th the
authority of one who ruled.

Presently he spoke, not in broken English, but in Chinese. It was
interpreted by the Chinaman standing on the right by the screens, in
well cadenced, cultured English.

"I have to tell you," said Li Choo--the other's voice repeated the words
after him--"that I am the son of greatness, of a ruler in my own land.
It was by the Yang-tze-kiang, and there were riches and pleasant things
in the days of my youth. In the hunt, at the tavern, I was first amongst
them all. I had great strength. I once killed a bear with my bare hands.
My hands had fame.

"I had office in the city where my cousin ruled. He was a bad man, and
was soon forgotten, though his children mourn for him as is the custom.
I killed him. He gave counsel concerning the city when there was war,
but his counsel was that of a traitor, and the city was lost. Now
behold, it is written that he who has given counsel about the country or
its capital should perish with it when it comes into peril. He would not
die--so I killed him; but not before he had heaped upon me baseness and
shame. So I killed him.

"Yet it is written that when a minister kills his ruler, all who are in
office with him shall without mercy kill him who did the deed. That is
the law. It was the word of the Son of Heaven that this should be.
But those who were in office with me would not kill me, because they
approved of what I did. Yet they must kill me, since it was the law.
What was there to do but in the night to flee, so that they who should
kill me might not obey the law? Had I remained, and they had not obeyed
the law, they also would have been slain."

He paused for a moment and then went on. "So I fled, and it is many
years since by the Yang-tze-kiang I killed my ruler and saved my
friends. Yet I had not been faithful to the ancient law, and so through
the long years I have done low work among a low people. This was for
atonement, for long ago by the Yang-tzekiang I should have died, and
behold, I have lived until now. To save my friends from the pain of
killing me I fled and lived; but at last here at this place I said to
myself that I must die. So, secretly, I made this cellar into a temple.

"That was a year ago, and I sent to my brother the Duke Ki to speak to
him what was in my mind, so that he might send my kinsmen to me, that
when I came to die, it should be after the manner ordained by the Son of
Heaven; that my body should be clothed accor