118 THE LAND OF PEACH BLOOM 



little more time. But the stern Messenger who brings the 

 summons is inexorable; he heeds no entreaties and brooks 

 no delay. His call is imperative and must be obeyed at once. 

 He does not appear before his time; but when that time is 

 at hand, not an instant's grace is vouchsafed. If the 

 balance sheet is not ready, and a proper statement of 

 accounts is not rendered, so much the worse; the forfeit 

 must be paid. 



In answer to the fisherman the Elder replied, "I have 

 told you that we do not detain anyone here against his wish ; 

 whoever is desirous of returning to the world is at liberty to 

 do so. We will escort you to the road by which you came 

 whenever you are ready to start." 



"I will start at once," said the fisherman; for the sooner 

 I depart, the sooner shall I return." 



"We hope to see you again soon," said the Elder; "but 

 be sure that on your return you do not miss the way," he 

 added significantly. 



"I shall not miss the way," rejoined the fisherman con- 

 fidently; "there is only one road, and I am sure I shall I find 

 it again without trouble." 



The people who had received the fisherman so cordially 

 on his arrival now accompanied him back to the mountain. 

 They left the village, crossed the limpid stream over the 

 same little willow pattern bridge and halted at the identical 

 spot where the fisherman first stood as one entranced at sight 

 of this beautiful land; but lo ! there was no tunnel. The 

 opening he had come through was hermetically closed with a 

 huge stone. At a given word from the Elder, however, the 

 immense stone slowly rolled aside of its own accord and dis- 

 closed the passage by which the fisherman had gained his 

 entrance to the land of Peach Bloom on the previous day. 



"This is the way to your world," said the Elder; "but 

 before you leave us to return to it, we pray you to restore 

 to us the garments of this country. I have told you that 

 he who returns once more to the dusty world of confusion 

 may carry back with him nothing beyond the memory of 

 what he has seen, and the experience he has gained, which 

 he is free to use for the good of mankind, if he knows how." 



In response to this, the fisherman quickly divested him- 

 self of the flowing robes of curious fabrics that had been given 

 him in the Hall of Harmony, remarking, as he did so, that 

 he hoped they would be given back to him when he returned. 



"Certainly, when you return we shall most assuredly 

 give them back to you," said the Elder. 



Now standing in the common garb of his class, the 

 fisherman bade farewell to the Elder and the rest of the 



