382 CHINESE LITERATURE
arena. His father was away from home. He had gone southwards to take the remains of the grandmother and of Tai-yii back to their ancestral burying-ground. So Pao- yii first goes to take leave of his mother, and she addresses to him a few parting words, full of encouragement and hope. Then Pao-yii falls upon his knees, and implores her pardon for all the trouble he has caused her. " I can only trust," he added, " that I shall now be successful, and that you, dear mother, will be happy." And then amid tears and good wishes, the two young men set out for the examination-hall, where, with several thousand other candidates, they are to remain for some time immured.
The hours and days speed apace, full of arduous effort to those within, of anxiety to those without. At last the great gates are thrown wide open, and the vast crowd of worn-out, weary students bursts forth, to meet the equally vast crowd of eager, expectant friends. In the crush that ensues, Pao-yii and his nephew lose sight of each other, and the nephew reaches home first. There the feast of welcome is already spread, and the wine- kettles are put to the fire. So every now and again some- body runs out to see if Pao-yii is not yet in sight. But the time passes and he comes not. Fears as to his personal safety begin to be aroused, and messengers are -sent out in all directions. Pao-yii is nowhere to be found. The night comes and goes. The next day and the next day, and still no Pao-yii. He has disappeared without leaving behind him the faintest clue to his whereabouts. Mean- while, the list of successful candidates is published, and Pao-yii's name stands seventh on the list. His nephew has the I3oth place. What a triumph for the family, and what rapture would have been theirs, but for the mysterious absence of Pao-yii.
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