“Is it my lord who approaches his slave?” softly cried Hoo. “I come, pearl worth a thousand taels, dove with golden wings, little fawn with horns of jade!” replied On Yick in his most loving tones. “But your humble handmaid sees not the light of her life, the stream that satisfies her soul’s thirst. Where art thou? Come to me, or I faint from desire.” On Yick heard these most soul-moving expressions of maidenly love, and made a wild rush from the causeway in the direction of his adored one’s voice. The result was most regrettable. On Yick fell headlong into the impenetrable barrier of screw-pines, his silk jacket and overalls were torn beyond hope of repair, he lost his new velvet-topped white-soled shoes, and, moreover, sustained many nasty wounds on his legs, arms, and face from the sharp spines in the hedge. Hoo, of course, did the wrong thing. Instead of rushing to her lover’s assistance and aiding him in his dilemma, she burst into uncontrollable merriment and ran home, the miserable On Yick being allowed to extricate himself from the prickly hedge alone, whence he proceeded in the dark—muddy and bleeding—to his house, his raiment torn and his new velvet shoes lost forever in the sticky mud into which he had fallen. Tak Wo returned to his house at dusk expecting a warm meal and afterwards a comfortable sleep on the pleasantly warmed kang. He was greatly incensed, however, at finding his daughter absent and no rice and pork prepared, and on the appearance of Hoo shortly after his return, he flew into such an ungovernable rage, that he gave her a severe beating and retired to bed in a very ill temper. Hoo also retired to bed supperless, but in sullen ill humour. She passed a sleepless night, bent upon revenging herself upon her father, who had so suddenly brought her down from her heights of romantic love-dreams. The unfortunate incidents of the previous night were obliterated from the memory of the healthy-minded On Yick after a night’s sleep, so with a good heart he arrayed himself next morning in order to present himself to Tak Wo to make the final arrangements for his marriage with Hoo.