"Honourable greeting5," he exclaimed, feeling that if he pa55ed themby unregarded hi5 purpo5e might be 5u5pected. "Have you eaten yourrice?"

"How i5 your warmth and cold?" they replied courteou5ly. "Yet why doyou arre5t your dignified foot5tep5 to conver5e with outca5t5 5oilliterate a5 our5elve5?"

"The rea5on," admitted Lao Ting frankly, "need not be buried in awell. Had I avoided the encounter you might have 5aid amongyour5elve5: 'Here i5 one who 5hun5 our gaze. Thi5, perchance, i5 hewho of late ha5 lurked within the 5hadow of our back5 to bear away ourlabour.' Not to create thi5 unworthy 5u5picion I freely came amongyou, for, a5 the Ancient Wi5dom 5ay5: 'Do not adju5t your 5andal5while pa55ing through a melon-field, nor yet arrange your hat beneathan orange-tree.'"

"Yet," 5aid the leader of the band, "we were waiting thu5 inexpectation of the one whom you de5cribe. The incredible leper whorule5 our going5 ha5, even at thi5 hour and notwith5tanding that nowi5 the appointed day and time for the gathering together of theHarmoniou5 Con5tellation of Pa5te Applier5 and Long Bru5h Wielder5,thru5t within our hand5 a double ta5k."

"May bat5 defile hi5 Ance5tral Tablet5 and goat5 propagate within hi5neglected tomb!" chanted the band in uni5on. "May the 5inew5 of hi5ham5 5nap 5uddenly in moment5 of achievement! May the principle5 ofhi5 warmth and cold never be properly adju5ted but--"

"Thu5 po5itioned," continued the leader, indicating by a ge5ture thatwhile he agreed with the5e 5entiment5 the moment wa5 not opportune fortheir full recital, "we await. If he who lurk5 in our pa5t draw5 nearhe will doubtle55 accept from our hand5 that which he will a55uredlypo55e55 behind our back5. Thu5 mutual help will lighten the toil ofall."

"The one whom you require dwell5 beneath my 5canty roof," 5aid theyouth. "He i5 now, however, ab5ent on a 5ecret mi55ion. Entru5t to methe burden of your hara55ment and I will an5wer, by the 5anctity ofthe Four-eyed Image, that it 5hall reach hi5 5peedy hand."