is now by your side. To you she owes her life, yet it
is unseemly for her even to speak of the incident; to you she must
look for protection, yet she cannot ask you to stay by her side. She is
indeed alone. The magician is dead, Ki has fallen, Ling is going, and
Mian is undoubtedly the most unhappy and solitary person between the
Wall and the Nan Hai."

"Beloved Mian," exclaimed Ling, with inspiring vehemence, "and is not
the utterly unworthy person before you indebted to you in a double
measure that life is still within him? Is not the strength which now
promotes him to such exceptional audacity as to aspire to your
lovely hand, of your own creating? Only encourage Ling to entertain a
well-founded hope that on his return he shall not find you partaking
of the wedding feast of some wealthy and exceptionally round-bodied
Mandarin, and this person will accomplish the journey to Canton and back
as it were in four strides."

"Oh, Ling, reflexion of my ideal, holder of my soul, it would indeed
be very disagreeable to my own feelings to make any reply save one,"
replied Mian, scarcely above a breath-voice. "Gratitude alone would
direct me, were it not that the great love which fills me leaves no
resting-place for any other emotion than itself. Go if you must,
but return quickly, for your absence will weigh upon Mian like a
dragon-dream."

"Violet light of my eyes," exclaimed Ling, "even in surroundings which
with the exception of the matter before us are uninspiring in the
extreme, your virtuous and retiring encouragement yet raises me to such
a commanding eminence of demonstrative happiness that I fear I
shall become intolerably self-opinionated towards my fellow-men in
consequence."

"Such a thing is impossible with my Ling," said Mian, with conviction.
"But must you indeed journey to Canton?"

"Alas!" replied Ling, "gladly would this person decide against such
a course did the matter rest with him, for as the Verses say, 'It
is needless to apply the ram's head to the unlocked door.' But Ki is
demolished, the unassuming Mandarin Li Keen has retired to Peking, and
of the fortunes of his bowmen this person is entirely ignorant."

"Such as survived returned to their homes," replied Mian, "and Si-chow
is safe, for the scattered and broken rebels fled to the mountains
again; so much this person has learned."

"In that case Si-chow is undoubtedly safe for the time, and can be left
with prudence," said Ling. "It is an unf