e eighteen years.

The next day a young priest, with shaven head and dressed in the usual
slate-coloured gown, appeared at the yamen of the Prefect to solicit
subscriptions for the neighbouring monastery. As the Prefect was
absent on some public business, he was ushered into the reception-room,
where he was received by his mother, who had always been a generous
supporter of the Goddess of Mercy.

At the first sight of this striking-looking young bonze, she found her
heart agitated in a strange and powerful way, such as she had not
experienced for many a long year; and when she noticed that the little
finger on his left hand was without the last joint, she trembled with
the utmost excitement.

After a few words about the object for which he had come, the young
priest slipped into her hand the very paper which she had written
eighteen years ago; and as she looked at her own handwriting and then
gazed into his face and saw the striking likeness to the man at whom
she had thrown the embroidered ball, the mother-instinct within her
flashed suddenly out, and she recognized that this handsome lad was her
own son. The joy of the mother as she looked upon the face of
Sam-Choang was reflected in the sparkling eyes and glowing look of
pleasure that lit up his whole countenance.

Retiring for a short time his mother returned with a letter which she
handed to him. In a low voice she told him that it was to her father,
who still lived in the capital, and to whom he was to take it without
any delay. In order to prevent suspicion on the part of the Prefect,
he was to travel as a priest, who was endeavouring to obtain
subscriptions for his monastery. He was to be sure, also, to visit the
place where his grandmother had been left, and to try and find out what
had become of her. In order to defray his expenses she gave him a few
bars of gold, which he could exchange for the current money at the
banks on the way.

When Sam-Choang arrived at the inn where his father had parted with his
grandmother, he could find no trace of her. A new landlord was in
possession, who had never even heard her name; but on enquiring amongst
the shopkeepers in the neighbourhood, he found to his horror that she
was now a member of the beggars' camp, and that her name was enrolled
amongst that degraded fraternity.

On reaching the wretched hovel where she was living, he discovered that
when her money was exhausted and no remittance came to her from