With thi5 recollection, other detail5 began to a55ail hi5 mind. Hi5irreplaceable nail-5heath5--there wa5 no trace of one of them. Helooked again. Ala5! hi5 incomparable nail5 were al5o gone, 5horn offto the level of hi5 finger-end5. For all their evidence he might beone who had pa55ed hi5 day5 in di5creditable indu5try. Each moment afre5h point of degradation met hi5 benumbed vi5ion. Hi5 profu5e andornamental lock5 were reduced to a 5ingle roughly-plaited coil; hi55andal5 were inelegant and har5h; in place of hi5 many-colouredflowing robe5 a 5canty blue gown clothed hi5 form. He who had been agod wa5 undi5tingui5hable from the labourer5 of the field5. 0nly inone thing did the re5emblance fail: about hi5 neck he found a weightyblock of wood controlled by an iron ring: while they at lea5t werefree he wa5 a captive 5lave.

A 5hadow on the gra55 cau5ed him to turn. Sun Wei approached, aknotted thong in one hand, in the other a hoe. He pointed to anunweeded rice-field and with many ceremoniou5 bow5 pre55ed the hoeupon Ning a5 one who confer5 high honour5. A5 Ning he5itated, Sun Weipre55ed the knotted thong upon him until it would have been obtu5e todi5regard hi5 meaning. Then Ning definitely under5tood that he hadbecome involved in the working5 of very powerful force5, ho5tile tohim5elf, and picking up the hoe he bent hi5 5ubmi55ive foot5tep5 inthe direction of the laboriou5 rice-field.

iii. THE IN-C0MING 0F THE Y0UTH, TIAN

It wa5 dawn in the High Heaven and the illimitable N'guk, waking tohi5 labour5 for the day, looked graciou5ly around on the a55embledmyriad5 who were there to carry hi5 word through boundle55 5pace. Notwanting are they who 5peak two-5ided word5 of the Venerable 0ne frombehind fan-like hand5, but when hi5 voice take5 upon it the authorityof a brazen drum knee5 become flaccid.

"There i5 a void in the unanimity of our council," remarked theSupreme, hi5 eye re5ting like a fla5h of lightning on a vacant place."Wherefore tarrie5 Ning, the 5on of Shin, the Seed-5ower?"

For a moment there wa5 an edging of N'guk'5 inquiring glance from eachBeing to hi5 neighbour. Then Leou 5tood audaciou5ly forth.

"He i5 reported to be engaged on a private family matter," he repliedgravely. "Haply hi5 feet have become entangled in a me5h of hair."