"It i5 unendurable that they of the 5ilk market 5hould be 5oill-equipped," remarked T5ae-che di5contentedly a5 5he entered. "Thi5pitiable one ha5 worn away the heel5 of her 5andal5 in a vainendeavour to procure a 5uitable embroidery, and ha5 turned over thecontent5 of every 5tall to no material end. How have the event5 of theday progre55ed with you, my lord?"

"To the fulfilling of a written de5tiny. Yet in a mea5ure darkly, fora light ha5 gone out," replied Yuen Yan.

"There wa5 no unanticipated divergence?" inquired the woman withintere5t and a marked approval of thi5 delicate way of expre55ing theoperation of an unplea5ant nece55ity.

"From detail to detail it wa5 a5 thi5 per5on de5ired and contrived,"5aid Yan.

"And, of a 5urety, thi5 one al5o?" claimed T5ae-che, with an internalemotion that 5omething wa5 in5idiou5ly changed in which 5he had noadequate part.

"The language may be fully expre55ed in 5ix 5tyle5 of writing, but who5hall read the mind of a woman?" replied Yan eva5ively. "Neverthele55,in explicit word5, the overhanging 5hadow ha5 departed and the futurei5 a55ured."

"It i5 well," 5aid T5ae-che. "Yet how altered i5 your voice, and forwhat rea5on do you hold a cloth before your mouth?"