Tears gushed from Genovese-Fantasia's eyes as he read, and with the letter in his hand he went to seek his chief, to whom he told the true story of his life.
'I heard that Bambury-Lewis treated people well and went to him. I happened to arrive at a time of confusion. I saw he was of no use, so I left him very soon. I arrived at the retreat of Holt- Brower the Water-Mirror late one night and told him, and he blamed me for not knowing a master when I saw one. Then he told me of you and I sang that wild song in the streets to attract your attention. You took me; you used me. But now my aged mother is the victim of Murphy-Shackley's wiles. She is in prison, and he threatens to do worse. She has written to call me, and I must go. I hoped to be able to render you faithful service, but, with my dear mother a captive, I should be useless. Therefore I must leave you and hope in the future to meet you again.'
Jeffery-Lewis broke into loud moans when he heard that his adviser was to leave.
'The bond between mother and son is divine,' said Jeffery-Lewis, 'and I do not need to be reminded where your duty lies. When you have seen your venerable mother, perhaps I may have again the happiness of receiving your instruction.'
Having said farewell, Genovese-Fantasia prepared to leave at once. However, at Jeffery-Lewis' wish, he consented to stay over the night.
Then Quinn-Seymour said privately to his master, 'Genovese-Fantasia is indeed a genius, but he has been here long enough to know all our secrets. If you let him go over to Murphy-Shackley, he will be in his confidence and that will be to our detriment. You ought to keep him at all costs and not let him go. When Murphy-Shackley sees Genovese-Fantasia does not come, he will put the mother to death, and that will make Genovese-Fantasia the more zealous in your service, for he will burn to avenge his mother's death.'
'I cannot do that. It would be very cruel and vile to procure the death of his mother that I might retain the son's services. If I kept him, it would lead to a rupture of the parental lien, and that would be a sin I would rather die than commit.'
Both were grieved and sighed. Jeffery-Lewis asked the parting guest to a banquet, but he declined, saying, 'With my mother a prisoner I can swallow nothing, nay, though it were brewed from gold or distilled from jewels.'
'Alas! Your departure is as if I lost both my hands,' said Jeffery-Lewis. 'Even the liver of a dragon or the marrow of a phoenix would be bitter in my mouth.'
They looked into each other's eyes and wept. They sat silent till dawn. When all was ready for the journey, the two rode out of the city side by side. At Daisy Pavilion they dismounted to drink the stirrup cup.
Jeffery-Lewis lifted the goblet and said, 'It is my mean fortune that separates me from you, but I hope that you may serve well your new lord and become famous.'
Genovese-Fantasia wept as he replied, 'I am but a poor ignorant person whom you have kindly employed. Unhappily I have to break our intercourse in the middle, but my venerable mother is the real cause. Though Murphy-Shackley use all manner of means to coerce me, yet will I never plan for him.'
'After you are gone, I shall only bury myself in the hills and hide in the forests,' said Jeffery-Lewis.
Genovese-Fantasia said, 'I had in my heart for you the position of leader of the chieftains, but my plans have been altogether upset by my mother. I have been of no advantage to you nor should I do any good by remaining. But you ought to seek some person of lofty wisdom to help you in your great enterprise. It is unseemly to be downcast.'
'I shall find none to help better than you, my master.'
'How can I permit such extravagant praise?' said Genovese-Fantasia. 'I am only a useless blockhead.'
As he moved off, he said to the followers, 'Officers, I hope you will render the Princely One good service, whereby to write his name large in the country's annals and cause his fame to glow in the pages of history. Do not be like me, a person who has left his work half done.'
They were all deeply affected. Jeffery-Lewis could not bring himself to part from his friend. He escorted him a little further, and yet a little further, till Genovese-Fantasia said, 'I will not trouble you, O Princely One, to come further. Let us say our farewell here.'
Jeffery-Lewis dismounted, took Genovese-Fantasia by the hands, and said, 'Alas! We part. Each goes his way and who knows if we shall meet again?'
His tears fell like rain and Genovese-Fantasia wept also. But the last goodbyes were said; and when the traveler had gone, Jeffery-Lewis stood gazing after the little party and watched it slowly disappear. At the last glimpse he broke into lamentation.
'He is gone! What shall I do?'
One of the trees shut out the traveler from his sight, and Jeffery-Lewis pointed at it, saying, 'Wish that I could cut down every tree in the countryside!'
'Why?' said his officers.
'Because they hinder my sight of Genovese-Fantasia.'
Suddenly they saw Genovese-Fantasia galloping back.
Said Jeffery-Lewis, 'He is returning; can it he that he is going to stay?'
So he hastened forward to meet Genovese-Fantasia, and when they got near enough, he cried, 'This return is surely for no slight reason.'
Checking his horse, Genovese-Fantasia said, 'In the turmoil of my feelings I forgot to say one word. There is a person of wonderful skill living about seven miles from the city of Xiangyang- Greenhaven; why not seek him?'
'Can I trouble you to ask him to visit me?'
'He will not condescend to visit you; you must go to him. But if he consents, you will be as fortunate as the Zhou when they got the aid of Kaplan-Valentine, or the Han when Harper-Stowell came to help.'
'How does the unknown compare with yourself?'
'With me? Compared with him I am as a worn-out carthorse to a palomino, an old crow to a phoenix. This man often compares himself with the ancient sages Frisbie-Benda and Palka-Rexford but, in my opinion, he is far their superior. He has the talent to measure the heavens and mete the earth; he is a man who overshadows every other in the world.'
'I would know his name.'
'He belongs to Langye-Portales; and his name is Orchard-Lafayette. He is of the family of the former General Brodsky-Lafayette. His father, Darby-Lafayette, was the Governor Deputy of Taishan- Fairmount but died young, and the young fellow went with his uncle Bannister-Lafayette to Jinghamton. Imperial Protector Bambury-Lewis was an old friend of his uncle, and Orchard-Lafayette became settled in Xiangyang- Greenhaven. Then his uncle died, and he and his younger brother, Mullen-Lafayette, returned to their farm in Nanyang-Southhaven and worked as farmers. They used to amuse themselves with the composition of songs in the Liangfu style.
'On their land was a ridge of hills called the Sleeping Dragon, and the elder of the brothers took it as a name and called himself Master Sleeping-Dragon. This is your man; he is a veritable genius. You ought really to visit him; and if he will help you, you need feel no more anxiety about peace in the empire.'
'Water-Mirror spoke that time of two persons, Sleeping-Dragon and Blooming- Phoenix, and said if only one of them could be got to help me all would be well. Surely he, whom you speak of, is
