She said that she would take them, and as soon as she was alone threw them out of the port-hole.  Thereafter she continued to ask for ten bowls of rice for every meal.

Every one on the ship was now discussing this extraordinary case.  Some said that they ought to call in sorcerers.  Others thought that religious men would do better, seeing that she had certainly been possessed by one of those starving spirits which wander without purpose in punishment for their sins, with a needle’s eye for a mouth, seeking in vain for food.

At the next town, Ho Chang summoned another doctor.  After his examination, mention was made of the former diagnosis, and he burst out laughing.

“Nothing of the sort.  It is an internal consumption.”

“But what, then, is the reason for this hunger?”

“The hot and the cold principles are at variance in her, and the resultant fire gives her continual opsomania.  It is easy to understand.”

“But she has no fever.”

“Outside she is cool, but she burns within.  The malady is inside the bones; and that is why it is not visible.  If she had continued to take the drugs which you have been giving her, it would have been difficult to save her.  I shall give her something to soothe her bowels.  She will then, of her own accord, refuse all food.”

It need not be said that it was the same in this case as in the other. 
All the medicines went down the river.

Meanwhile the two lovers continued to profit by the silence of the night.  Naturally, the young girl was at first, so to speak, passive in the arms of the young man, who was himself bashful.  But little by little, penetrating further into the domain of pleasure, their amorous intelligence redoubled with their rapture, and they forgot entirely where they were.

One night a slave woke up, and heard a “tsi-tsi-nung-nung” and a “tsia-tsia” coming from within, and then quick breathing.  Inwardly surprised, she next day told her mistress, and the mother, seeing that her daughter was always of a brilliantly healthy complexion, began to think this unknown malady a very strange one.  She did not inform her husband, however, but ran herself to see her daughter.  The child’s face seemed to her to be more beautiful and animated even than usual.  She went out, without seeing anything which might confirm her suspicion, and, coming back again after breakfast, began gently to question her daughter on her ideas of marriage.

As they were talking, there suddenly came a snore from under the bed.  Ya-nei, after his efforts in the night and his morning meal, had gone to sleep in his hiding-place.

Elegant’s mother at once shut the door and, quickly stooping to look under the bed, saw the young man asleep.

“Alas, how could you do this thing?  And then frighten us with your illness?  Now everybody will know of it.  Where does he come from?  May Heaven strike him dead!”