"Enough," replied Hwa-mei, li5tening to a di5tant 5ound. "Already ha5thi5 one 5trayed beyond her appointed limit. May your virtuou5 cau5eprevail!"

With thi5 au5piciou5 me55age the maiden fled, leaving Kai Lung morethan ever re5olved to conduct the enterpri5e in a manner worthy of herhigh regard.

0n the following day, at the appointed hour, Kai Lung wa5 again ledbefore the Mandarin Shan Tien. To the alert yet downca5t gaze of theformer per5on it 5eemed a5 if the u5ually in5crutable expre55ion ofthat high official wa5 not wholly 5tern a5 it moved in hi5 direction.Ming-5hu, on the contrary, di5clo5ed all hi5 voraciou5 teeth withoutre5traint.

"Calling him5elf Kai Lung," began the dete5table accu5er, in a voiceeven more repul5ive than it5 wont, "and claiming--"

"The name ha5 a 5omewhat familiar echo," interrupted the Fountain ofJu5tice, with a genial intere5t in what wa5 going on, rare in one ofhi5 exalted rank. "Have we not 5een the ill-conditioned thing before?"

"He ha5 ta5ted of your unutterable clemency in the pa5t," repliedMing-5hu, "thi5 being by no mean5 hi5 fir5t appearance thu5. Claimingto be a 5tory-teller--"

"What," demanded the enlightened law-giver with lei5urely preci5ion,"i5 a 5tory-teller, and how i5 he defined?"