"I will take the risk. If all goes well, it will be your fortune. If not, I shall at least have done my best. But give me a proof, for otherwise she would not listen to me." Not without regret, Chang took from his bosom the little slipper, and gave it to her, wrapped in his handkerchief. The old woman at once slipped it into her sleeve with the pieces of money. As she was leaving him, she said again: "The affair is delicate. You must have patience and not hurry me. That would be dangerous." "I only ask you to do your best. Come and tell me as soon as you have an answer." Eternal Life was profoundly agitated. Since that moonlit night she had had no more taste for food, but had said: "If I married him I would not have lived in vain. But I know neither his name nor where he lives. When I saw him beneath the moon, why had I not wings to fly to him? ... As it is, I had only this red handkerchief." Yet she had to live and speak as usual. But as soon as she was alone she fell again into her musing. Two days later, old Lu entered their house. The father had gone out. The visitor said to mother and daughter: "I received certain artificial flowers yesterday, and have come to show them to you." She took a bunch of a thousand shades out of her basket. "Would you not say they were real?" "When I was young," said the mother, "we only wore ordinary flowers, and did not dream of marvels like these." "Yet these are only considered mediocre. But the price of the finest is so high." "If we cannot buy them, we can at least admire them," the young girl answered dryly. With gathering smiles, the old woman took from the basket a bunch which was indeed incomparable. "And what is the price of that?" questioned the mother. "How should I dare to fix a price? I leave it to you. But if you have a little tea, I would willingly drink of it." "In the admiration caused by your flowers, we have forgotten our manners. Wait for one moment, while I fetch some boiling water." As soon as the mother had left the room, the woman took a slight parcel from her sleeve. "What have you there?" asked Eternal Life. "Something important which you must not see." "Oh, but I must see it then." "I shall not give it to you," said the cunning old woman. "Aya! You have taken it from me by force!" she added, letting the parcel into the girl's hand. Impatiently the child untied the handkerchief, and recognized her slipper. Her face flushed into scarlet, and she said with difficulty: "A single one of these objects is of no use, ma-ma. Why did you show it me?" "I know a certain Lord who would give his life to have the pair. Will you not consent to help me?" Trembling all over, Eternal Life said to her softly: "Since you know all, tell me his name and where he lives." "He is called Chang, and he owns a hundred myriads of ounces. He is very gentle; his love is as deep as the sea. He has lost his soul through thinking of you, and has bidden me arrange a means for his entry."