o
nights ago was not some imagination of the brain, but that it was
really the King who appealed to me to deliver him from the power of an
enemy who seems bent upon his destruction.

"We must act, and act promptly," he went on, "for the man who is
pretending to be the ruler of your kingdom is a person of unlimited
ability, and as soon as he gets to know that his secret has been
divulged, he will put into operation every art he possesses to
frustrate our purpose.

"What I propose is that your Highness should send back the greater part
of your retinue to the palace, with an intimation to the effect that
you are going to spend the night here in a special service to the
Goddess, whose birthday it fortunately happens to be to-day. After
night has fallen upon the city, Hing shall descend into the well and
bring the body of your father here. You will then have all the proof
you need of the truth of the matter, and we can devise plans as to our
future action."

A little after midnight, Hing having faithfully carried out the
commission entrusted to him by Hien-Chung, arrived with the body of the
King, which was laid with due ceremony and respect in one of the inner
rooms of the temple. With his marvellous wonder-working powers and
with the aid of invisible forces which he had been able to summon to
his assistance, he had succeeded in transporting it from the wretched
place where it had lain so long to the friendly temple of the Goddess
of Mercy.

The Prince was deeply moved by the sight of his father's body.
Fortunately it had suffered no change since the day when it was thrown
to the bottom of the well. Not a sign of decay could be seen upon the
King's noble features. It seemed as though he had but fallen asleep,
and presently would wake up and talk to them as he used to do. The
fact that in some mysterious way the soul had not been separated from
the body accounted for its remarkable preservation. Nevertheless to
all appearance the King was dead, and the great question now was how he
could be brought back to life, so that he might be restored to his
family and his kingdom.

"The time has come," said Hien-Chung, "when heroic measures will have
to be used if the King is ever to live again. Two nights ago he made a
passionate and urgent request to me to save him, for one of the gods
informed him that I was the only man who could do so. So far, we have
got him out of the grip of the demon that compassed his death,