necessary to observe the short-sighted and evidently hastily-thought-
of condition which Chang-ch'un had endeavoured to impose.


XIII

In spite of his natural desire to return to Mian as quickly as
possible, Ling judged it expedient to give several days to the
occupation of purchasing apparel of the richest kinds, weapons and
armour in large quantities, jewels and ornaments of worked metals and
other objects to indicate his changed position. Nor did he neglect
actions of a pious and charitable nature, for almost his first care
was to arrange with the chief ones at the Temple of Benevolent
Intentions that each year, on the day corresponding to that on which
he drank the gold fluid, a sumptuous and well-constructed coffin
should be presented to the most deserving poor and aged person within
that quarter of the city in which he had resided. When these
preparations were completed, Ling set out with an extensive train of
attendants; but riding on before, accompanied only by Wang, he quickly
reached Si-chow without adventure.

The meeting between Ling and Mian was affecting to such an extent that
the blind and deaf attendants wept openly without reproach,
notwithstanding the fact that neither could become possessed of more
than a half of the occurrence. Eagerly the two reunited ones examined
each other's features to discover whether the separation had brought
about any change in the beloved and well-remembered lines. Ling
discovered upon Mian the shadow of an anxious care at his absence,
while the disappointments and trials which Ling had experienced in
Canton had left traces which were plainly visible to Mian's