agreement with the idea and immediately put away the intention of driving Ah Q away; moreover, he strictly warned Tsou Ch'i-sao not to mention his words to others.
But on the following day, Tsou Ch'i-sao had her blue skirt dyed black, and also spread abroad the suspicion which hovered about Ah Q. Although she did not actually mention the fact that the Hsiu-t'sai wanted to drive him away, still, what she did say had a most unfavorable affect upon Ah Q. First of all, the ti-pao came to his door and took away the curtains. When Ah Q explained that Mrs. Chao wanted to see them, the ti-pao did not return them, but furthermore demanded a certain sum of money each month as a present. Next, the awesome respect of the villagers underwent a sudden change. Although they did not dare to make light of him, they seemed to avoid him assiduously, and this attitude, compared with their former fear of his "tutt," bore a marked difference and was mixed with a savor of "respect at a distance."
One group remained who still persisted in hounding Ah Q's affairs to the very depths. But Ah Q made no attempt whatsoever to conceal his past, and proudly told of his experiences without reserve. Thereafter, they knew that he was only an inconsequential member of a thieving gang, who was not only unable to scale a wall but could
