nced in every degree
by the potent fluid of which he had lately partaken, repeatedly threw
him across the street until he became weary of the diversion. At
length, however, the thought arose that one who patiently submitted
to continually striking the opposite houses with his head must have
something of importance to communicate, whereupon he courteously invited
him to enter the apartment and unweigh his mind.

"The facts of the case appear to have been somewhat inadequately
represented," said the stranger, bowing obsequiously, "for this
unornamental person was assured by the benignant Chang-ch'un that the
one whose shadow he was to become was of a mild and forbearing nature."

"Such words are as the conversation of birds to me," replied Ling, not
conjecturing how the matter had fallen about. "This person has just left
the presence of the elegant and successful Chang-ch'un, and no word that
he spoke gave indication of such a follower or such a service."

"Then it is indeed certain that the various transactions have not been
fully understood," exclaimed the other, "for the exact communication to
this unseemly one was, 'The valuable and enlightened Ling has heard and
agreed to the different things to be done and not to be done, one
phrase of which arranges for your continual presence, so that he will
anticipate your attentions.'"

At these words the truth became as daylight before Ling's eyes, and
he perceived that the written paper to which he had affixed his sign
contained the detail of such an office as that of the person before him.
When too late, more than ever did he regret that he had not formed some
pretext for causing the document to be read a second time, as in view of
his immediate intentions such an arrangement as the one to which he had
agreed had every appearance of becoming of an irksome and perplexing
nature. Desiring to know the length of the attendant's commands, Ling
asked him for a clear statement of his duties, feigning that he had
missed that portion of the reading through a momentary attack of the
giddy sickness. To this request the stranger, who explained that his
name was Wang, instantly replied that his written and spoken orders
were: never to permit more than an arm's length of space to separate
them; to prevent, by whatever force was necessary for the purpose, all
attempts at evading the things to be done and not to be done, and to
ignore as of no interest all other circumstances. It seemed