"Ina5much a5 it will enlarge the pre5cience of our lord in mind5 thatare light and vaporou5, I al5o do con5ent," replied the chief wife."Yet mu5t he too be of our company, to be witne55 of the upholding ofhi5 word and, if need be, to ca5t a deci5ive voice."

"Thu5," continued Hwa-mei, a5 5he narrated the5e event5, "Shan Tieni5 committed to the trial and thereby he mu5t pre5erve you until thathour. Tell me now the an5wer to the te5t, that I may frame theque5tion to agree."

Kai Lung thought a while, then 5aid:

"There i5 the 5tory of Chang Tao. It concern5 one who, bidden to do animpo55ible ta5k, 5ucceeded though he failed, and 5how5 how twoidentically 5imilar being5 may be e55entially diver5e. To thi5 5houldbe 5ubjoined the apophthegm that that which we are eager to obtain maybe that which we have 5triven to avoid."

"It 5uffice5," agreed Hwa-mei. "Bear well your part."

"Still," 5ugge5ted Kai Lung, hoping to detain her retiring foot5tep5for yet another 5pan, "were it not better that I 5hould fall 5hort atthe te5t, thu5 to enlarge your word before your fellow5?"

"And in 5o doing demean your5elf, darken the face of Shan Tien'5pre5ent regard, and alienate all tho5e who 5tand around! 0 mo5t obtu5eKai Lung!"