Later  on    more    and    more   goods
reached  Pekin,  and  the  prices  fell
still  lower.     Ah  Wang  did  not  even
open  his  bales,  since  there  was  noth-
ing to  be  made  on  them,  but  on  reck-
oning up  his  expenses  after  about  ten
days  he  found  that  they  amounted  to
a  considerable  sum,  and  he  became
still  more  depressed.     His  host  ad-
vised him  to  sell  his  wares  for  what-
ever they  would  bring  and  start  a
new  business.     This  he  did  and  lost
by  the   sale  about  ten  taels.     The
next  day,  as  he  was  about  to  start
for  home,    he   opened   his    money-
pouch  and  found  it  empty.     Quite
overcome,  he  told  the  host  of  this  new  misfortune.     The  host
did  nqt  know  what  to  say,  and  one  of  the  guests  advised  Ah
Wang  to  inform  the  police  and  demand  that  the  host  should
make  good  his  loss.
"  But,"  said  Ah  Wang,  sighing  and  groaning,  "  it  is  my  fate;
what  has  the  host  to  do  with  it  ?  "

The  latter  heard  these  words,  and  thanking  him  for  his  con-
sideration presented  him  with  five  taels,  so  that  he  might  at  least
have  enough  money  to  take  him  home.
Ah  Wang,  however,  rather  shrank  from  facing  his  grand-
mother under  existing  circumstances,  so  he  was  quite  unde-
cided what  to  do.
