act with a
mind equal to her own, she was much stirred by the news of
Confucius' return, and sent to him asking an interview. Such a
request was a characteristic flouting of the conventions on her
part; for him to grant it would be much more so on his. But he
did grant it; and they conversed, after the custom of the time,
with a screen between, neither seeing the other. Tse Lu was much
disturbed; considering it all a very dangerous innovation,
inconsistent in Confucius, and improper. So in the eyes of the
world it would have seemed. But Nantse held the Duke, and
Confucius might influence Nantse. He never let conventions stand
in his way, when there was a chance of doing good work by
breaking them.

One suspects that the lady wished to make her vices respectable
by giving them a seeming backing by incarnate virtue; and that
to this end she brought about the sequel. Duke Ling was to make
a Progress through the city; and requested Confucius to follow
his carriage in another. He did so; not knowing that Nantse had
seen to it that she was to be sitting at the Duke's side.
Her position and reputation even in those days needed some
regularizing; and she had chosen this means to do it. But to
the people, the spectacle was highly symbolic; and Confucius
heard their jeers as he passed:--Flaunting Vice in front,
Slighted Virtue in the rear.--"I have met none," said he, "who
loves virtue more than women." It was time for him to go; and
now he would try the south again. In reality, perhaps, it matter
little whither he went or where he stayed: there was no place
for him anywhere. All that was important was, that he should keep
up the effort.

An official in Sung, one Hwan Tuy, held the roads against him,
accusing him of "a proud air and many desires; an insinuating
habit and a wild will." From this time on he was subject to
persecution. The "insinuating habit" reminds one of an old
parrot-cry one has heard: "She hypnotizes them." He turned
westward from this opposition, and visited one state, and then
another; in neither was there any disposition to use him. He
had found no more likely material than Duke Ling of Wei, who at
least was always glad to see and talk with him:--might not be
jade to carve, but was the wood least rotten at hand. But at
Wei, as usual, there was nothing but disappointment in store.

Pih Hsih, a rebel, was holding a town in Tsin, modern Shansi,
against the king of that state; and now s