"Fortunately," smiled Shih Hsiang-yuen, "it's only a sort of a toy!
Still, are you so careless?" While speaking, she flung open her hand.
"Just see," she laughed, "is it this or not?"

As soon as he saw it, Pao-yue was seized with unwonted delight. But,
reader, if you care to know the cause of his delight, peruse the
explanation contained in the next chapter.




CHAPTER XXXII.

Hsi Jen and Hsiang-yuen tell their secret thoughts.
Tai-yue is infatuated with the living Pao-yue.


While trying to conceal her sense of shame and injury Chin Ch'uan is
driven by her impetuous feelings to seek death.

But to resume our narrative. At the sight of the unicorn, Pao-yue was
filled with intense delight. So much so, that he forthwith put out his
hand and made a grab for it. "Lucky enough it was you who picked it up!"
he said, with a face beaming with smiles. "But when did you find it?"

"Fortunately it was only this!" rejoined Shih Hsiang-yuen laughing. "If
you by and bye also lose your seal, will you likely banish it at once
from your mind, and never make an effort to discover it?"

"After all," smiled Pao-yue, "the loss of a seal is an ordinary