Ti-tum, tilly-lilly, ti-tum, ti.

Where is the star which leaps not in his course with delight, to obey the wishes of the brother of the sun and moon?  Where was the planet that rejoiced not to assist so near a relative?  Yes, they all hearkened, bowing down to the astrolabes of the astrologers, like generous steeds, who knelt to receive their riders; yet, when they all did meet to throw light upon the required page of destiny, was not their brightness dimmed when they perceived, as they read it, that it was full of tears, and that joy floated but as a bubble?  The wise men sighed as the decree of fate was handed down to them, and with their faces to the earth, thus did they impart the contents of the revealed page to the magnificent Youantee.

“The brother of the sun and moon would wed.  Beauty shall be laid at the golden feet, but the pearl beyond price will be found and lost.  There will be joy and there will be sorrow.  Joy in life, sorrow both in life and death; for a black dragon, foe to the celestial empire, threatens like an overhanging cloud.  More the stars dare not reveal.”

Ti-tum, till-lilly, ti-tum, ti.

* * * * *

Here the pacha looked at Mustapha and nodded his head in approbation, as much as to say, “Now we are coming to the point.”  Mustapha bowed, and the Chinese poet continued.

* * * * *

The golden eyes of the great Youantee were filled with silver tears when the page of destiny was made known; but the sun of hope rose, and bore away the sacred dew to heaven.  Then called he the minister, ever to be disgraced in story, Suchong Pollyhong Ka-te-tow, and the emperor desired him to make a progress through the universe, his dominions, to find out the most beautiful maidens, to be brought to the celestial feet, at the coming feast of Lanthorns.  But before they could be permitted to shoot up the rays of love through the mist of glory which surrounded the imperial throne—­before their charms were to make the attempt upon the heart of magnanimity, it was necessary, that all their portraits should be submitted to the great Youantee, in the Hall of Delight.  That is to say, out of the twenty thousand virgins whose images were to be impressed upon the ivory, one hundred only, selected by a committee of taste, composed of the first class mandarins and princes, were to be honoured by the beam of the celestial eye.

The avaricious, gold-seeking, Suchong Pollyhong Ka-te-tow had performed his task; wealth poured into his coffers from the ambitious parents, who longed to boast of an alliance with the brother of the sun and moon, and many were the ill-favoured whose portraits were dismissed by the committee of taste, with surprise at the minister’s ideas of beauty.