e countenance of Shan Tien's chief wife and
waited.

"The sun shines through his words and the moon adorns his utterances,"
replied the chief wife, with unswerving loyalty, though she added, no
less suitably: "That one should please him easily and another therein
fail, despite her ceaseless efforts, is as the Destinies provide."

"You are all-seeing," admitted Hwa-mei generously; "nor is a locked
door any obstacle to your discovering eye. Let this arisement be
submitted to a facile test. Dependent from my ill-formed ears are
rings of priceless jade that have ever tinged your thoughts, while
about your shapely neck is a crystal charm, to which an unclouded
background would doubtless give some lustre. I will set aside the
rings and thou shalt set aside the charm. Then, at a chosen time, this
vaunted one shall attend before us here, and I having disclosed the
substance of a theme, he shall make good the claim. If he so does,
capably and without delay, thou shalt possess the jewels. But if, in
the judgment of these around, he shall fail therein, then are both
jewels mine. Is it so agreed?"

"It is agreed!" cried those who were the least concerned, seeing some
entertainment to themselves. "Shall the trial take place at once?"

"Not so," replied Hwa-mei. "A sufficient space must be allowed for
this one wherein to select the matter of the test. To-morrow let it
be, before the hour of evening rice. And thou?"

"Inasmuch as it will enlarge the prescience of our lord in minds that
are light and vaporous, I also do consent," replied the chief wife.
"Yet must he too be of our company, to be witness of the upholding of
his word and, if need be, to cast a decisive voice."

"Thus," continued Hwa-mei, as she narrated these events, "Shan Tien
is committed to the trial and thereby he must preserve you until that
hour. Tell me now the answer to the test, that I may frame the
question to agree."

Kai Lung thought a while, then said:

"There is the story of Chang Tao. It concerns one who, bidden to do an
impossible task, succeeded though he failed, and shows how two
identically similar beings may be essentially diverse. To this should
be subjoined the apophthegm that that which we are eager to obtain may
be that which we have striven to avoid."

"It suffices," agreed Hwa-mei. "Bear well your part."

"Still," suggested Kai Lung, hoping to detain her retiring footsteps
for yet another span, "were it not better that I should fall s