“I will not live with this loathsome disease in my blood,” he said. “All my life the fear of contracting it has haunted me, and now it has come. The foreign devils, however, possess a wonderful poison, and by that means I will die. The poison is contained in a glass tube fitted with a piston, and is taken by pushing a needle under the skin. Death by this means is most pleasant, I have heard. You will go at once to Hong Kong and procure these things, and during your absence I will set my affairs in order. Go!” To Tao would have preferred to stop and gloat over his enemy’s mental anguish, but this pleasure was denied him. It took him four days to journey to Hong Kong; there he easily procured a hypodermic syringe, but the obtaining of morphia was a more difficult matter. It took To Tao a further two days to make the acquaintance of a hospital orderly and bribe him to steal the required drug. Then To Tao returned. The ten days of his absence had been passed by Yeh in a fever. He had ordered all his affairs, given out that he was seriously ill (as indeed he was), and had paid and dismissed all his dancing-girls, courtesans, and mountebanks. The change in Yeh would have struck To Tao as dreadful were it not as a soothing balm to his revengeful spirit to see how terribly his enemy had suffered. Yeh was at once all eagerness for the drug which To Tao, much as he would have wished it, was unable to withhold. And now Yeh had composed himself on his couch, and To Tao alone silently watched him with impassive face. Soon the drug’s influence was felt, and a delicious drowsiness came over the magistrate. “Excellency, can you hear me? I have much to say.” “I can hear well, brother. All is peace,” replied the magistrate. “That is well,” continued the hunchback. “Your life was pleasant before this disease held you, was it not, my lord?” “Yes, very, very pleasant, but now I would rather die than live a leper. Before, life was sweet, but now, death seems far preferable.” “But you do not suffer from leprosy.” Yeh started up and leant on his elbow. “What do you mean?” he demanded, almost thoroughly aroused. “I mean,” responded To Tao, “that Su Sing and her attendant were my creatures and with me in a plot to kill you. Many times I could have killed you by poison, but I wished to make you suffer first, and I think I have indeed succeeded by persuading you that you had contracted that loathsome disease.” Yeh remained silent for a while, and To Tao feared that he would sink into the sleep of death. At last he dreamily asked— “Why did you wish me this ill?” “Because you slew my mother, the old prisoner in the gaol. She is now avenged.” Again a silence. The drug was rapidly gaining entire possession of Yeh’s brain. Very slowly he spoke his last words.