To which the public servants remarked: "We know nothing about Chen or
Chia (true or false); but as he is your son-in-law, we'll take you at
once along with us to make verbal answer to our master and have done
with it."

And forthwith the whole bevy of public servants hustled Feng Su on, as
they went on their way back; while every one in the Feng family was
seized with consternation, and could not imagine what it was all about.

It was no earlier than the second watch, when Feng Su returned home; and
they, one and all, pressed him with questions as to what had happened.

"The fact is," he explained, "the newly-appointed Magistrate, whose
surname is Chia, whose name is Huo and who is a native of Hu-chow, has
been on intimate terms, in years gone by, with our son-in-law; that at
the sight of the girl Chiao Hsing, standing at the door, in the act of
buying thread, he concluded that he must have shifted his quarters over
here, and hence it was that his messengers came to fetch him. I gave him
a clear account of the various circumstances (of his misfortunes), and
the Magistrate was for a time much distressed and expressed his regret.
He then went on to make inquiries about my grand-daughter, and I
explained that she had been lost, while looking at the illuminations.
'No matter,' put in the Magistrate, 'I will by and by order my men to
make search, and I feel certain that they will find her and bring her
back.' Then ensued a short conversation, after which I was about to go,
when he presented me with the sum of two taels."

The mistress of the Chen family (Mrs. Chen Shih-yin) could not but feel
very much affected by what she heard, and the whole evening she uttered