practice, and after many skilful and insidious inquiries he learnt of
an accomplished person who made a consistent habit of cutting off
limbs which had become troublesome to their possessors either through
accident or disease. Furthermore, he was said to be of a sincere and
charitable disposition, and many persons declared that on no occasion
had he been known to make use of the helpless condition of those who
visited him in order to extort money from them.

Coming to the ill-considered conclusion that he would be able to
conceal within his own breast the true reason for the operation, Ling
placed himself before the person in question, and exhibited the matter
to him so that it would appear as though his desires were promoted by
the presence of a small but persistent sprite which had taken its
abode within his left thigh, and there resisted every effort of the
most experienced wise persons to induce it to come forth again.
Satisfied with this explanation of the necessity of the deed, the one
who undertook the matter proceeded, with Ling's assistance, to sharpen
his cutting instruments and to heat the hardening irons; but no sooner
had he made a shallow mark to indicate the lines which his knife
should take, than his subtle observation at once showed him that the
facts had been represented to him in a wrong sense, and that his
visitor, indeed, was composed of no common substance. Being of a
gentle and forbearing disposition, he did not manifest any indication
of rage at the discovery, but amiably and unassumingly pointed out
that such a course was not respectful towards himself, and that,
moreover, Ling might incur certain well-defined and highly undesirable
maladies as a punishment for the deception.

Overcome with remorse at deceiving so courteous and noble-minded a
person, Ling fully explained the circumstances to him, not even