"
THE END OF THE STORY OF LING
XVI
When Kai Lung, the story-teller, made an end of speaking, he was
immediately greeted with a variety of delicate and pleasing remarks,
all persons who had witnessed the matter, down even to the lowest type
of Miaotze, who by reason of their obscure circumstances had been
unable to understand the meaning of a word that had been spoken,
maintaining that Kai Lung's accomplishment of continuing for upwards
of three hours without a pause had afforded an entertainment of a very
high and refined order. While these polished sayings were being
composed, together with many others of a similar nature, Lin Yi
suddenly leapt to his feet with a variety of highly objectionable
remarks concerning the ancestors of all those who were present, and
declaring that the story of Ling was merely a well-considered
stratagem to cause them to forget the expedition which they had
determined upon, for by that time it should have been completely
carried out. It was undoubtedly a fact that the hour spoken of for the
undertaking had long passed, Lin Yi having completely overlooked the
speed of time in his benevolent anxiety that the polite and valorous
Ling should in the end attain to a high and remunerative destiny.
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