t permit the dark shadow of an inward
cloud to reflect itself upon your almost invariably amiable countenance,
for this person has become possessed of a valuable internal suggestion
which, although he has hitherto neglected, being content with a small
but assured competency, would doubtless bring together a serviceable
number of taels if rightly utilized.'

"'Greatly does this person fear that the valuable internal suggestion
of Lee Sing will weigh but lightly in the commercial balance against
the very rapidly executed pictures of Pe-tsing,' said Lila, who had not
fully recalled from her mind a disturbing emotion that Lee would
have been well advised to have availed himself of her ingenious and
well-thought-out suggestion. 'But of what does the matter consist?'

"'It is the best explained by a recital of the circumstances leading up
to it,' said Lee. 'Upon an occasion when this person was passing through
the streets of Fow Hou, there gathered around him a company of those who
had, on previous occasions, beheld his exceptional powers of hurtling
himself through the air in an upward direction, praying that he would
again delight their senses by a similar spectacle. Not being unwilling
to afford those estimable persons of the amusement they desired, this
one, without any elaborate show of affected hesitancy, put himself
into the necessary position, and would without doubt have risen
uninterruptedly almost into the Middle Air, had he not, in making the
preparatory movements, placed his left foot upon an over-ripe wampee
which lay unperceived on the ground. In consequence of this really
blameworthy want of caution the entire manner and direction of this
short-sighted individual's movements underwent a sudden and complete
change, so that to those who stood around it appeared as though he were
making a well-directed endeavour to penetrate through the upper surface
of the earth. This unexpected display had the effect of removing the
gravity of even the most aged and severe-minded persons present, and for
the space of some moments the behaviour and positions of those who stood
around were such that they were quite unable to render any assistance,
greatly as they doubtless wished to do so. Being in this manner allowed
a period for inward reflexion of a very concentrated order, it arose
within this one's mind that at every similar occurrence which he had
witnessed, those who observed the event had been seized in a like
fashion, b