perceived some one or other among the visitors who had been sitting
sipping their wine on the divan, jump up and come up to greet him, with
a face beaming with laughter.

"What a strange meeting! What a strange meeting!" he exclaimed aloud.

Yue-ts'un speedily looked at him, (and remembered) that this person had,
in past days, carried on business in a curio establishment in the
capital, and that his surname was Leng and his style Tzu-hsing.

A mutual friendship had existed between them during their sojourn, in
days of yore, in the capital; and as Yue-ts'un had entertained the
highest opinion of Leng Tzu-hsing, as being a man of action and of great
abilities, while this Leng Tzu-hsing, on the other hand, borrowed of the
reputation of refinement enjoyed by Yue-ts'un, the two had consequently
all along lived in perfect harmony and companionship.

"When did you get here?" Yue-ts'un eagerly inquired also smilingly. "I
wasn't in the least aware of your arrival. This unexpected meeting is
positively a strange piece of good fortune."

"I went home," Tzu-hsing replied, "about the close of last year, but now
as I am again bound to the capital, I passed through here on my way to
look up a friend of mine and talk some matters over. He had the kindness
to press me to stay with him for a couple of days longer, and as I after
all have no urgent business to attend to, I am tarrying a few days, but
purpose starting about the middle of the moon. My friend is busy to-day,
so I roamed listlessly as far as here, never dreaming of such a
fortunate meeting."