ary absence to suggest caresses.

Thenceforward he followed his trade. At the age of thirty-two he had
travelled over more than half the empire, and had beguiled several
thousand women. Often, he was so bold as to attack more than eight
persons at a time, in a single house, and not even the little slaves
escaped his attention. The happiness of which he was thus the cause
remained unsuspected, and no one suffered by it, since none could
dream of its existence. He always remembered his master's rule, and
never risked staying for more than a few days in the same place.

At last he came to the province West-of-the-River, and was received
into an important house, where there were more than fifteen women, all
beautiful and young. His feeling toward each of these was of so lively
a nature that twenty days had passed before he could make up his mind
to go away. Now the husband of one of these girls perceived him and,
at once falling in love with him, arranged that his wife should
cause him to come to their house. Flowering Mulberry went, suspecting
nothing, and hardly had he entered before the man came into the room,
took him by the waist and embraced him. Naturally he protested and
began to cry out; but the husband took not the slightest notice
of that. He pushed him on to the next room and searched him with
shameless hands. It was his turn to cry out: the slaves ran in, bound
Flowering Mulberry, and led him to the court of justice. In front of
the judge he tried to plead that he had adopted his disguise in order
to gain his living. But torture drew from him his real name and the
true motive of his behavior, together with an account of his latest
exploits.

The Governor sent a report to the higher authorities, for he had no
precedent and knew not to what punishment to condemn him. The Viceroy
decided that the case must come under the law of adultery, and also
under that which dealt with the propagation of immorality. The penalty
was a slow death. No extenuating circumstances were admitted. So ended
this story.

_Hsing shih heng yen (1627),
10th Tale._

THE MONASTERY OF THE ESTEEMED-LOTUS

In the town of Eternal Purity there was once a large monastery
dedicated to the Esteemed-Lotus. It contained hundreds of rooms, and
its grounds covered several thousand acres. Its wealth and prosperity
were due to the possession of a famous relic.

The bonzes, who numbered about a hundred, lived in luxury; and
visitors wer