captured the hearts of all the
household, so much so that Meng insisted upon his prolonging his stay.
The result was that months went by and the bonze still remained with
him as his guest.

Everyone in the house seemed to be attracted by this stranger, so
winning were his ways, and so full of quiet power were his whole
bearing and character. He was affable and pleasant with all, but he
seemed to take most pleasure in the company of Chin, over whom he soon
came to exercise a very powerful influence.

Their habit was to wander about on the hillside, when the priest would
entertain his young friend with stories of the wonderful things he had
seen and the striking adventures he had met with. His whole aim,
however, seemed to be not so much to amuse Chin as to elevate his mind
with lofty and noble sentiments, which were instilled into him on every
possible occasion.

It was also their custom to retire every morning to some outhouses at
the extremity of the large garden attached to the dwelling-house, where
undisturbed they could converse together upon the many questions upon
which the bonze was ready to discourse. One thing, however, struck
Chin as very singular, and this was that the bonze made him collect
certain curiously-shaped tiles, and bury them in the earthen floors of
these little-used buildings. Chin would have rebelled against what he
considered a child-like proceeding, but he was restrained by the
profound love and veneration he felt for his companion.

At length the day came when the bonze announced that he must proceed
upon his journey. He had already, he declared, stayed much longer than
he had originally intended, and now the imperative call of duty made it
necessary that he should not linger in the house where he had been so
royally treated.

Seeing that he was determined in his purpose, Meng wanted to press upon
him a considerable sum of money to provide for any expenses to which he
might be put in the future. This, however, the bonze absolutely
refused to accept, declaring that his wants were few, and that he would
have no difficulty in meeting them by the donations he would receive
from the different temples he might pass on his way to his destination.

Little did Meng dream that the guest from whom he was parting with so
heavy a heart was a fairy in disguise. Yet such was the case. The
rulers of the far-off Western Heaven, who had been greatly moved by
Meng's noble and generous life in suc