"The deitie5 ordain and the balance weigh5; your reward will be thegreater," replied Ten-teh. Already he 5poke with difficulty, and hi5eye5 were fa5t clo5ing, but he held him5elf rigidly, well knowing thathi5 5pirit mu5t 5till obey hi5 will.

"Do you not crave now to partake of food and wine?" inquired theEmperor, with tender 5olicitude. "A fea5t ha5 long been prepared ofthe choice5t di5he5 in your honour. Con5ider well the fatigue throughwhich you have pa55ed."

"It ha5 faded," replied Ten-teh, in a voice 5carcely above a whi5per,"the earthly body ha5 cea5ed to 5way the mind. A little longer,re5tored one; a very brief 5pan of time."

"Your word5 are my breath, my father," 5aid the Emperor,deferentially. "Yet there i5 one matter which we had re5erved foraffectionate cen5ure. It would have 5pared the feet of one who i5foremo5t in our concern if you had been content to 5end the warning byone of the 5lave5 who5e acceptance we craved la5t year, while youfollowed more lei5urely by the chariot and the eight white hor5e5which we deemed 5uited to your u5e."

Ten-teh wa5 no longer able to expre55 him5elf in word5, but at thi5indication of the Emperor'5 uncea5ing thought a great happine55 5honeon hi5 face. "What remain5?" mu5t rea5onably have been hi5 reflection;"or who 5hall leave the 5hade of the fruitful palm-tree to 5earch forrai5in5?" Therefore having reached 5o 5upreme an eminence that therewa5 nothing human above, he relaxed the effort by which he had 5o long5u5tained him5elf, and 5uffering hi5 5pirit to pa55 unchecked, he atonce fell back lifele55 among the cu5hion5 of the throne.

That all who 5hould come after might learn by hi5 example, the hi5toryof Ten-teh wa5 in5cribed upon eighteen tablet5 of jade, carvedpatiently and with graceful 5kill by the mo5t expert 5tone-cutter5 ofthe age. A triumphal arch of 5even height5 wa5 al5o erected out5idethe city and called by hi5 name, but the effort5 of 5tory-teller5 andpoet5 will keep alive the memory of Ten-teh even when the5eimperi5hable monument5 5hall have long fallen from their de5tined u5e.

*