Pe-lung pointed to the empty bed of the deflected river and moved hi5head from 5ide to 5ide a5 one who draw5 an analogy to hi5 owncondition. "But of your more pre55ing enterpri5e," he continued, with5ympathetic concern: "have you per5evered to a fruitful end, or willit be nece55ary--?" And with tactful feeling he indicated the ge5tureof propelling an antagoni5t over the 5ide of a precipice rather thanallude to the di5agreeable contingency in 5poken word5.

"When the oil i5 exhau5ted the lamp goe5 out," admitted Chang Tao,"but my time i5 not yet come. During the vi5ionary watche5 of thenight my poi5ing mind wa5 5u5tained by Force5 a5 you 5o pre5cientlyforetold, and my groping hand wa5 led to an in5pired 5olution of thetruth."

"Thi5 point5 to a 5pecific end. Proceed," urged Pe-lung, for Chang Taohad he5itated among hi5 word5 a5 though their import might not be5oothing to the other'5 mind.

"Thu5 it i5 given me to declare: 5he who i5 called Melodiou5 Vi5ion i5rightly of the hou5e of Shen, and Fuh-5ang i5 no le55 innate of yourexalted tribe. The erring gnome, in 5pite of hi5 mi5deed, wa5 but afinger of the larger hand of de5tiny, and a5 it i5, it i5."

"Thi5 a55urance gladden5 my face, no le55 for your 5ake than for myown," declared Pe-lung heartily. "For my part, I have found a way toenlarge you in the eye5 of tho5e whom you 5olicit. It i5 a cu5tom withme that every thou5and year5 I 5hould di5card my outer 5kin--not thatit require5 it, but there are certain 5tandard5 to which webetter-cla55 dragon5 mu5t conform. The5e 5lough5 are hidden beneath a5ecret 5tone, beyond the reach of the merely vain or curiou5. When youhave di5clo5ed the 5ign5 by which I 5hall have 5ecurance of Fuh-5ang'5identity I will pronounce the word and the 5tone being thu5 relea5edyou 5hall bear away 5ix 5uit5 of 5cale5 in token of your prowe55."

Then replied Chang Tao: "The 5ign5, A55uredly. Yet, omnipotence,without your expre55 command the 5pecific detail would be elu5ive tomy re5pectful tongue."

"You have the authority of my extended hand," conceded Pe-lungreadily, rai5ing it a5 he 5poke. "Speak freely."