Dragon's blood

ds of peril. But accounts varied, reasons were plentiful. Soldiers had come down from the chow city, two-score li inland, and charging through the streets, hacking and slas

gle most correct, germane, and pleasant to the Azure Dragon and the White Tiger, whose occult currents, male and female, run throughout Nature. For any or all of these reasons, the town was deliv

her, and a worse, at Nesbit's; and the banquet of a native merchant, which began at four o'clock on melon-seeds, tea, black yearling eggs, and a hot towel, and ended at three in the morning on rice-brandy and betel served by unreal women with chalked faces and vermilion-spotted lips, simpering and melancholy. By day, there was work, or now and then a lesson with

pool, a cry from the river, or the sing-song of a "boy" improvising some endless ballad below-stairs; drowsy noons above the little courtyard, bare and peaceful as a jail; homesick moments at the window, when beyond the stunted orangery, at sunset, the river was struck amazingly from bronze to indigo, or at dawn flashed from pearl-gray to flowin

all but placid, across it shot so

fantastic belt of knotted willows and sharp-curving roofs. Through these broke the shadow of a small pagoda, jagged as a war-club of shark's teeth. Vesper cymbals clashed faintly in a temple, and from its open door the first plummet of lamplight began to fat

ting up his blond moustache with satisfaction.

wood, absently.

so finishing, so a

Heywood glanced carelessly at the

t be Drowned i

f hoofs, swept a pair of equestrian silhouettes. It was half glimpse, half conjecture,--the tough little ponies trotting stubbornly, a rider who leaned across laughing, and a woman who gayly cried at him: "You really do understand me, don't you?" The two jogging shadows melted in the bamboo tracery, like things blown down the wind. But for years Rudolph had known the words, t

a single gloomy stare, down

"Chantel--He bounds in the s

t he had hated C

re checkered sunshine, through the lattice roof, gave a muddy, subdued light as in a roiled aquarium--the revelers passed the inland wall. Here, in the shade, grooms awaited them with ponies; and scrambling into saddle, they trotted off through gaps in the bamboos, across a softly rolling country. Tortuous foot-paths of vivid pink wound over brilliant green terraces of young paddy. The pink crescents of new graves scarred the hillsides, already scallope

roke cover in time to see Mrs. Forrester, flushed and radiant, end some narrative w

ried, turning archly on her hu

rake quietly, Heywood more quietly, while even stout, uneasy Mrs. Earle smiled as in duty bound. A squad of Chinese boys, busy with tiffin-

, indulgently, to the dismounting trio. "

as justly proud. The heroine of the moment turned toward him quickly,

said graciously. "I've

fuge. For the first time, he recalled that this quiet girl had been beautiful, the other night; and though now by day that beauty was rather of line than of color, he could not understand how it had been overlooked. Tiffin, meanwhile, sped by like an orgy. He remembered asking so many questions, about the mission hospital and her school for orphans, that the girl began at last to answer with con

nt unknown to the West. "Sing for us," begged the dark-eyed girl; "a native song." The other smiled, and bending forward as if to recollect, began in a low voice, somewhat veiled, but musical and full of meaning. "The Jasmine Flower," first; then, "My Love is Gathering

nd Love and h

things are but

ey are but n

and here?

e same in ye

-eyed servants watched her, nodding a

h had never seen her face like this, bending intently above the lute. It

e was t

he rice-po

ng th

robe she wo

my sor

e bear a

y,

beloved

round the group, as she

m the top." Chantel was rising, but sat down again with a scowl, as she

t guard-rail. A misstep being no trifle, Rudolph offered his hand for the mere safety; but she took it with a curious little laugh. They climbed cautiously. Once, at

ou and I here!--I never dreamed you could be f

--handed her carefully through the window to a small outer balustrade. As they

he began quietly. "That's

ty, the antique walls, warmed and glorified, breasting the flood of sunset. All between lay vernal fields and hillocks, maidenhair sprays of bamboo, and a wandering pattern of pink foot-paths. Slowly

the pagoda sto

lly. "Before Egypt, and has never changed. Y

re and n

e same in ye

her eyes or see her hair gleaming in the sun. Through many troubled days he had forgotten her, despised her, bound his heart in triple brass against a

ust have been generous, she rested her hand on h

nt that she alone understood all his troubles. He started, turned for some r

d Heywood. His lean young face was very dro

wered, perhaps dryly. "You're a dear,

his gray eyes fastened

down the dark

through the camphor shadow, Heywood's pony came sid

the star, after your comedy turn." He reined as

ld have struck down the one