you there?" asked Eternal Life.

"Something important which you must not see."

"Oh, but I must see it then."

"I shall not give it to you," said the cunning old woman. "Aya! You
have taken it from me by force!" she added, letting the parcel into
the girl's hand.

Impatiently the child untied the handkerchief, and recognized her
slipper. Her face flushed into scarlet, and she said with difficulty:
"A single one of these objects is of no use, ma-ma. Why did you show
it me?"

"I know a certain Lord who would give his life to have the pair. Will
you not consent to help me?"

Trembling all over, Eternal Life said to her softly:

"Since you know all, tell me his name and where he lives."

"He is called Chang, and he owns a hundred myriads of ounces. He is
very gentle; his love is as deep as the sea. He has lost his soul
through thinking of you, and has bidden me arrange a means for his
entry."

"How can it be done? My father is terrible. When I have blown out
my lamp, he often comes to look into the rooms. What is your plan,
ma-ma?"

The old woman thought for a minute, and then said:

"It is not very difficult. You must go to bed early and, as soon as
your father has come up and gone down again, you must rise quietly and
open the window. You must wait for a signal, and let down a long piece
of cloth. He will climb up with the help of this rope, and, if he is
careful to go away before the fifth watch, no one will surprise you."

"Admirable!" cried the delighted child. "When will he come?"

"It is too late to-day. But I will go to him to-morrow morning. Give
me a pledge of re-assurance for him."

"Assuredly! Take the other slipper. He will give it back to me
to-morrow."

The old woman hid it in her sleeve, for the mother came in by this
time with the tea. Soon after, she took up her basket and went away,
accompanied to the door by the two women.

She went straight to the house of Chang, but he was out. She offered
her flowers to the women of the house, waiting for some part of the
day in vain.

Next morning she went again to find the young man, but he had not
returned. She went away thoughtful.

The truth is that Chang had remained three days in the house of a
Flower-in-the-Mist. When he returned and heard of the old woman's two
visits, he hastened to find her. She said to him:

"The pledge of love which you entrusted to me is in her hand. She bade
me tell you that her father is dangerous, but that h