of treasures so inestimable and so unique; scarcely could he summon resolution enough to permit them to leave his hands even for a moment.  “O Lady!” he cried, “these are veritably priceless things, surpassing in worth the treasures of all kings.  This indeed is the handwriting of those great masters who sang five hundred years before our birth.  How marvellously it has been preserved!  Is not this the wondrous ink of which it was written:  Po-nien-jou-chi, i-tien-jou-ki,—­’After centuries I remain firm as stone, and the letters that I make like lacquer’?  And how divine the charm of this composition!—­the song of Kao-pien, prince of poets, and Governor of Sze-tchouen five hundred years ago!”

“Kao-pien! darling Kao-pien!” murmured Sie, with a singular light in her eyes.  “Kao-pien is also my favorite.  Dear Ming-Y, let us chant his verses together, to the melody of old,—­the music of those grand years when men were nobler and wiser than to-day.”

And their voices rose through the perfumed night like the voices of the wonder-birds,—­of the Fung-hoang,—­blending together in liquid sweetness.  Yet a moment, and Ming-Y, overcome by the witchery of his companion’s voice, could only listen in speechless ecstasy, while the lights of the chamber swam dim before his sight, and tears of pleasure trickled down his cheeks.

So the ninth hour passed; and they continued to converse, and to drink the cool purple wine, and to sing the songs of the years of Thang, until far into the night.  More than once Ming-Y thought of departing; but each time Sie would begin, in that silver-sweet voice of hers, so wondrous a story of the great poets of the past, and of the women whom they loved, that he became as one entranced; or she would sing for him a song so strange that all his senses seemed to die except that of hearing.  And at last, as she paused to pledge him in a cup of wine, Ming-Y could not restrain himself from putting his arm about her round neck and drawing her dainty head closer to him, and kissing the lips that were so much ruddier and sweeter than the wine.  Then their lips separated no more;—­the night grew old, and they knew it not.

* * * * *

The birds awakened, the flowers opened their eyes to the rising sun, and Ming-Y found himself at last compelled to bid his lovely enchantress farewell.  Sie, accompanying him to the terrace, kissed him fondly and said, “Dear boy, come hither as often as you are able,—­as often as your heart whispers you to come.  I know that you are not of those without faith and truth, who betray secrets; yet, being so young, you might also be sometimes thoughtless; and I pray you never to forget that only the stars have been the witnesses of our love.  Speak of it to no living person, dearest; and take with you this little souvenir of our happy night.”

And she presented him with an exquisite and curious little thing,—­a paper-weight in likeness of a couchant lion, wrought from a jade-stone yellow as that created by a rainbow in honor of Kong-fu-tze.  Tenderly the boy kissed the gift and the beautiful hand that gave it.  “May the Spirits punish me,” he vowed, “if ever I knowingly give you cause to reproach me, sweetheart!” And they separated with mutual vows.