t
gathering, should such a length become necessary, of his just claims.
Understand that in the time since the venture was arranged this person
has become possessed of all the property of 'The Ling (After Death)
Without Much Risk Assembly,' and thereby he is competent to act fully
in the matter. It has now come within his attention that the one Ling
to whom the particulars refer is officially dead, and as the written
and sealed document clearly undertook that the person's body was to be
delivered up for whatever use the Assembly decided whenever death should
possess it, this person has now come for the honourable carrying out of
the undertaking."

At these words the true nature of the hidden contrivance into which he
had fallen descended upon Ling like a heavy and unavoidable thunderbolt.
Nevertheless, being by nature and by reason of his late exploits
fearless of death, except for the sake of the loved one by his side, he
betrayed no sign of discreditable emotion at the discovery.

"In such a case," he replied, with an appearance of entirely
disregarding the danger of the position, "the complete parchment must be
of necessity overthrown; for if this person is now officially dead, he
was equally so at the time of sealing, and arrangements entered into by
dead persons have no actual existence."

"That is a matter which has never been efficiently decided," admitted
Chang-ch'un, with no appearance of being thrown into a state of
confusion at the suggestion, "and doubtless the case in question can by
various means be brought in the end before the Court of Final Settlement
at Peking, where it may indeed be judged in the manner you assert. But
as such a process must infallibly consume the wealth of a province and
the years of an ordinary lifetime, and as it is this person's unmoved
intention to carry out his own view of the undertaking without delay,
such speculations are not matters of profound interest."

Upon this Chang gave certain instructions to his followers, who
thereupon prepared to advance. Perceiving that the last detail of the
affair had been arrived at, Ling threw back his hanging garment, and
was on the point of rushing forward to meet them, when Mian, who had
maintained a possessed and reliant attitude throughout, pushed towards
him the vessel of pure and sparkling liquid with which they had been
engaged when so presumptuously broken in upon, at the same time speaking
to him certain words in an outside langu