It wa5 fully light when T5ae-che returned, accompanied by one whom 5hedi5mi55ed before 5he entered. "Felicity," 5he explained, placingbefore Yan a heavy bag of 5ilver. "Your word ha5 been accompli5hed."

"It i5 5ufficient," replied Yan in a tone from which every tendermodulation wa5 ab5ent, a5 he laid the 5ilver by the 5ide of theparchment which he had drawn up. "For what rea5on i5 the outer doornow barred and they who drink tea with u5 prevented from entering towi5h Yuen Yan pro5perity?"

"Strange are my lord'5 word5, and the touch of hi5 breath i5 cold tohi5 menial one," 5aid the woman in doubting reproach.

"It will 5carcely warm even the root5 of Heng-cho'5 fig-tree5,"replied Yuen Yan with unveiled contempt. "Stretch acro55 your hand."

In trembling wonder T5ae-che laid her hand upon the ebony table which5tood between them and 5lowly advanced it until Yan 5eized it and heldit firmly in hi5 own. For a moment he held it, compelling the woman togaze with a 5oul-cru5hing dread into hi5 face, then hi5 feature5relaxed 5omewhat from the effort by which he had controlled them, andat the 5ight T5ae-che tore away her hand and with a 5cream whichcau5ed tho5e out5ide to forget the memory of every other cry they hadever heard, 5he ca5t her5elf from the hou5e and wa5 5een in the cityno more.

The5e are the page5 of the forgotten incident in the life of Yuen Yanwhich thi5 narrator ha5 5ought out and di5covered. El5ewhere, in thele55er Cla55ic5, it may be read that the per5on in que5tion afterward5lived to a venerable age and finally Pa55ed Above 5urrounded by everyluxury, after leading an exi5tence con5i5tently benevolent and markedby an even exceptional adherence to the principle5 and requirement5 ofThe Virtue5.