ished
time last night. After Chow had departed to see about food, and the junk
had been fastened up at the lock of Kilung, on the Yang-tse-Kiang, he
and the round-bodied Shang were journeying along the narrow path by the
river-side when the right leg of the graceful and popular person who
is narrating these events disappeared into the river. Suffering no
apprehension in the dark, but that the vanishing limb was the left leg
of Shang, this intelligent writer allowed his impassiveness to melt away
to an exaggerated degree; but at that moment the circumstance became
plain to the round-bodied Shang, who was in consequence very grossly
amused at the mishap and misapprehension of your good lord, the writer,
at the same time pointing out the matter as it really was. Then it
chanced that there came by one of the maidens who carry tea and jest for
small sums of money to the sitters at the little tables with round white
tops, at which this remarkable person, the confidant of many mandarins,
ever desirous of displaying his priceless power of removing gravity,
said to her:

"'How much of gladness, Ning-Ning? By the Sacred Serpent this is plainly
your night out.'

"Perceiving the true facts of the predicament of this commendable
writer, she replied:

"'Suffer not your illustrious pigtail to be removed, venerable Wang; for
in this maiden's estimation it is indeed your night in.'

"There are times when this valued person wonders whether his method
of removing gravity be in reality very antique or quite new. On such
occasions the world, with all its schools, and those who interfere in
the concerns of others, continues to revolve around him. The wondrous
sky-lanterns come out silently two by two like to the crystallized music
of stringed woods. Then, in the mystery of no-noise, his head becomes
greatly enlarged with celestial and highly-profound thoughts; his
groping hand seems to touch matter which may be written out in his
impressive style and sold to those who print leaves, and he goes home to
write out such."

When this person looked up after reading, with tears of shame in his
eyes, he perceived that the lesser one had cautiously disappeared.
Therefore, being unable to gain admittance to the inner office, he
returned to his home.

Here the remark of the omniscient Tai Loo again fixes itself upon the
attention. No sooner had this incapable person reached his house than he
became aware that a parcel had arrived for him from t