the girl’s mother was deaf, and that they were evidently poor, apparently not having a day’s food in the house.  Ku’s mother asked what their employment was, and the old lady said they trusted for food to her daughter’s ten fingers.  She then threw out some hints about uniting the two families, to which the old lady seemed to agree; but, on consultation with her daughter, the latter would not consent.  Mrs Ku returned home and told her son, saying, “Perhaps she thinks we are too poor.  She doesn’t speak or laugh, is very nice-looking, and as pure as snow; truly no ordinary girl.”  There ended that; until one day, as Ku was sitting in his study, up came a very agreeable young fellow, who said he was from a neighbouring village, and engaged Ku to draw a picture for him.  The two youths soon struck up a firm friendship and met constantly, and later it happened that the stranger chanced to see the young lady of over the way.  “Who is that?” said he, following her with his eyes.  Ku told him, and then he said, “She is certainly pretty, but rather stern in her appearance.”  By and by Ku went in, and his mother told him the girl had come to beg a little rice, as they had had nothing to eat all day.  “She’s a good daughter,” said his mother, “and I’m very sorry for her.  We must try and help them a little.”  Ku thereupon shouldered a peck of rice, and, knocking at their door, presented it with his mother’s compliments.  The young lady received the rice, but said nothing; and then she got into the habit of coming over and helping Ku’s mother with her work and household affairs, almost as if she had been her daughter-in-law, for which Ku was very grateful to her, and whenever he had anything nice he always sent some of it in to her mother, though the young lady herself never once took the trouble to thank him.  So things went on until Ku’s mother got an abscess on her leg, and lay writhing in agony day and night.  Then the young lady devoted herself to the invalid, waiting on her and giving her medicine with such care and attention that at last the sick woman cried out, “O that I could secure such a daughter-in-law as you to see this old body into its grave!” The young lady soothed her, and replied, “Your son is a hundred times more filial than I, a poor widow’s only daughter.”  “But even a filial son makes a bad nurse,” answered the patient; “besides, I am now drawing toward the evening of my life, when my body will be exposed to the mists and the dews, and I am vexed in spirit about our ancestral worship and the continuance of our line.”  As she was speaking Ku walked in; and his mother, weeping, said, “I am deeply indebted to this young lady; do not forget to repay her goodness.”  Ku made a low bow, but the young lady said, “Sir, when you were kind to my mother, I did not thank you; why then thank me?” Ku thereupon became more than ever attached to her; but could never get her to depart in the slightest degree from her cold demeanour toward himself.  One day, however, he managed