Here Quen was
obliged to remain until other events caused the recollection of the
many to become clouded and unconcerned towards him, suffering frequent
inconveniences in spite of the powerful protection of Lo Yuen, and not
at all times being able to regard the most necessary repast as an
appointment of undoubted certainty. At length, in the guise of a
wandering conjurer who was unable to display his accomplishments owing
to an entire loss of the power of movement in his arms, Quen passed
undetected from the city, and safely reaching the distant and
unimportant town of Lu-Kwo, gave himself up to a protracted period of
lamentation and self-reproach at the unprepossessing manner in which
he had conducted his otherwise very inviting affairs.
SECOND PERIOD: THE TEMPLE BUILDER
Two hand-counts of years passed away and Quen still remained at
Lu-kwo, all desire of returning either to Peking or to the place of
his birth having by this time faded into nothingness. Accepting the
inevitable fact that he was not destined ever to become a person with
whom taels were plentiful, and yet being unwilling to forego the
charitable manner of life which he had always been accustomed to
observe, it came about that he spent the greater part of his time in
collecting together such sums of money as he could procure from the
amiable and well-disposed, and with them building temples and engaging
in other benevolent works.
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