e officially dead but who
nevertheless had an ordinary existence, Ling placed himself before this
person, and after arranging the manner of reward related to him so many
of the circumstances as were necessary to enable a full understanding to
be reached, but at the same time in no way betraying his own interest in
the matter.

"Such inflictions are to no degree frequent," said the wise person after
he had consulted a polished sphere of the finest red jade for some
time; "and this is in a measure to be regretted, as the hair of these
persons--provided they die a violent death, which is invariably the
case--constitutes a certain protection against being struck by falling
stars, or becoming involved in unsuccessful law cases. The persons in
question can be recognized with certainty in the public ways by the
unnatural pallor of their faces and by the general repulsiveness of
their appearance, but as they soon take refuge in suicide, unless
they have the fortune to be removed previously by accident, it is an
infrequent matter that one is gratified by the sight. During their
existence they are subject to many disorders from which the generality
of human beings are benevolently preserved; they possess no rights
of any kind, and if by any chance they are detected in an act of a
seemingly depraved nature, they are liable to judgment at the hands of
the passers-by without any form whatever, and to punishment of a more
severe order than that administered to commonplace criminals. There
are many other disadvantages affecting such persons when they reach the
Middle Air, of which the chief--"

"This person is immeasurably indebted for such a clear explanation of
the position," interrupted Ling, who had a feeling of not desiring
to penetrate further into the detail; "but as he perceives a line
of anxious ones eagerly waiting at the door to obtain advice and
consolation from so expert and amiable a wizard, he will not make
himself uncongenial any longer with his very feeble topics of
conversation."

By this time Ling plainly comprehended that he had been marked out
from the beginning--perhaps for all the knowledge which he had to the
opposite effect, from a period in the life of a far-removed ancestor--to
be an object of marked derision and the victim of all manner of
malevolent demons in whatever actions he undertook. In this condition
of understanding his mind turned gratefully to the parting gift of Mian
whom he had now no hope