admitting that you are from Loo-chow, where disaffection reigns, you
have noosed a rope about your neck, and by proclaiming yourself as one
whose habit it is to call together a company to listen to your word,
you have drawn it tight."

"Every rope has two ends," remarked Kai Lung philosophically, "and
to-morrow is yet to come. Tell me rather, since that is our present
errand, who is she whom you pursue and to what intent?"

"That is not so simple as to be contained within the hollow of an
acorn sheath. Let it suffice that she has the left ear of Shan Tien,
even as Ming-shu has the right, but on which side his hearing is
better it might be hazardous to guess."

"And her meritorious name?"

"She is of the house of K'ang, her name being Hwa-mei, though from the
nature of her charm she is ofttime called the Golden Mouse. But
touching this affair of your own immediate danger: we being both but
common men of the idler sort, it is only fitting that when high ones
threaten I should stand by you."

"Speak definitely," assented Kai Lung, "yet with the understanding
that the full extent of my store does not exceed four or five strings
of cash."

"The soil is somewhat shallow for the growth of deep friendship, but
what we have we will share equally between us." With these auspicious
words Li-loe possessed himself of three of the strings of cash and
displayed an empty sleeve. "I, alas, have nothing. The benefits I have