Would not the stout and round-faced one, who would cheerfully
have contributed a certain number of taels to see this person manifest a
similar exhibition, unhesitatingly lay out that sum to secure the means
of so gratifying his emotions whenever he felt the desire, even with
the revered persons of the most dignified ones in the Empire? Is there,
indeed, a single person between the Wall and the Bitter Waters on the
South who is so devoid of ambition that he would miss the opportunity of
subjecting, as it were, perhaps even the sacred Emperor himself to the
exceptional feat?'

"'The temptation to possess one would inevitably prove overwhelming to
any person of ordinary intelligence,' admitted Lila. 'Yet, in spite of
this one's unassumed admiration for the contrivance, internal doubts
regarding the ultimate happiness of the two persons who are now
discussing the matter again attack her. She recollects, somewhat dimly,
an almost forgotten, but nevertheless, very unassailable proverb, which
declares that more contentment of mind can assuredly be obtained from
the unexpected discovery of a tael among the folds of a discarded
garment than could, in the most favourable circumstances, ensue from
the well-thought-out construction of a new and hitherto unknown
device. Furthermore, although the span of a year may seem unaccountably
protracted when persons who reciprocate engaging sentiments are
parted, yet when the acceptance or refusal of Pe-tsing's undesirable
pledging-gifts hangs upon the accomplishment of a remote and not very
probable object within that period, it becomes as a breath of wind
passing through an autumn forest.'

"Since the day when Lila and Lee had sat together side by side, and
conversed in this unrestrained and irreproachable manner, the great
sky-lantern had many times been obscured for a period. Only an
insignificant portion of the year remained, yet the affairs of Lee Sing
were in no more prosperous a condition than before, nor had he found an
opportunity to set aside any store of taels. Each day the unsupportable
Pe-tsing became more and more obtrusive and self-conceited, even to
the extent of throwing far into the air coins of insignificant value
whenever he chanced to pass Lee in the street, at the same time urging
him to leap after them and thereby secure at least one or two pieces of
money against the day of calculating. In a similar but entirely opposite
fashion, Lila and Lee experienced the acutest