Page:Strange stories from a Chinese studio.djvu/104

75 A CHINESE STUDIO 75

belonged to the neighbours on that side ; but Ying-ning was 2ilways cHmbing up and picking the flowers to stick in her hair, for which Mrs. Wang rebuked her severely, though without any result. One day the owner saw her, and gazed at her some time in rapt astonishment ; however, she didn't move, deigning only to laugh. The gentleman was much smitten with her ; and when she smilingly descended the wall on her own side, pointing all the time with her finger to a spot hard by, he thought she was miaking an assignation. So he presented himself at night- fall at the same place, and sure enough Ying-ning was there. Seizing her hand, to tell his passion, he found that he was grasping only a log of wood which stood against the wall ; and the next thing he knew was that a scorpion had stung him violently on the finger. There was an end of his romance, except that he died of the wound during the night, and his family at once commenced an action against Wang for having a witch-wife. The magistrate happened to be a great admirer of Wang's talent, and knew him to be an accomplished scholar ; he therefore refused to grant the sunamons, and ordered the prosecutor to be bambooed for false accusation." Wang interposed and got him off this punishment, and returned home himself. His mother then scolded Ying-ning well, sajang, " I knew your too playful disposition would some day bring sorrow upon you. But for our intelligent magistrate we should have been in a nice mess. Any ordinary hawk-Hke ofiicial would have had you pubUcly interrogated in court ; and then how could your husband ever have* held up his head again ? " Ying-ning looked grave and swore she would laugh no more ; and Mrs. Wang continued, " There's no harm in laughing as long as it is seasonable laughter ; " but from that moment Ying-ning laughed no more, no matter what people did to make her, though at the same time her expression was by no means gloomy. One evening she went in tears to her husband, who wanted to know what was the matter. " I couldn't tell you before," said she, sobbing ; " we had known each other such a short time. But now that you and your mother have been so kind to me, I will keep nothing from you, but tell you all. I am the daughter of a fox. When my mother went away she


 * Strictly in accordance with Chinese criminal law.