are listening to our grief, and
that the dews upon the half-closed petals are tears of pity for my
misfortunes." And Chaoukeun struck her lute, and thus poured out her
lament:

"O tell me, thou all-glorious sun,
Were there no earth to drink thy light,
Would not, in vain, thy course be run,
Thy reign be o'er a realm of night?

"Thus charms were born to be enthroned
In hearts, and youth to be caress'd;
And beauty is not, if not own'd,
At least by one adoring breast."

Ti-tum, tilly-lilly, ti-tum, ti.

The musical notes of the peerless Chaoukeun were not thrown away only
upon flowers deaf and dumb, they vibrated in the ears of the magnificent
Youantee, who had sat down on the back of an enormous metal dragon,
which had been placed in the walk under the terrace. The emperor
listened with surprise at her soliloquy, with admiration at her
enchanting song. For some minutes he remained in a profound reverie, and
then rising from the dragon, he walked towards the gate of the tower,
and clapped his hands. The eunuch made his appearance. "Keeper of the
Yellow Tower," said the emperor, "but now I heard the sounds of a lute."

"Even so, O Sustenance of the world," responded the slave.

"Was it not rather an angel than a mortal, whose mellifluous notes
accompanied the instrument?" said the magnificent Youantee.

"Certainly is she blessed beyond mortality, since her melody has found
favour in the celestial ears," replied the black keeper of the Yellow
Tower.

"Go then, and quickly summon all our highest officers of state, to lay
their robes upon the ground, that she may pass over them to our presence
at the dragon below the terrace."

The magnificent Youantee, brother of the sun and moon, returned to his
former seat, filled with pleasing anticipations, while the eunuch
hastened to obey the celestial commands. The mandarins of the first
class hastened to obey the orders of Youantee; their furred and velvet
cloaks, rich in gold and silver ornaments, were spread from the tower to
the dragon at the terrace, forming a path rich and beautiful as the
milky way in the heavens. The pearl beyond price, the peerless
Chaonkeun, like the moon in her splendour, passed over it into the
presence of the great Youantee.

"Immortal Fo," exclaimed the emperor, as the attendants raised their
lanterns, so as to throw light upon her countenance, "by what black
mischance have such charms been hidden from our sight?"