"This person," he said, "takes a slightly different attitude from that adopted by my friend and colleague Yee Pen. Inasmuch as his manager also, the Korean Kim Sang, was involved in the brawl on the barge, he wishes to state emphatically that he does feel that he bears the full responsibility for all activities of the said Kim Sang, including those he might engage in outside his office hours. I report to your honor that the Korean barge on which the outrage occurred was my property, and the three boatmen Korean sailors in my service. My foreman on the shipyard testified that last night, at the time of the evening meal, Kim Sang came to the wharf and ordered the barge to be rowed out, without mentioning its destination. Needless to say that he acted without my orders, and without my knowledge. But I shall personally investigate this outrage thoroughly, and I shall welcome the stationing of a few experienced men from this tribunal on the wharf and in my house, to supervise all my activities."

"This court," Judge Dee said, "appreciates Koo Meng-pin's cooperative attitude. As soon as the investigation of the brawl has been closed, the corpse of the said Kim Sang shall be transmitted to him for being conveyed to the next of kin, for burial."

The judge was about to close the session, when he noticed some commotion among the audience. A tall, coarse-faced woman in a black robe with a gaudy red pattern was pushing her way through the crowd, dragging along a veiled woman. While she knelt down, the veiled woman remained standing by her side, with bent head.

"This person," the kneeling woman said in a hoarse voice, "respectfully reports that she is Mrs. Liao, owner of the fifth flower boat, outside the east gate. She is bringing a criminal before your honor's tribunal."

The judge leaned forward and looked at the slender figure with the veil. He was rather astonished at what the woman said, for as a rule brothel owners were perfectly capable of dealing in their own way with offending prostitutes.

"What is the name of this girl," he asked, "and what is the charge you wish to bring against her?"

"She stubbornly refused to give her name, your honor!" the woman cried out, "and-"

"You ought to know," Judge Dee interrupted her sternly, "that you are not allowed to let a girl work in your establishment before you have ascertained her identity!"

The woman hurriedly knocked her forehead on the floor and wailed, "I beg your honor's pardon a thousand times! I should have begun by stating that I did not engage this girl as a prostitute. This is what happened, your honor, the complete truth! On the fifteenth, before dawn, Mr. Po Kai comes to my boat with this girl, clad in a monk's cowl. He says she is his new concubine, whom he brought home the evening before. His first wife wouldn't let her stay in the house, she ripped the girl's clothes to ribbons and insulted her and wouldn't listen to reason, although Mr. Po Kai argued with her till deep in the night. He says it'll take him a few days to talk his wife round, and that he wants to let the girl stay on my boat till he has fixed everything. He gives me some money, and tells me to get the girl a decent dress, for she has nothing on her but that cowl. Now Mr. Po Kai is a good customer, your honor, and he works for the shipowner Yee Pen, and the sailors are also such good customers, so what can a woman alone do but say yes, your honor! I give the chicken a nice dress, let her stay in a good cabin all by herself, and when my assistant says she might as well receive customers to keep in form, she won't dare to tell Mr. Po Kai anyway, I say at once no. I stand by my promises, your honor; that's the fixed policy of my house! But at the same time I always say, your honor, the law comes first! So when this morning the greengrocer's boat comes alongside and the vendor tells me that placards are up for the arrest of Po Kai, I say to my assistant, `If this wench is not a criminal herself, then she'll at least know where his excellency can find Po Kai. It's my duty to report her.' And thus I bring her here to the tribunal, your honor."

Judge Dee sat up in his chair. He spoke to the veiled woman. "Take your veil off, state your name, and describe your relations with the criminal Po Kai."

THE woman lifted her head and with a tired gesture raised her veil. The judge saw that she was a quite handsome girl of about twenty, with a friendly, very intelligent face. She spoke softly.

"This person is Mrs. Koo, née Tsao."

Astonished exclamations rose from the spectators. Koo Mengpin quickly came forward. lie gave his wife one searching look, then returned to his place in the front row, his face a deadly pallor.

"You were reported missing, Mrs. Koo," Judge Dee said gravely. "Tell exactly what happened, beginning with the afternoon of the fourteenth, when you had left your brother behind."

Mrs. Koo gave the judge a pitiful look.

"Must I tell everything, your honor?" she asked. "I would rather-"

"You must, Mrs. Koo!" the judge said curtly. "Your disappearance is connected with at]cast one murder, and probably with other capital off enses. I am listening."

She hesitated somewhat, then began.

"When I bad taken the left turn to the highway, I met our neighbor Fan Choong, accompanied by a servant. I knew him my sight, so I saw no objection to answering his polite greetings. He asked me where I was going, and I told him that I was on my way back to the city, and that my brother would soon be joining me. When my brother did not appear, we rade back to the crossing and looked down the road, but there was no sign of him. I assumed that since we were near the highway already, lie had thought that I didn't need his escort any longer, and had walked home through the fields. Then Fan remarked that he was going to the city too, and offered to accompany me. He said he was going by the mud road; he assured me that it had been repaired and that the short cut would save us much time. Since 1 didn't like the idea of passing alone in front of the deserted temple, I accepted his offer.

"When we had arrived at the small hut that marks the entrance to Fan's farm, he said he had to give a message to his tenant farmer, and proposed that I rest awhile in the hut. I dismounted and sat down on the stool inside. Fan said something to his servant outside, then he came back. Looking me up and down with an evil leer, he said that he had sent his servant ahead to the farm because he wanted to spend some time alone with me."

Mrs. Koo paused a moment, an angry blush reddening her cheeks. She went on in a law voice.

He drew me toward him but I pushed him back, warning him that I would scream for help if he didn't leave me alone. But he said laughing that I could scream my head off because nobody would hear me, and that I'd better be nice to him. He started to tear my robes off. I fought back as well as I could but he was too strong. When he had stripped me lie bound my hands on my back with my sash and threw me on the heap of faggots. There I had to submit to his odious embraces. Afterward he untied my hands and told me to dress. He said he liked me, I wouid have to spend the night with him on his farm. He would bring me to town next day and tell my husband some good story. Nobody would ever know what had really happened.

"I knew I was at the rascal's mercy. We ate at the farm, then went to bed. As soon as Fan was fast asleep I wanted to get up and flee, and get back to my father's house. Suddenly I saw the window open, a tall ruffian climbed into the room, a sickle in his hand. In great fright I shook Fan awake, but the man sprang over to him and cut his throat with one blow of his sickle. Fan's body fell half over me, his blood spurted all over my face and breast-" Mrs. Koo buried her face in her hands. On a sign from the judge the headman offered her a bowl of bitter tea, but she shook her head and continued.