and the daughter in that house,
and the father is dangerous. He keeps a damnably suspicious watch over
his door. How could you get in? I dare not promise any success."

"You have just boasted that you always succeed. Here are two ounces
more."

The old woman's eyes gleamed like fire at the sight of the
snow-colored metal, and she said:

"I will take the risk. If all goes well, it will be your fortune.
If not, I shall at least have done my best. But give me a proof, for
otherwise she would not listen to me."

Not without regret, Chang took from his bosom the little slipper, and
gave it to her, wrapped in his handkerchief. The old woman at once
slipped it into her sleeve with the pieces of money. As she was
leaving him, she said again:

"The affair is delicate. You must have patience and not hurry me. That
would be dangerous."

"I only ask you to do your best. Come and tell me as soon as you have
an answer."

Eternal Life was profoundly agitated. Since that moonlit night she had
had no more taste for food, but had said:

"If I married him I would not have lived in vain. But I know neither
his name nor where he lives. When I saw him beneath the moon, why
had I not wings to fly to him? ... As it is, I had only this red
handkerchief."

Yet she had to live and speak as usual. But as soon as she was alone
she fell again into her musing.

Two days later, old Lu entered their house. The father had gone out.
The visitor said to mother and daughter:

"I received certain artificial flowers yesterday, and have come to
show them to you."

She took a bunch of a thousand shades out of her basket.

"Would you not say they were real?"

"When I was young," said the mother, "we only wore ordinary flowers,
and did not dream of marvels like these."

"Yet these are only considered mediocre. But the price of the finest
is so high."

"If we cannot buy them, we can at least admire them," the young girl
answered dryly.

With gathering smiles, the old woman took from the basket a bunch
which was indeed incomparable.

"And what is the price of that?" questioned the mother.

"How should I dare to fix a price? I leave it to you. But if you have
a little tea, I would willingly drink of it."

"In the admiration caused by your flowers, we have forgotten our
manners. Wait for one moment, while I fetch some boiling water."

As soon as the mother had left the room, the woman took a slight
parcel from her sleeve.

"What have