to various objectionable tortures of so degraded a nature that they
were rarely used in the army of the Emperor except upon the persons of
barbarians. Observing that the maiden was not bound, Ling cried out to
her to escape and seek protection within the town, adding, with a
magnanimous absence of vanity:

"Should this person chance to fall, the repose which the presence of
so lovely and graceful a being would undoubtedly bring to his
departing spirit would be out-balanced by the unendurable thought that
his commonplace efforts had not been sufficient to save her from the
two evilly-disposed individuals who are, as he perceives, at this
moment, neglecting no means within their power to accomplish his
destruction." Accepting the discernment of these words, the maiden
fled, first bestowing a look upon Ling which clearly indicated an
honourable regard for himself, a high-minded desire that the affair
might end profitably on his account, and an amiable hope that they
should meet again, when these subjects could be expressed more clearly
between them.

In the meantime Ling had become at a disadvantage, for the time
occupied in speaking and in making the necessary number of bows in
reply to her entrancing glance had given the other persons an
opportunity of arranging their charms and sacred written sentences to
greater advantage, and of occupying the most favourable ground for the
encounter. Nevertheless, so great was the force of the new emotion
which had entered into Ling's nature that, without waiting to consider
the dangers or the best method of attack, he rushed upon them, waving
his sword with such force that he appeared as though surrounded by a
circle of very brilliant fire. In this way he reached the rebels, who
both fell unexpectedly at one blow, they, indeed, being under the