Wang the Ninth

and who paid a mere pittance for this labour of sweat and tears. The boy, however, cared nothing for the business details, although he mechanically cursed the rapacity of the city-bred as

h time he carried a heavily-laden hemp sack with a completed order to the middlemen, his father would partially settle their local debts. Sometimes on the big settlement-days (which came three times a year) there

f a city that was mighty in those days because it drained the provinces and because everybody was provided against want. There were princes and princesses abroad accompanied by handsome bands of retainers, who drove the common people off the driving-road as if they were mere carrion crows. He liked the insolence of their manners which was in keeping with his conception of the rules of a nation; and very often he ran alongside

In the noise and excitement of that closely-packed throng he lost his head, and after a short mental struggle began coolly spending the coins he had received in payment for his father's work. He tasted sweetmeats which brought tears of joy to h

ed him for being so slow. The boy frowned hard as he approached; yet in spite of his fear he dealt with the matter with his cu

lution. "I wandered to the Fair, and because there were ma

ously, with a clumsy

ou carried?" he asked

s offended now. "But I have given you the reason

the father, sweeping

was caught between a feeling of filial duty which was intens

e with that?" he as

is father again, and t

lding his arms. "

infuriated man, rushing at him. "I

uld have murdered him, but always missed. Then the growing crowd that had gathered flung themselves in between the two and held the infuriat

shrieked at last, wrestling like a maniac. At that t

e here from afar with you and now

once to see that he was not followed, and then runnin

ust be amicably settled. But the father never answered. He made a hesitating step or two li

It was in the air, always lurking half-hidden behind the blue-cotton exterior of their monotonous existence, coming in sudden stor