Wan stated that two years earlier Dr. Djang's Second Lady had died. Since his First and Third Lady had passed away previously, the professor was then all alone. He had approached Wan with the offer to take Wan's daughter as concubine. Wan had indignantly refused that proposal done without even a proper matchmaker. Thereupon Dr. Djang, thwarted in the satisfaction of his lust, had spread malicious rumors averring that Wan was an impostor whose transactions couldn't bear the light of day. Having thus come to know the professor's wicked character, Wan had thought it his duty to warn Liu Fei-po to what kind of a family he was going to entrust his only daughter. As soon as Wan I-fan had finished Dr. Djang shouted angrily: "I beseech Your Honor not to believe that preposterous mixture of truth and falsehood! It is true that I have often commented unfavorably on Wan I-fan. I don't hesitate to state here formally that the man is a crook and a swindler. After the demise of my Second Lady, it was he who approached me offering his daughter as a concubine. He said that since his wife had died he was unable to look after his daughter properly. Evidently he wanted to extort money from me, and to prevent my criticizing his questionable business methods any further. It was I who at once refused that impudent proposal!" Judge Dee crashed his fist on the table. He called out: "I, the magistrate, am being trifled with! Evidently one of these two men is telling a brazen lie! Let it be understood that I shall thoroughly investigate this matter and woe to him who has tried to fool me!" Angrily tugging at his beard, the judge ordered Guildmaster Wang to come forward.

Wang's statement supported Liu Fei-po as far as the facts were concerned. But he was very diffident in expressing an opinion on Liu's theory of the crime committed by Dr. Djang. He said he had agreed to it merely to calm down the excited Liu Fei-po, and that he wished to reserve his opinion as to what had actually happened on the wedding night.

Then Judge Dee heard the two witnesses for the defense. First the tea merchant Koong, who confirmed Dr. Djang's description of the events, and added that the professor was a man of frugal habits and the most elevated character. When Dr. Hwa was kneeling on the stone flags Judge Dee ordered the headman to call the coroner of the tribunal. Then the judge sternly addressed Dr. Hwa, saying:

"You, as a professional physician, should have known that in all cases of sudden death the body may not be encoffined before the full circumstances have been reported to this tribunal and before the coroner has examined the corpse. You have offended against the law and you shall be punished accordingly. Now you shall, in the presence of the coroner, describe in what condition you found the body, and how you arrived at your conclusion as to the cause of death!"

Dr. Hwa quickly embarked on a detailed description of the symptoms found on the dead girl. When he had finished, Judge Dee looked questioningly at the coroner, who said:

"I respectfully report to Your Honor that although the death of a virgin under the circumstances described is of rare occurrence, our medical books do indeed cite a few instances from the past. There can be no doubt that death occasionally ensues though prolonged unconsciousness is more common. The symptoms described by Dr. Hwa accord in all details with those recorded in authoritative medical treatises."

Judge Dee nodded. After he had condemned Dr. Hwa to a heavy fine, he addressed the audience, saying:

"I had planned this morning to review the case of the courtesan's murder, but this new case makes an immediate inspection of the scene of the alleged crime imperative."

He rapped his gavel and closed the session.

In the corridor Judge Dee told Ma Joong:

"Let the constables make my palanquin ready to proceed to Dr. Djang's house, and tell four of them to go to the Buddhist Temple, to prepare everything there for the autopsy. I'll go there as soon as I am finished with the professor."

Then he entered his private office.

Sergeant Hoong went to the tea table to make a cup of tea for the judge. Chiao Tai remained standing, waiting till Judge Dee would sit down. But the judge started pacing the floor with his hands on his back, a deep frown creasing his forehead. He stood still only when Hoong offered him a cup of tea. He took a few sips, then spoke.

"I can't imagine what made Liu Fei-po proffer that fantastic accusation! I admit that the hurried encoffining of the body seemed suspicious, but any man in his senses would first have insisted on an autopsy, instead of filing such a serious accusation! And last night Liu impressed me as a very calm and self-possessed man."

"Just now in the court hall he looked to me as if he was out of his mind, Your Honor," the sergeant remarked. "I saw that his hands were shaking, and there was foam on his lips!"

"Liu's accusation is utterly absurd!" Chiao Tai exclaimed. "If Liu was really convinced that the professor was a man of low character, why then did he consent to the marriage? He hardly seems the kind of man to let himself be tyrannized by his wife and daughter! And he could easily have had the marriage contract canceled unilaterally!"

Judge Dee nodded pensively.

"There must be more behind that marriage than meets the eye!" he said. "And I must say that Dr. Djang, despite his touching lament about the disaster that hit his house, seemed to take it rather calmly!"

Ma Joong entered and reported that the palanquin was ready. Judge Dee went out into the courtyard, followed by his three lieutenants.

Dr. Djang lived in an impressive mansion, built against the mountain slope, to the west of the tribunal.

The steward opened the heavy double door, and Judge Dee's palanquin was carried inside.

The professor assisted the judge respectfully in descending, then led him and Sergeant Hoong to the reception hall. Ma Joong and Chiao Tai stayed behind in the first courtyard with the headman and two constables.

While the judge was sitting opposite the professor at the tea table, he gave his host a good look. Dr. Djang was a tall, well-built man, with a sharp, intelligent face. He seemed about fifty years old, rather young to have been granted a pension already. He silently poured out a cup of tea for the judge, then sat down again and waited till his distinguished guest would begin the conversation. Hoong remained standing behind Judge Dee's chair.

The judge looked at the well-stocked bookshelves and inquired which literary subject had the professor's special interest. Dr. Djang gave, in well-chosen words, a concise explanation of his research into the critical study of some ancient texts. His answers to Judge Dee's questions on some details proved that he had completely mastered the subject. He made a few quite original remarks on the authenticity of a disputed passage, freely quoting by heart from lesser-known old commentaries. Although one might question the professor's moral integrity, there couldn't be the slightest doubt that he was a great scholar.

"Why," the judge asked, "did you when still comparatively young give up your chair in the School of the Temple of Confucius? Many persons retain that honorable position till they are seventy or even older."

Dr. Djang gave the judge a suspicious look. He replied stiffly: "I preferred to devote all my time to my own researches. The last three years I have confined my teaching to two private courses in

DR. DJANG SHOWS THE JUDGE AND HOONG HIS SON'S STUDY