Romance of the Three Kingdoms (vol. 1)

Every third day Yale-Perez went to the door of the women's quarters to inquire after their welfare, and then they asked if any news of the wanderer had come. This ceremony closed with the words: 'Brother-in-Law, you may retire when you wish.'

Murphy-Shackley heard of this extremely correct behavior and thought all the more of the man for it.

One day Murphy-Shackley noticed that the robe Yale-Perez was wearing was old and frayed. Taking his measurements, Murphy-Shackley had a new one made of fine brocade and presented it to him. Yale-Perez took it and put it on under the old robe, so that the latter covered it.

'Why so very thrifty?' laughed Murphy-Shackley.

'It is not thrift,' was his reply. 'The old robe was a gift from my brother, and I wear it because it reminds me of him. I could not allow the new gift to eclipse his old one.'

'How very high principled!' said Murphy-Shackley, sighing.

One day when Yale-Perez was at home, there came a messenger to say that the two women had thrown themselves on the ground and were weeping. They would not say why. Yale-Perez set his dress in order, went over, and knelt by the door, saying, 'Why this grief, Sisters-in-Law?'

Lady Gant replied, 'In the night I dreamed that the Uncle had fallen into a pit. I woke up and told Lady Zeleny, and we think he must be dead. So we weep.'

'Dreams are not to be credited,' he replied. 'You dreamed of him because you were thinking of him. Pray do not grieve.'

Just then Yale-Perez was invited to another banquet, so he took leave of the ladies and went. Seeing Yale-Perez looked sad and tearful, his host asked the reason.

'My sisters-in-law have been weeping for my brother, and I cannot help being sad in sympathy.'

Murphy-Shackley smiled and tried to cheer up his guest. Murphy-Shackley plied Yale-Perez with wine so that Yale-Perez became quite intoxicated and sat stroking his beard and saying, 'What a useless thing am I! I could do no service for my country, and I have parted from my elder brother.'

'How many hairs in your beard?' suddenly asked his host.

'Some hundreds, perhaps. In the autumn a few fall out, but in the winter it is fullest. Then I use a black silk bag to keep the hairs from being broken,' replied Yale-Perez.

Murphy-Shackley had a bag made for him to protect his beard. Soon after when they were at court, the Emperor asked what was the bag he saw on Yale-Perez's breast.

'My beard is rather long, Your Majesty,' said Yale-Perez. 'So the Prime Minister gave me a bag to protect it.'

The Emperor bade him take off the bag and show his beard in all its fullness and it fell in rippling waves below his breast.

'Really a most beautiful beard!' said the Emperor.

This is why people call him: 'The Man with the Beautiful Beard.'

Another time, after a banquet, Murphy-Shackley was seeing his guest start from the gate of his palace when he noticed that his charger was very thin.

'Why is it so thin?' said Murphy-Shackley.

'My worthless body is rather heavy and really too much for it. It is always out of condition.'

Murphy-Shackley at once told his attendants to bring out a certain steed, and before long it appeared. It was red, like glowing charcoal, and a handsome creature in every way.

'Do you recognize it?' asked Murphy-Shackley.

'Why, it is no other than Red-Hare!' cried Yale-Perez.

'Yes; it is Red-Hare,' said Murphy-Shackley.

And he presented the horse, all fully caparisoned, to his guest. Yale-Perez bowed many times and thanked him again and again, till Murphy-Shackley began to feel displeased and said, 'I have given you many things, lovely handmaids and gold and silks and never won a bow of gratitude from you before. This horse seems to please you better than all the rest. Why do you think so poorly of the damsels and so much of the steed?'

'I know the horse; it can travel five hundred miles a day, and I am very lucky to get him. Now as soon as I find out where my brother is, I can get to him in a single day,' said Yale-Perez.

Murphy-Shackley grumbled to himself and began to repent of his gift.

Fortune dealt a stunning blow, still he played his part;
Partitioning his dwelling proved his purity of heart.
The crafty minister desired to win him to his side,
But felt that failure was foredoomed however much he tried.

Said Murphy-Shackley to Lamkin-Gonzalez, 'I have treated Yale-Perez pretty liberally, but he still cherishes the desire to leave me. Do you know if it is really so?'

'I will try to find out,' was the reply.

So Lamkin-Gonzalez took an early opportunity of seeing Yale-Perez, and when the politeness of the visit were over, Lamkin-Gonzalez said, 'I recommended you to the Prime Minister, and you have not lost much by that.'

'I am deeply affected by his kindness and bounty,' said Yale-Perez, 'but, though my body is here, yet I am always thinking of my brother.'

'Your words do not express present conditions quite correctly. One who lives in the world without discrimination and consideration of his relations with others is not the most admirable type of person. Even Jeffery-Lewis never treated you better than does the Prime Minister. Why then do you maintain this desire to get away?'

'I know only too well that he has been most kind, but I have also received great kindness from Uncle Jeffery-Lewis. Beside we have sworn to die together, and I cannot remain here; but before I go, I must try to render the Prime Minister some signal service to prove my gratitude.'

'Supposing Jeffery-Lewis should have left the world, whither will you go?' said Lamkin-Gonzalez.

'I will follow him to the below realms of Nine Golden Springs.'

There could no longer be the least doubt as to Yale-Perez's intentions, and Lamkin-Gonzalez told Murphy-Shackley just how matters stood. Murphy-Shackley sighed.

'To serve one's chief with unswerving fidelity is a proof of the highest principle of all,' said he.

Said Moline-Doubleday, 'He spoke of performing some act of service before leaving. If he gets no chance of such a thing, he will not be able to go.'

Murphy-Shackley agreed that this was so.

Jeffery-Lewis went to Shannon-Yonker for refuge. Here Jeffery-Lewis was always sorrowful and, when asked the reason, said he did not know where his brothers were nor what had happened to his family since they fell into the hands of Murphy-Shackley.

'Why should I not be sad when I have failed towards my country and my family?' said he.

'I have long wished to attack Xuchang-Bellefonte,' said Shannon-Yonker. 'Now it is autumn and just the time for an expedition, so let us discuss plans for the destruction of Murphy-Shackley.'