en the sun had well risen, the Governor gave his judgment. All the
hundred and twelve monks were led straight to the market-place and
beheaded. Groups of men provided with torches went to set fire to the
monastery, and it was soon a smoking ruin. Joy flowered upon the faces
of all the men of that town. But it is said that many of the women
wept in secret.

_Adapted from Hsing shih heng yen
(1627), 39th Tale._

A COMPLICATED MARRIAGE

Marriages have from all time been arranged beforehand by Heaven. If
such is the will of destiny, the most distantly separated persons
come together, and the nearest neighbors never see each other. All is
settled before birth, and every effort of mortals does but accomplish
the decree of Fate. This is proved by the following story.

During the Ching-yu period of the Sung dynasty, there lived at
Hang-chow a doctor named Liu. His wife had given him a son and a
daughter. The son, who was but sixteen years old, had been called
Virgin Diamond, and was betrothed to young Pearl, of the family of
Sun. He was brilliant in his studies, and gave every promise that
he would one day attain to the highest literary standard, and to the
greatest honor. The daughter was named Prudence. She was fifteen years
old, and had just received marriage gifts from her betrothed, the son
of P'ei, a neighboring druggist. Her eyebrows were like the feelers
of a butterfly, and her eyes had the grace of those of a phoenix.
Her hips, flexible as willow branches swayed by the wind, wakened the
liveliest feeling. Her face was that of a flower; and the nimbleness
of her light body brought to mind the flight of swallows.

The go-between who had concluded Prudence's betrothal came one day
at the instance of the P'ei family to ask that marriage might be
hastened. But Liu had determined first to accomplish the ceremonies
for his son, and accordingly took customary steps with this object in
view, so that a day was at length fixed. But when the appointed time
was drawing near, Virgin Diamond fell seriously ill. His father, Liu,
wished to postpone the ceremony, but his mother argued that perhaps
joy would cure him better than medicine.

"But if, by mischance, our son should die?" he insisted.

"We will send back the bride and all the gifts, and the family will
have nothing to say."

The doctor, like many men, was wax in the hands of his wife, and
therefore her wish was fulfilled.

But it chanced that one of their n