Page:Frank Owen - The Scarlett Hill, 1941.djvu/165

RV 160 (LADY T'AI CHÊN) finished the last drop, the face of the woman on the wall flushed. Red, too, were the cheeks of Lady T'ai Chên, though no redder than the need for her that shone from the eyes of Ming Huang.

The magician bowed. "I crave leave to withdraw," he said, knowing that for the moment, all the Emperor's attention had been diverted by the magic of love.

No longer was the pillow of Ming Huang disturbed by grief or anxiety. Memory of Mei-fei had spun itself out to a thin thread, disturbing him no more than the perfume of faded flowers.

Frequently before retiring with Lady T'ai Chên, they played a game of dice together. On one such occasion, Ming Huang needed three fours to win! With a flourish and a mumbled Taoist exhortation, he flung the dice from him. They rolled and bounced; one settled down to the desired number while the others went on spinning.

"Four! Four!" cried the Emperor, as though the foundations of the very Empire rested on those ivory cubes.

At the sound of his voice, they abruptly came to a stop in accordance with his wishes.

The Emperor was elated. "Even if I had not a throne," he said, "it would never be necessary for me to beg."

"Except, perhaps, for the favors of Lady T'ai Chên." RV 160 (160)