pangs of an ever-growing
despair, until their only form of greeting consisted in gazing into each
other's eyes with a soul-benumbing expression of self-reproach.

"Yet at this very time, when even the natural and unalterable powers
seemed to be conspiring against the success of Lee's modest and
inoffensive hopes, an event was taking place which was shortly to
reverse the entire settled arrangement of persons and affairs, and
involved Fow Hou in a very inextricable state of uncertainty. For, not
to make a pretence of concealing a matter which has been already in part
revealed, the Mandarin Chan Hung had by this time determined to act in
the manner which Ming-hi had suggested; so that on a certain morning
Lee Sing was visited by two persons, bearing between them a very weighty
sack of taels, who also conveyed to him the fact that a like amount
would be deposited within his door at the end of each succeeding seven
days. Although Lee's occupation had in the past been very meagrely
rewarded, either by taels or by honour, the circumstance which resulted
in his now receiving so excessively large a sum is not made clear until
the detail of Ming-hi's scheme is closely examined. The matter then
becomes plain, for it had been suggested by that person that the most
proficient in any occupation should be rewarded to a certain extent,
and the least proficient to another stated extent, the original amounts
being reversed. When those engaged by Chang Hung to draw up the various
rates came to the profession of ensnaring winged insects, however, they
discovered that Lee Sing was the only one of that description in Fow
Hou, so that it became necessary in consequence to allot him a double
portion, one amount as the most proficient, and a much larger amount as
the least proficient.

"It is unnecessary now to follow the not altogether satisfactory
condition of affairs which began to exist in Fow Hou as soon as the
scheme was put into operation. The full written papers dealing with the
matter are in the Hall of Public Reference at Peking, and can be seen by
any person on the payment of a few taels to everyone connected with
the establishment. Those who found their possessions reduced thereby
completely overlooked the obvious justice of the arrangement, and
immediately began to take most severe measures to have the order put
aside; while those who suddenly and unexpectedly found themselves
raised to positions of affluence tended to the same