124 A TALE OF THE BORDER 



to offer his all, seven hundred taels, as a token of 

 gratitude. 



The faotai replied that one mustn't always 

 judge by appearances, that from the first he had 

 always regarded the charge as absurd, that he 

 would take care to nip any such rumours as came 

 to his ears in the bud, and implored Lao not to 

 let it weigh on his mind. 



They then parted with mutual expressions of 

 esteem, tlie taotai even coming to the gate to see 

 Lao ofK, and inwardly praying that murder cases 

 might come his way every day. The latter jumped 

 on his horse, galloped ofL cursing his luck, his step- 

 mother, the taotai, and the unknown person who 

 had betrayed his plot ; on arriving home thrashed 

 the old lady within an inch of her life, and drowned 

 his sorrows in native wine. 



Meanwhile Tsi, having discovered the loss of his 

 paper, and realising that, in spite of Lao's silence, 

 things must be getting rather warm for him, went 

 off to the nearest missionary station. Here he 

 professed great anxiety to learn the rudimentary 

 teachings of Christianity, describing himself as a 

 man who had lived a bad life owing to a faulty 

 bringing-up, but was resohed at last to mend his 

 ways and reform. The missionary in charge knew 

 something of Tsi, and a good deal more about the 

 people amongst whom he lived. A few inquiries 

 confirmed his suspicions. " The best advice which 

 I can give you," he said sternly, "is to leave this 

 part of the country altogether and try to live a 

 decent life amongst people who do not know your 

 past. I warn you frankly that I shall do nothing 

 to protect you from the punishment you deserve." 



