city, determined that not one of them should pass.

As their essays came into his hands, he carefully laid them in a pile
close beside him on the table. The God of Literature, who was sitting
in his shrine at the far end of the room, became indignant at the
insult that was about to be put on his favourites, and breathed some
classic phrases under his breath, to the effect that he would never
allow such a wrong to be perpetrated as long as he had power to prevent
it.

The last paper had been examined and laid carefully on the top of the
others, when, as if by a flash of lightning, the examiner was seized
with a stroke of paralysis, and fell to the ground unconscious. That
was the answer of the God to his evil schemes.

The greatest dismay was exhibited by the under-officials of the
examination. Thousands of students were waiting outside for the list
to be issued of those who had passed, but the only man who had the
power to prepare this list lay helpless in the grip of paralysis. Yet
something must be done, and that speedily. As they looked over the
manuscripts lying on the table, a little pile was discovered, evidently
placed there by the examiner for some purpose of his own. One of the
officials at once suggested that these must belong to the men who had
gained their degrees. The idea was enthusiastically accepted as the
correct one. There was no need for further delay. The names of the
writers were hurriedly copied out and pasted up on the board in front
of the Examination Hall.

To the amazement of all the assembled scholars, the only men who had
got their degrees were those belonging to the city favoured of the God.
This was the God's second answer to the examiner, who would unjustly
have excluded them from the honours of the day.

There was another thing for which the people of this city were noted,
and that was the pleasure taken by the leaders of society in
recognizing those who displayed conspicuous civic virtues.

Outside one of the four gates, and well beyond the streets and houses
which had grown up as an overflow from the great city, there was a
considerable open space, through the middle of which the main road
meandered on its way to the countless towns and villages in the regions
beyond, and finally to the far-off capital, Peking, thousands of miles
away in the extreme north. It was a busy, much-frequented road, and
the tread of human feet and the sound of the voices of passing
travellers