ber of people, including tai-tai who had not eaten for two days, Sister Taou Seven, and Chao the white-eyed and Chao the watchman, both authentic kin of His Honor Chao.
Shao nai nai was dragging Wu-ma from her room, saying, "Come out here! Don't hide in your room."
"Who does not know of your virtue . . . you must not think of suicide," Sister Taou said to her.
Wu-ma only cried, and murmured words that could not be clearly distinguished.
Ah Q thought, "Heng, what is the little widow up to now?" He approached the watchman to seek enlightenment, but caught sight of the licentiate rushing at him with the big bamboo stick and it suddenly came back to him that he had just received a beating and that he had something to do with what he was now watching with such detached interest. He turned around and started for the milling room. The bamboo stick barred the way; he turned again and sneaked out by the back door. Presently he was in the temple.
He sat for a while and began to feel a chill, for though it was spring, it was still cold at night, not suitable weather to go around bare to the waist. He remembered that he had left his shirt at the Chaos. He thought of going back for it, but was afraid of the licentiate's bamboo stick. The constable came in.
"Ah Q, your mother's . So you have gone so far as to try to seduce a servant of the Chaos! Have you no fear of the Emperor? You have made it necessary for me to get out of bed, your mother's ."
And so on and on the constable cursed and lectured him. Ah Q made, of course, no retort. Because he had caused the constable trouble late at night, he had to give him four
