Then the nasty youth led his mother into the next room to calm her a
little.

"But what are you going to do?" she asked.

"Do you think we can be safe when she has gone to Fan?"

"I am not going to take her to Fan."

"What are you going to do, then?"

He gave a country laugh, full of suggestion.

* * * * *

Matters so continued until the fifteenth day of the first Moon,
the evening of the Feast of Lanterns. Feng went out to see the
illuminations, and also to profit by the opportunities for theft which
are always afforded in a crowd. The evening wore on, and he had not
yet returned, when a shout arose among the neighbors. Feng's mother
opened the door to see what was the matter. A fire had broken out near
there. In terror, the old woman made haste to carry her furniture into
the yard. Profiting by this confusion, the girl slipped through the
door; but in the street she did not know which way to turn. At
last she found the road to the Ts'ao Gate, and was running in that
direction when she lost herself again. However, when at length she
asked where The Pavilion of the Quick Hedge might be, she was shown a
near way to it.