ore of cups of
the finest apricot-tea successively placed before him and taken away
untasted, while Yat Huang went to each in turn protesting vehemently
that the honour of covering such pure-minded and distinguished persons
was more than his badly designed roof could reasonably bear, and
wittingly giving an entrancing air of reality to the spoken compliment
by begging them to move somewhat to one side so that they might escape
the heavy central beam if the event which he alluded to chanced to take
place. After several hours had been spent in this congenial occupation,
Yat Huang proceeded to read aloud several of the sixteen discourses on
education which, taken together, form the discriminating and infallible
example of conduct known as the Holy Edict. As each detail was dwelt
upon Yin arose from his couch and gave his deliberate testimony that
all the required tests and rites had been observed in his own case.
The first part of the repast was then partaken of, the nature of the
ingredients and the manner of preparing them being fully explained,
and in a like manner through each succeeding one of the four-and-forty
courses. At the conclusion Yin again arose, being encouraged by the
repeated uttering of his name by those present, and with extreme modesty
and brilliance set forth his manner of thinking concerning all subjects
with which he was acquainted.

Early on the morning of the following day Yin set out on his travels,
entirely unaccompanied, and carrying with him nothing beyond a sum of
money, a silk robe, and a well-tried and reliable spear. For many days
he journeyed in a northerly direction, without encountering anything
sufficiently unusual to engage his attention. This, however, was
doubtless part of a pre-arranged scheme so that he should not be drawn
from a destined path, for at a small village lying on the southern shore
of a large lake, called by those around Silent Water, he heard of the
existence of a certain sacred island, distant a full day's sailing,
which was barren of all forms of living things, and contained only a
single gigantic rock of divine origin and majestic appearance. Many
persons, the villagers asserted, had sailed to the island in the hope
of learning the portent of the rock, but none ever returned, and they
themselves avoided coming even within sight of it; for the sacred stone,
they declared, exercised an evil influence over their ships, and would,
if permitted, draw them out of their c