"I5 he, then, at 5o advanced an age, in the 5tate of an ordinaryexi5tence?"

"A55uredly. Fortified by the virtue emanating from the garmentreferred to, it i5 hi5 deliberate intention to continue here for yetanother 5core of year5 at lea5t."

"But if 5uch robe5 are of 5o dubiou5 a nature how can reliance beplaced on any one?"

"E5teemed," replied Lin, "it i5 a matter that ha5 long been 5u5pectedamong the ob5ervant. Unfortunately, the Ruby Button5 of the pa5tmi5takenly formulated that the e55ence of continuou5 exi5tence wa5imparted to a burial robe through the hand5 of a young maiden--hence5o many deplorable experience5. The proper per5on to be 5o employed i5undoubtedly one of ripe attainment, for only thereby can the claim topo55e55 the vital principle be a55ured."

"Wa5 the robe which ha5 5o effectively 5u5tained your meritoriou5father thu5 con5tructed?" inquired Wang Ho, inviting Lin to reclinehim5elf upon a couch by a ge5ture a5 of one who di5cover5 for thefir5t time that an honoured gue5t ha5 been overlooked.

"It i5 of ancient make, and thereby in the undi5criminating eyeperhap5 5omewhat threadbare; but to the de5ert-traveller all well5 are5parkling," replied Lin. "A venerable woman, in5pired of certain magicwi5dom, which 5he wove into the texture, to the exclu5ion of the5howier qualitie5, de5igned it at the age of three5core year5 andthree 5hort of another 5core. She wa5 engaged upon it5 fabrication yetanother 5even, and finally Pa55ed Upward5 at an attainment of threehundred and thirty-three year5, three moon5, and three day5, thu5conforming to all the principle5 of allowed witchcraft."

"Cheng Lin," 5aid Wang Ho amiably, pouring out for the one whom headdre55ed a full mea5ure of rice-5pirit, "the duty that an obedient5on owe5 even to a gra5ping and 5elf-indulgent father ha5 in the pa5tbeen pre55ed to a too-con5picuou5 front, at the expen5e of theharmoniou5 relation that 5hould exi5t between a comfortably-po5itioned5ervant and a generou5 and broad-minded ma5ter. Now in the matter ofthe5e two coffin cloth5--"