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When everything was ready and the day of performance fixed, a proposition was made me to go to Fontainebleau, that I might at least be at the last rehearsal. I went with Mademoiselle Fel, Grimm, and I think the Abbe Raynal, in one of the stages to the court. The rehearsal was tolerable: I was more satisfied with it than I expected to have been.

In the moneth of Iuly 1591. there hapned an earthquake in the Iland of S. Michael, which continued from the 26 of Iuly, to the 12 of August, in which time no man durst stay within his house but fled into the fields, fasting and praying with great sorow, for that many of their houses fel down, and a towne called Villa Franca, was almost cleane razed to the ground, all the cloisters and houses shaken to the earth, and therein some people slaine.

When at length dark fell upon the city and the cries of the watchmen, warning all prudent ones to bar well their doors against robbers, as they themselves were withdrawing until the morrow, no longer rang through the narrow ways of Ching-fow, all those persons who had pledged themselves by name and seal went forth silently, and came together at the place whereof Tung Fel had secretly conveyed them knowledge.

There staggered through the door a friend of mine, Harry Singleton, a young planter of our neighborhood, who had not taken my father's advice, but continued to divide his favor between farming, hunting and drinking. He stood there leaning against the wall, his face more flushed than one likes to see a friend's face before midday. "Hullo, ol' fel," he croaked at me.

In such a manner did Tung Fel come to Ching-fow on the seventh day of the month of Winged Dragons, throwing aside all restraint, and no longer urging prudence or delay. Of all the throng which stood before him scarcely one was without a deep offence against Ping Siang, while those who had not as yet suffered feared what the morrow might display.

Although it had of late become a plain fact, by reason of the manner of behaving of the people, that events of a sudden and turbulent nature could not long be restrained, yet outwardly there was no exhibition of violence, not even to the length of resisting those whom Ping Siang sent to enforce his unjust demands, chiefly because a well-founded whisper had been sent round that nothing was to be done until Tung Fel should arrive, which would not be until the seventh day in the month of Winged Dragons.

"Every keerd's thar thet I hed in my hands, ef you mean me," said the Kentuckian, sharply. "Waal, I don't mean you. A feller may have his little joke, I suppose." "Depends on the kind o' jokes. Here's the two missin' keerds on the floor. Now, ef you say I put 'em thar, it's a little joke I reckon I won't stand. Sabe?" "Come, I'll pay for the drinks, old fel', if you'll allow me to apologize.

"This passeth yeer by yeer, and day by day, Till it fel oones in a morwe of May That Emelie, that farier was to seene Than is the lilie on his stalke grene, And fressher than the May with floures newe For with the rose colour strof hire hewe, I not which was the fairer of hem two Er it were day, as was hir wone to do, She was arisen and al redy dight. For May wol have no sloggardy anight.

"Would Heaven I saw at this hour * The Wolf fallen down in this well, He who anguisht my heart for so long, * And garred me drain eisel and fel! Heaven grant after this I may live * Free of Wolf for long fortunate spell When I've rid grapes and vineyard of him, * And in bunch-spoiling happily dwell."

Thereupon Hiya, without delay, returned to the dwelling, remarking that otherwise her absence might be detected and the entire circumstance thereby discovered, leaving Yang Hu to continue his journey and again present himself before Tung Fel, as he had been instructed. Tung Fel was engaged with brush and ink when Yang Hu entered.