you any reward?"

Ma, the Taoist matron, greeted this remark with a smile. "You're right
enough in what you say," she ventured, "of my being unable to bear the
sight of yourself and son receiving insult from a third party; but as
for your mention of rewards, why, what's there of yours that I still
covet?"

This answer slightly reassured Mrs. Chao's mind. "How is it," she
speedily urged, "that an intelligent person like you should have become
so dense? If, indeed, the spell prove efficacious, and we exterminate
them both, is there any apprehension that this family estate won't be
ours? and when that time comes, won't you get all you may wish?"

At this disclosure, Ma, the Taoist matron, lowered her head for a long
time. "When everything," she observed, "shall have been settled
satisfactorily, and when there'll be, what's more, no proof at all, will
you still pay any heed to me?"

"What's there hard about this?" remarked Mrs. Chao. "I've saved several
taels from my own pin-money, and have besides a good number of clothes
and head-ornaments. So you can first take several of these away with
you. And I'll further write an I.O.U., and entrust it to you, and when
that time does come, I'll pay you in full."

"That will do!" answered the Taoist matron, Ma.

Mrs. Chao thereupon dismissed even a young servant-girl, who happened to
be in the room, and hastily opening a trunk, she produced several
articles of clothing and jewelry, as well as a few odd pieces of silver