he month-age feast, the book-name of Tsin at a
later period, Paik upon taking a degree, and so forth."

"I am very sorry, Mr. Kong," said the maiden, adding, with what at
the time certainly struck this person as shallow-witted prejudice. "Of
course it is really quite your own fault for being so tospy-turvily
arranged in every way. But, to return to the subject, why should not one
speak of one's heart?"

"Because," replied this person, colouring deeply, and scarcely able to
control his unbearable offence that so irreproachably-moulded a creature
should openly refer to the detail, "because it is a gross and unrefined
particular, much more internal and much less pleasantly-outlined
than those extremities whose spoken equivalent shall henceforth be an
abandoned word from my lips."

"But, in any case, it is not the actual organ that one infers,"
protested the maiden. "As the seat of the affections, passions, virtues,
and will, it is the conventional emblem of every thought and emotion."

"By no means," I cried, forgetting in the face of so heterodox an
assertion that it would be well to walk warily at every point. "That is
the stomach."

"Ah!" exclaimed the maiden, burying her face in a gracefully-perfumed
remnant of lace, to so overwhelming a degree that for the moment I
feared she might become involved in the dizzy falling. "Never, by any
mischance, use that word again the society of the presentable, Mr.
Kong."

"The ceremonial usage of my own land of the Heavenly Dynasty is
proverbially elaborate," I said, with a gesture of self-abasement, "but
in comparison with yours it may be regarded as an undeviating walk when
opposed to a stately and many-figured dance. Among the company of the
really excessively select (in which must ever be included the one whom
I am now addressing), it becomes difficult for an outcast of my
illimitable obtuseness to move to one side or the other without putting
his foot into that."

"Oh no," exclaimed the maiden, in fragrant encouragement, "I think you
are getting on very nicely, Mr. Kong, and one does not look for absolute
conformance from a foreigner--especially one who is so extremely
foreign. If I can help you with anything--of course I could not even
speak as I have done to an ordinary stranger, but with one of a distant
race it seems different--if I can tell you anything that will save
you--"

"You are all-exalted," I replied, with seemly humility, "and virtue and
wisdom press ou