* * * * *

The birds awakened, the flowers opened their eyes to the rising sun,
and Ming-Y found himself at last compelled to bid his lovely enchantress
farewell. Sië, accompanying him to the terrace, kissed him fondly and
said, "Dear boy, come hither as often as you are able,--as often as your
heart whispers you to come. I know that you are not of those without
faith and truth, who betray secrets; yet, being so young, you might also
be sometimes thoughtless; and I pray you never to forget that only the
stars have been the witnesses of our love. Speak of it to no living
person, dearest; and take with you this little souvenir of our happy
night."

And she presented him with an exquisite and curious little thing,--a
paper-weight in likeness of a couchant lion, wrought from a jade-stone
yellow as that created by a rainbow in honor of Kong-fu-tze. Tenderly
the boy kissed the gift and the beautiful hand that gave it. "May the
Spirits punish me," he vowed, "if ever I knowingly give you cause to
reproach me, sweetheart!" And they separated with mutual vows.

That morning, on returning to the house of Lord Tchang, Ming-Y told the
first falsehood which had ever passed his lips. He averred that his
mother had requested him thenceforward to pass his nights at home, now
that the weather had become so pleasant; for, though the way was
somewhat long, he was strong and active, and needed both air and healthy
exercise. Tchang believed all Ming-Y said, and offered no objection.
Accordingly the lad found himself enabled to pass all his evenings at
the house of the beautiful Sië. Each night they devoted to the same
pleasures which had made their first acquaintance so charming: they sang
and conversed by turns; they played at chess,--the learned game invented