Ti," said the Emperor, with feeling, "thou dost grievously misjudge me.
I am no heartless sensualist, no butterfly sipper at the lips of beauty. Is
not my soul entirely possessed by this divine creature, whom I love with an
affection infinitely exceeding that which I have entertained for thee at
any period? And how knowest thou," added he, striving to soothe her, "that
I will not give thee to drink of the miraculous potion?"

"And keep my grey hairs and wrinkles through all time! Nay, Sin-Woo, I am
no fool like thee, and were I so, I am not in love with any youth. And know
I not that even if I would accept the boon, thou would'st never give it?"

And she rushed away in fury and hanged herself by her Imperial girdle.
Whereupon all the other wives and concubines of the Emperor did likewise,
as custom and reason prescribe. All the palace was filled with lamentation
and funerals. But the Emperor lamented not, nor turned his gaze from the
sleeper, nor did the sleeper awaken.

And his son came to him angry with exceeding wrath.

"Thou hast murdered my mother. Thou would'st rob me of the crown that is
rightfully mine. I, born to be an Emperor, shall die a subject! Nay, but I
will save thee from thyself. I will pierce thy leman with the sword, or
burn her with fire."

And the Emperor, fearing he would do as he threatened, commanded him to be
slain, as also his brothers and sisters. And he paid no heed to