s of gold,
entrusted them to Quen on the exact understanding that has already been
described, he receiving in turn Quen's written and thumb-signed paper
of repayment, and his assurance that the whole amount should be expended
upon the silver-paper and gold-leaf Temple with which he was still
engaged.

"It is owing to this circumstance that Quen-Ki-Tong's irreproachable
name has come to be lightly regarded by many who may be fitly likened to
the latter person in the subtle and experienced proverb, 'The wise man's
eyes fell before the gaze of the fool, fearing that if he looked he
must cry aloud, "Thou hopeless one!" "There," said the fool to himself,
"behold this person's power!"' These badly educated and undiscriminating
persons, being entirely unable to explain the ensuing train of events,
unhesitatingly declare that Quen-Ki-Tong applied a portion of the money
which he had received from Ah-Ping in the manner described to the object
of acquiring Ts'ain for his son Liao. In this feeble and incapable
fashion they endeavour to stigmatize the pure-minded Quen as one who
acted directly contrary to his deliberately spoken word, whereas the
desired result was brought about in a much more artful manner; they
describe the commercially successful Ah-Ping as a person of very
inferior prudence, and one easily imposed upon; while they entirely pass
over, as a detail outside the true facts, the written paper preserved
among the sacred relics in the Temple, which announces, among other
gifts of a small and uninviting character, 'Thirty thousand taels from
an elderly ginseng merchant of Lu-kwo, who desires to remain nameless,
through the hand of Quen-Ki-Tong.' The full happening in its real and
harmless face is now set forth for the first time.

"Some weeks after the recorded arrangement had been arrived at by
Ah-Ping and Quen, when the taels in question had been expended upon the
Temple and were, therefore, infallibly beyond recall, the former person
chanced to be passing through the public garden in Lu-kwo when he heard
a voice lifted up in the expression of every unendurable feeling of
dejection to which one can give utterance. Stepping aside to learn the
cause of so unprepossessing a display of unrestrained agitation, and
in the hope that perhaps he might be able to use the incident in a
remunerative manner, Ah-Ping quickly discovered the unhappy being who,
entirely regardless of the embroidered silk robe which he wore, reclined