questions. The constables did not know what to do.
Judge Dee hammered his gavel on the bench. He shouted in a stentorious voice:
'Silence and order!'
The murmur died out.
'If I have to issue one more warning', Judge Dee said sternly, 'I shall have the hall cleared! Everyone stand in his appointed place!'
Woo had collapsed on the floor. His body shook with sobs. Headman Fang stood stiffly at attention. He bit his lips till the blood trickled from his chin.
Judge Dee slowly stroked his beard.
Then his deep voice broke the uneasy silence.
'Junior Candidate Woo, you will realize that there is nothing left but to tell the entire story. If, as I gather from your last remark, I have endangered White Orchid's life by mentioning your meeting her in that deserted temple, it is you who are responsible for her plight. You had ample opportunity to warn me.'
The judge gave a sign to the constables. They offered Woo a cup of strong tea. He gulped it down. Then he said in a forlorn voice:
'Her secret is now known to the entire town! She cannot be saved!'
Judge Dee observed dryly:
'Leave it to this tribunal to decide whether she can be saved or not! I repeat, tell the entire story!'
Woo mastered himself. He began in a low voice:
'Near the East Gate there stands a small Buddhist temple, called Hermitage of the Three Treasures. Many years ago, when the route to the west still led over this city, monks from Khotan built that hermitage. Later they left. The temple fell into decay, people of the neighbourhood took away the doors and other woodwork for firewood. But the magnificent wall paintings by the monks remained.
I discovered those murals by accident when I was roaming over the city in search of Buddhist works of art. I often went there and made copies of the murals. I took a liking to the small secluded garden behind the temple. I used to stroll out there at night to enjoy the moon.
One evening, about three weeks ago, I had been drinking heavily. I resolved to walk to the temple to let my head cool in the garden there.
When I was sitting on the stone bench, I suddenly saw a girl enter the garden.'
Woo bent his head further down. Deep silence reigned in the court hall.
Woo looked up with unseeing eyes. He went on:
'She seemed to me our Lady Kwan Yin descended upon earth. She was clad in a single thin robe of white silk. A white silk shawl covered her head. Her lovely face bore an expression of deep, unutterable sadness, tears glistened on her pale cheeks. Those heavenly features are engraved on my mind. I shall remember them as long as I live!'
He covered his face with his hands. Then he let his arms drop listlessly.
'I rushed to her, stammering I know not what confused words. She shrank back in fright and whispered: 'Don't speak, go away! I am afraid!' I sank to my knees in front of her and implored her to trust me.
She drew her robe closer round her and said in a low voice: T have orders never to leave the house, but tonight I slipped away. I must go back now, else I shall be killed! Tell no one. I shall come again!'
Then a cloud obscured the moon. In the darkness I faintly heard her quick footsteps.
That night I searched the temple and its neighbourhood for hours. But I could find no trace of her.'
Woo paused. Judge Dee gave a sign to offer him another cup of tea. Woo impatiently shook his head and continued:
'Since that unforgettable evening I have gone to that temple nearly every night. But she never came. It is clear that she is kept a prisoner. Now that her secret visit to the temple is known, the fiend that keeps her will kill her!'
Woo broke out in sobs.
After a short pause Judge Dee spoke:
'Now you see for yourself how dangerous it is not to tell the complete truth. The tribunal shall do all that is possible to locate that girl. You, meanwhile, had now better confess how you murdered General Ding!'
Woo cried:
woo feng's strange encounter in the templegarden
'I shall confess anything you like! But not now. I beseech Your Honour to send out your men now to save that girl! It may yet not be too late!'
Judge Dee shrugged his shoulders. He nodded to the constables. They dragged Woo up and led him back to the jail.
'Candidate Ding', the judge spoke, 'this is quite an unexpected development. Evidently it has nothing to do with Woo's murdering your father. It is clear, however, that the accused is in no condition to be interrogated further.
I here break off the hearing of your case. It will be continued in due time.'
The judge let his gavel descend on the bench. Then he rose and left the dais.
The crowd of spectators slowly filed out of the court hall, busily discussing amongst each other the exciting new developments.
While Judge Dee changed in his informal robe he ordered Sergeant Hoong to call Headman Fang.
Ma Joong and Tao Gan sat down on footstools by the side of the judge's desk.
When the headman had entered Judge Dee said:
'Headman, this is a great shock for you. It is unfortunate that I did not show you that picture earlier, but I could not have surmised that it was in any way connected with your eldest daughter. However, this is the first definite indication of her whereabouts.'
While speaking the judge had taken up his vermilion brush and filled out three official forms.
'You will now', he continued, 'collect twenty armed constables and go immediately to that Hermitage of the Three Treasures. Ma Joong and Tao Gan shall direct you. They are the two best men I have, with great experience in such work. These warrants will authorize you to enter and search every house in that quarter!'
The judge impressed the large seal of the tribunal on the documents and handed them to Ma Joong.
Ma Joong hastily stuffed them in his sleeve. Then all three rushed away.
Judge Dee ordered the clerk to bring a pot of hot tea. When he had drunk a cup he said to Sergeant Hoong:
'I am glad that the headman has at least some information about his missing daughter. Now it has come out that it was she who is depicted on Woo's paintings, I realize that there is some resemblance to Fang's youngest daughter, Dark Orchid. I ought to have noticed that immediately!'
'The only one who did see some resemblance, Your Honour', the sergeant said slyly, 'was our brave fighter Ma Joong!'
The judge smiled thinly.
'It would seem', he said, 'that Ma Joong observed Dark Orchid with more attention than you or I!'
Then the judge's face set again in its usual stern mien. He said slowly:
'Heavens knows in what condition they will find that poor girl, if at all. If one translates the poetic description of our excitable artistic friend into everyday language, it is clear that on her visit to the temple White Orchid wore a common night robe. That means that she was kept imprisoned in a house quite near that temple, probably by some degenerate lecher. When he discovered that she had secretly left the house he may well have become afraid and killed her. Some day her body will be discovered in a dry well…'
'In the meantime', Sergeant Hoong observed, 'this does not bring us much nearer to the solution of the General's murder. I fear that we shall have to put the question to Woo under torture.'
The judge did not react on the sergeant's second remark. He said:
'I noticed one interesting fact. When during the session I mentioned a woman in the case both Woo and Ding turned pale; the latter was definitely afraid. As soon as Ding heard that it was the headman's daughter, he was
