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A CHINESE STUDIO 73

so that I can't remember anj^hing." " I had a sister," said Wang's mother, " who actually did marry a Mr. Ch'in, but she died many years ago, and can't be still living, of course." However, on inquiring as to facial appearance and characteristic marks, Wang's mother was obliged to acknowledge the identity, wondering at the same time how her sister could be aUve when she had died many years before. Just then in came Wu, and Ying-ning retired within ; and when he heard the story, remained some time lost in astonishment, and then said, " Is this young lady's name Ying-nihg ? " Wang repHed that it was, and asked Wu how he came to know it. " Mr. Ch'in," answered he, " after his wife's death was bewitched by a fox, and subse- quently died. The fox had a daughter named Ying-ning, as was well known to all the family ; and when Mr. Ch'in died, as the fox still frequented the place, the Taoist Pope* was called in to exorcise it. The fox then went away, taking Ying-ning with it, and now here she is." While they were thus discussing, peals of laughter were heard coming from within, and Mrs. Wang took occasion to remark what a fooUsh girl she was. Wu begged to be in- troduced, and Mrs. Wang went in to fetch her, finding her in an uncontrollable fit of laughter, which she subdued only with great difiiculty, and by turning her face to the wall. By-and-by she went out ; but, after making a bow, ran back and burst out laughing again, to the great amusement of all the ladies. Wu then said he would go and find out for them all about Ying-ning and her queer story, so as to be able to arrange the marriage ; but when he reached the spot indicated, village and houses had all vanished, and nothing was to be seen except hill-flowers scattered about here and there. He recollected that Mrs. Ch'in had been buried at no great distance from that spot ; he found,

• The semi-divine head of the Taoist religion, wrongly called the Master of Heaven. In his body is supposed to reside the soul of a celebrated Taoist, an ancestor of his, who actually discovered the elixir of life and became an immortal some eighteen hundred years ago. At death, the precious soul above-mentioned will take up its abode in the body of some youthful member of the family to be hereinafter revealed. Meanwhile, the present Pope makes a very respectable income from the sale of charms, by working miracles, and so forth ; and only about 1877 he visited Shanghai, where he was interviewed by several foreigners.