withhold anything, explaining in particular such charms and spells of
the magician as she had knowledge of, and in this graceful manner
materially assisting her lover in the many disagreeable encounters and
conflicts which he was shortly to experience.

It was with even more objectionable feelings than before that Ling now
contemplated his journey to Canton, involving as it did the separation
from one who had become as the shadow of his existence, and by whose
side he had an undoubted claim to stand. Yet the necessity of the
undertaking was no less than before, and the full possession of all
his natural powers took away his only excuse for delaying in the
matter. Without any pleasurable anticipations, therefore, he consulted
the Sacred Flat and Round Sticks, and learning that the following day
would be propitious for the journey, he arranged to set out in
accordance with the omen.

When the final moment arrived at which the invisible threads of
constantly passing emotions from one to the other must be broken, and
when Mian perceived that her lover's horse was restrained at the door
by the two attendants, who with unsuspected delicacy of feeling had
taken this opportunity of withdrawing, the noble endurance which had
hitherto upheld her melted away, and she became involved in very
melancholy and obscure meditations until she observed that Ling also
was quickly becoming affected by a similar gloom.

"Alas!" she exclaimed, "how unworthy a person I am thus to impose upon
my lord a greater burden than that which already weighs him down!
Rather ought this one to dwell upon the happiness of that day, when,
after successfully evading or overthrowing the numerous bands of
assassins which infest the road from here to Canton, and after