No doubt remained in Ling's mind that the process of frequently making
smooth his surfaces would yield an amount of gold enough to suffice
for his own needs, but a brief consideration of the matter convinced
him that this source would be inadequate to maintain an entire
household even if he continually denuded himself to an almost
ignominious extent. As he fully weighed these varying chances the
certainty became more clear to him with every thought that for the
virtuous enjoyment of Mian's society one great sacrifice was required
of him. This act, it seemed to be intimated, would without delay
provide for an affluent and lengthy future, and at the same time would
influence all the spirits--even those who had been hitherto evilly-
disposed towards him--in such a manner that his enemies would be
removed from his path by a process which would expose them to public
ridicule, and he would be assured in founding an illustrious and
enduring line. To accomplish this successfully necessitated the loss
of at least the greater part of one entire member, and for some time
the disadvantages of going through an existence with only a single leg
or arm seemed more than a sufficient price to pay even for the
definite advantages which would be made over to him in return.
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