So saying, she first laid hold of the unicorn, belonging to Shih
Hsiang-yuen, and passed it under inspection.

Shih Hsiang-yuen longed to be shown what she had picked up, but Ts'ui Lue
would not open her hand.

"It's a precious gem," she smiled. "You mayn't see it, Miss. Where can
it be from? How very strange it is! I've never seen any one in here with
anything of the kind."

"Give it to me and let me look at it," retorted Hsiang-yuen.

Ts'ui Lue stretched out her hand with a dash. "Yes, Miss, please look at
it!" she laughed.

Hsiang-yuen raised her eyes. She perceived, at a glance, that it was a
golden unicorn, so beautiful and so bright; and so much larger and
handsomer than the one she had on. Hsiang-yuen put out her arm and,
taking the gem in the palm of her hand, she fell into a silent reverie
and uttered not a word. She was quite absent-minded when suddenly Pao-yue
appeared in the opposite direction.

"What are you two," he asked smiling, "doing here in the sun? How is it
you don't go and find Hsi Jen?"

Shih Hsiang-yuen precipitately concealed the unicorn. "We were just
going," she replied, "so let us all go together."

Conversing, they, in a company, wended their steps into the I Hung