ng
a manner as himself--on the day before that on which all persons were
freely set at liberty on account of exceptional public rejoicing. Yet in
spite of these and many other very unendurable incidents, this impetuous
and ill-starred being never felt so great a desire to retire to a
solitary place and there disfigure himself permanently as a mark of
his unfeigned internal displeasure, as on the occasion when he endured
extreme poverty and great personal inconvenience for an entire year in
order that he might take away face from the memory of a person who was
so placed that no one expressed any interest in the matter.

"Since then this very ill-clad and really necessitous person has
devoted himself to the honourable but exceedingly arduous and in general
unremunerative occupation of story-telling. To this he would add nothing
save that not infrequently a nobly-born and highly-cultured audience
is so entranced with his commonplace efforts to hold the attention,
especially when a story not hitherto known has been related, that in
order to afford it an opportunity of expressing its gratification, he
has been requested to allow another offering to be made by all persons
present at the conclusion of the entertainment."

CHAPTER VI. THE VENGEANCE OF TUNG FEL

For a period not to be measured by days or weeks the air of Ching-fow
had been as unrestful as that of the locust plains beyond the Great
Wall, for every speech which passed bore two faces, one fair to hear,
as a greeting, but the other insidiously speaking behind a screen, of
rebellion, violence, and the hope of overturning the fixed order of
events. With those whom they did not mistrust of treachery persons spoke
in low voices of definite plans, while at all times there might appear
in prominent places of the city skilfully composed notices setting
forth great wrongs and injustices towards which resignation and a lowly
bearing were outwardly counselled, yet with the same words cunningly
inflaming the minds, even of the patient, as no pouring out of
passionate thoughts and undignified threatenings could have done. Among
the people, unknown, unseen, and unsuspected, except to the proved ones
to whom they desired to reveal themselves, moved the agents of the Three
Societies. While to the many of Ching-fow nothing was desired or even
thought of behind the downfall of their own officials, and, chief of
all, the execution of the evil-minded and depraved Mandarin Ping S