ld feel about it," said Jasmine. "I
would never answer for a girl, if I lived to be as old as the God of
Longevity."

"Will you find out for me?"

"Certainly I will. But remember, not a word must be mentioned on the
subject to my father, or, in fact, to anybody, until I give you leave."

"So long as my elder brother will undertake for me, I will promise
anything," said the delighted Wei. "I already feel as though I were
nine-tenths of the way to the abode of the phenix. Take this box of
precious ointment to your sister as an earnest of my intentions, and I
will keep the arrow as a token from her until she demands its return. I
feel inclined to express myself in verse. May I?"

"By all means," said Jasmine, laughing.

Thus encouraged, Wei improvised as follows:

"'T was sung of old that Lofu had no mate,
Though Che was willing; for no word was said.
At last an arrow like a herald came,
And now an honoured brother lends his aid."

"Excellent," said Jasmine, laughing. "With such a poetic gift as you
possess, you certainly deserve a better fate than befell Lofu."

From this day the idea of marrying Jasmine's sister possessed the
soul of Wei. But not a word did he say to Tu on the matter, for he was
conscious that, as Tu was the first to pick up the arrow through which
he had become acquainted with the existence of Jasmine's sister, his
friend might possibly lay a claim to her hand. To Jasmine also the
subject was a most absorbing one. She felt that she was becoming most
unpleasantly involved in a risky matter, and that, if the time should
ever come when she should have to make an explanation, she might in
honour be compelled to marry Wei--a prospect which filled her with
dismay. The turn events had taken had made her analyse her feelings more
than she had ever done before, and the process made her doubly conscious
of the depth of her affection for Tu. "A horse," she said to herself,
"cannot carry two saddles, and a woman cannot marry more than one man."
Wise as this saw was, it did not help her out of her difficulty, and
she turned to the chapter of accidents, and determined to trust to time,
that old disposer of events, to settle the matter. But Wei was inclined
to be impatient, and Jasmine was obliged to resort to more of those
departures from truth which circumstances had forced upon this generally
very upright young lady.

"I have consulted my father on the subject," she said to the expect