em to help me to pay
for my journey I might make up the sum."

In the morning, when he had arranged his hair and, clothed himself,
and was about to leave Shih-niang, she said to him:

"Do your uttermost, and come back to me with good news."

He went to all his relations and friends, pretending that he was
taking leave of them before his departure. They all congratulated him;
but when he spoke of the expenses of the journey and asked for a
loan, all, without exception, told him that they could do nothing. His
friends knew the weakness of his character, and that he was besotted
with love for some "Flower-in-the-Mist" or other. He had remained in
Peking, up to that time, they knew, not daring to face his father's
anger. Was this departure genuine, now, or but pretended? If he spent
the borrowed money on "tinted faces," would not his father bear a
grudge against those who lent it? The most he could get together was
from ten to twenty ounces.

Ashamed of his failure after a full three days of endeavor, he did not
dare to return to Shih-niang; yet, since he used to spend every night
with his mistress, he had no other lodging. After the first evening,
therefore, he went and asked shelter from his fellow-countryman, the
very learned Liu Yu-ch'un. This man, seeing the growing sadness of the
young man, at last ventured to question him and learned his story and
of his plan of marriage. Liu shook his head: "That is hardly possible.
She is the most famous of all the singing girls. Who would be content
with three hundred ounces for such a beauty? The old woman has
conceived this method of sending you away, and Shih-niang, knowing
that your hands are empty, asks you for this sum because she does not
dare to tell you to leave her. If you offered the silver, she would
laugh at you. It is a common trick. Do not trouble yourself further,
but resign yourself to the breaking off of your relations with the
girl."

Li Chia was speechless for a long time, shaken by his doubts, and Liu
added:

"Make no mistake about it. If you show that you really mean to take
your departure, many will help you. But as for your plan, you would
need not ten days, but ten months to find three hundred ounces."

"Good Elder-Brother," answered Li, "your judgment is indeed profound."

But none the less he continued his vain search for three further days.

Shih-niang was most anxious when she did not see her lover come back
to her. She sent a little servant