'and-'
'You ought to know,' Judge Dee interrupted her sternly, 'that you are not allowed to let a girl work in your establishment before you have ascertained her identity!'
The woman hurriedly knocked her forehead on the floor and wailed, 'I beg your honor's pardon a thousand times! I should have begun by stating that I did not engage this girl as a prostitute. This is what happened, your honor, the complete truth! On the fifteenth, before dawn, Mr. Po Kai comes to my boat with this girl, clad in a monk's cowl. He says she is his new concubine, whom he brought home the evening before. His first wife wouldn't let her stay in the house, she ripped the girl's clothes to ribbons and insulted her and wouldn't listen to reason, although Mr. Po Kai argued with her till deep in the night. He says it'll take him a few days to talk his wife round, and that he wants to let the girl stay on my boat till he has fixed everything. He gives me some money, and tells me to get the girl a decent dress, for she has nothing on her but that cowl. Now Mr. Po Kai is a good customer, your honor, and he works for the shipowner Yee Pen, and the sailors are also such good customers, so what can a woman alone do but say yes, your honor! I give the chicken a nice dress, let her stay in a good cabin all by herself, and when my assistant says she might as well receive customers to keep in form, she won't dare to tell Mr. Po Kai anyway, I say at once no. I stand by my promises, your honor; that's the fixed policy of my house! But at the same time I always say, your honor, the law comes first! So when this morning the greengrocer's boat comes alongside and the vendor tells me that placards are up for the arrest of Po Kai, I say to my assistant, `If this wench is not a criminal herself, then she'll at least know where his excellency can find Po Kai. It's my duty to report her.' And thus I bring her here to the tribunal, your honor.'
Judge Dee sat up in his chair. He spoke to the veiled woman. 'Take your veil off, state your name, and describe your relations with the criminal Po Kai.'
FIFTEENTH CHAPTER
THE woman lifted her head and with a tired gesture raised her veil. The judge saw that she was a quite handsome girl of about twenty, with a friendly, very intelligent face. She spoke softly.
'This person is Mrs. Koo, nee Tsao.'
Astonished exclamations rose from the spectators. Koo Mengpin quickly came forward. lie gave his wife one searching look, then returned to his place in the front row, his face a deadly pallor.
'You were reported missing, Mrs. Koo,' Judge Dee said gravely. 'Tell exactly what happened, beginning with the afternoon of the fourteenth, when you had left your brother behind.'
Mrs. Koo gave the judge a pitiful look.
'Must I tell everything, your honor?' she asked. 'I would rather-'
'You must, Mrs. Koo!' the judge said curtly. 'Your disappearance is connected with at]cast one murder, and probably with other capital off enses. I am listening.'
She hesitated somewhat, then began.
'When I bad taken the left turn to the highway, I met our neighbor Fan Choong, accompanied by a servant. I knew him my sight, so I saw no objection to answering his polite greetings. He asked me where I was going, and I told him that I was on my way back to the city, and that my brother would soon be joining me. When my brother did not appear, we rade back to the crossing and looked down the road, but there was no sign of him. I assumed that since we were near the highway already, lie had thought that I didn't need his escort any longer, and had walked home through the fields. Then Fan remarked that he was going to the city too, and offered to accompany me. He said he was going by the mud road; he assured me that it had been repaired and that the short cut would save us much time. Since 1 didn't like the idea of passing alone in front of the deserted temple, I accepted his offer.
'When we had arrived at the small hut that marks the entrance to Fan's farm, he said he had to give a message to his tenant farmer, and proposed that I rest awhile in the hut. I dismounted and sat down on the stool inside. Fan said something to his servant outside, then he came back. Looking me up and down with an evil leer, he said that he had sent his servant ahead to the farm because he wanted to spend some time alone with me.'
Mrs. Koo paused a moment, an angry blush reddening her cheeks. She went on in a law voice.
He drew me toward him but I pushed him back, warning him that I would scream for help if he didn't leave me alone. But he said laughing that I could scream my head off because nobody would hear me, and that I'd better be nice to him. He started to tear my robes off. I fought back as well as I could but he was too strong. When he had stripped me lie bound my hands on my back with my sash and threw me on the heap of faggots. There I had to submit to his odious embraces. Afterward he untied my hands and told me to dress. He said he liked me, I wouid have to spend the night with him on his farm. He would bring me to town next day and tell my husband some good story. Nobody would ever know what had really happened.
'I knew I was at the rascal's mercy. We ate at the farm, then went to bed. As soon as Fan was fast asleep I wanted to get up and flee, and get back to my father's house. Suddenly I saw the window open, a tall ruffian climbed into the room, a sickle in his hand. In great fright I shook Fan awake, but the man sprang over to him and cut his throat with one blow of his sickle. Fan's body fell half over me, his blood spurted all over my face and breast-' Mrs. Koo buried her face in her hands. On a sign from the judge the headman offered her a bowl of bitter tea, but she shook her head and continued.
The man hissed, `Now you, you treacherous slut!' Adding some horrible words, he reached over the bed, felt for my hair, drew my head back and brought the sickle down on my throat. I heard a thud by the side of my head, then I lost consciousness.
'When I came to I was lying on a cart that was bumping along an uneven road. Fan's naked corpse was lying by my side. I then realized that the point of the sickle had struck the side of the bed, so that only the edge had scratched my throat. Since the murderer evidently thought he had killed me too, I feigned to be dead. Suddenly the cart halted, it was tilted and I slid to the ground together with the corpse. The murderer threw some dry branches over us, then I heard the cart moving away. I hadn't dared open my eyes, so I can't say who the murderer was. When be entered the bedroom I thought he had a rather thin, swarthy face, but that may have been the effect of the oil lamp in the corner.
'I scrambled up and looked around. I saw in the moonlight that I was in the mulberry bush near Fan's farm. At the same time I saw a monk coming down the mud road, from the direction of the city. Since I was clad only in my loincloth I wanted to hide behind a tree, but he had already seen me and carne running toward me. Leaning on his staff, he looked at Fan's corpse, then said to me, `You killed your lover, eh? You had better come along with me to the deserted temple and keep me company a bit. Then I promise I won't betray your secret!' He wanted to grab me and I cried out in fear. Suddenly another man appeared as if from nowhere. He barked at the monk. 'Who told you you could use the temple for raping women? Speak up!' He drew a long knife from his sleeve. The monk cursed and lifted his staff. But suddenly he gasped, clutched at his heart, and fell to the ground. The other quickly bent over him. Righting himself, he muttered something about having bad luck.'
A GIRL SURPRISED IN A MULBERRY BUSH
'Do you think,' judge Dee interrupted, 'that the newcomer knew that monk?'
'I couldn't say, your honor,' Mrs. Koo replied. 'It all happened so quick, and the
