The Chinese Maze Murders

visibly relieved. This means that there is also a woman connected with the General's murder. Evidently the same person as the one Ding wrote his passionate poetry to.'

A soft knock sounded on the door.

Sergeant Hoong rose and opened. Dark Orchid came in.

She bowed deeply before the judge and said:

'I could not find my father, Your Honour, so I made bold to come here alone to present my report.'

'You are most welcome, young woman!', Judge Dee said eagerly. 'We were just discussing the Ding mansion. Tell me, do you know whether young master Ding spends much of his time outside?'

Dark Orchid emphatically shook her small head.

'No, Your Honour', she replied, 'the servants wish he would go out more. He hangs about in the house practically the entire day, snooping round and trying to catch them out in some mistake or omission. Once one of the maids even saw him late at night walking stealthily down a corridor. Probably he was checking up on whether the servants were gambling!'

'What was the reaction to my unexpected visit this morning?' the judge asked.

'I was in the young master's room when a servant reported Your Honour's arrival. He was sitting there drawing up an estimate of the costs of the funeral with his wife. The young master was very pleased that Your Honour had come again. He said to his wife: 'Did I not tell you that that first investigation of father's library was very superficial?

DARK ORCHID REPORTS TO JUDGE DEE

I am glad that the judge has come back, I feel certain that they overlooked many clues!' His wife remarked sourly that he should not think that he was more clever than a magistrate and he hastily went out to welcome Your Honour.'

The judge silently sipped his tea. Then he said:

'Well, I am grateful to you for the work you have done. You have sharp ears and eyes! It is not necessary that you return to the Ding mansion. This afternoon we obtained some information about your elder sister, and your father has gone to search for her. Go to your quarters now; I hope sincerely that when your father comes back he will have good news!'

Dark Orchid hastily took her leave.

'It is curious', Sergeant Hoong remarked, 'that Candidate Ding did not often go out at night. One would expect that he had some secret love-nest where he met that unknown woman!'

Judge Dee nodded.

'On the other hand', he said, 'it may be an old affair that is long over and done with. Sentimental people have an unfortunate habit of keeping souvenirs of past affairs. Yet the originals that Dark Orchid showed me seemed written very recently. Did Tao Gan find any clue to the woman's identity in those papers he copied out?'

'No', Sergeant Hoong replied, 'but Tao Gan certainly enjoyed that work! He copied the texts out in his best calligraphy, chuckling all the time.'

Judge Dee smiled indulgently. He rummaged among the piles of documents on his desk till he found Tao Gan's copies, neatly written out on ornamental letter paper.

Leaning back in his armchair the judge started reading. After a while he said:

'Well, it is all about the same subject, expressed in different ways. Candidate Ding was deeply enamoured. As if poetry could serve no better purpose! Listen:

The studded door is locked, the bed curtains drawn close,
Embroidered coverlets are a soft home of love;
Who thinks of Rites and Proper Conduct in this trance?
Empassioned lovers care not what the Codes impose.
Her feet like lotus buds, her lips like pomegranate,
Her rounded thighs, her breasts like fresh-fallen snow -
Who ever deems the full moon marred by its spots?
It's the blemish that completes the beauty of agate.
Who praises perfumes rare of the far-distant West?
The fragrance of her limbs bemuses the enraptured mind
He is a fool who with such beauty right before his eyes,
Still travels far and wide, a useless quest…

The judge threw the paper disdainfully on his desk.

'It rhymes', he remarked dryly, 'that is about all that can be said for it!' He slowly smoothed his long beard.

Suddenly the judge stiffened. He picked up the sheet which he had been reading aloud and eagerly scanned it.

Sergeant Hoong knew that Judge Dee had made a discovery. He rose and looked over the judge's shoulder.

Judge Dee crashed his fist on the table.

'Get me the testimony of the house steward, delivered during the preliminary hearing in the Ding mansion!', he ordered.

Sergeant Hoong fetched the leather box that contained the file of General Ding's murder. He extricated a sealed document.

Judge Dee read it through from beginning to end.

Then he put it back in the box. He left his armchair and started pacing the floor.

'What incredible fools people in love are!' the judge suddenly exclaimed. 'I have now found the solution of half the General's murder. What a foul, despicable crime!'

Sixteenth Chapter

MA JOONG INVESTIGATES THE LICENSED QUARTER; HE IS MADE A PARTNER IN A NEFARIOUS SCHEME

The first nightwatch had sounded when Majoong, Tao Gan and Headman Fang gathered in the house of the warden of the eastern quarter. Their faces were tired and drawn in the light of the candles. They sat down silently