commanded him to divulge the secret; and at last, partly through fear
of his parent, and partly through fear of the law which ordains that
"_the son refusing to obey his father shall be punished with one hundred
blows of the bamboo,_" Ming-Y faltered out the history of his love.

Tchang changed color at the boy's tale. "Child," exclaimed the High
Commissioner, "I have no relative of the name of Ping; I have never
heard of the woman you describe; I have never heard even of the house
which you speak of. But I know also that you cannot dare to lie to
Pelou, your honored father; there is some strange delusion in all this
affair."

Then Ming-Y produced the gifts that Sië had given him,--the lion of
yellow jade, the brush-case of carven agate, also some original
compositions made by the beautiful lady herself. The astonishment of
Tchang was now shared by Pelou. Both observed that the brush-case of
agate and the lion of jade bore the appearance of objects that had lain
buried in the earth for centuries, and were of a workmanship beyond the
power of living man to imitate; while the compositions proved to be
veritable master-pieces of poetry, written in the style of the poets of
the dynasty of Thang.

"Friend Pelou," cried the High Commissioner, "let us immediately
accompany the boy to the place where he obtained these miraculous
things, and apply the testimony of our senses to this mystery. The boy
is no doubt telling the truth; yet his story passes my understanding."
And all three proceeded toward the place of the habitation of Sië.

* * * * *