The World’s Wit and Humor: An Encyclopedia in 15 Volumes. 1906.
Popular NovelThe Courtship of Two Shadows
I
Chin Seng, as he sat leaning against the rails, also caught sight of a shadow on the opposite side, and began to dance for very joy. Then he scrutinized the reflection attentively, and became conscious that, as people had said, he was not to be compared with his cousin for good looks. His passion being greater than his discretion, he called out to the shadow, “Are you not Yu Kwen? I see you are my counterpart; why should we not meet, and be companions for life?” As he spoke, he stretched out his arms over the water, as if to lift out the object of his affections.
The young lady, who saw and heard his demonstrations, felt an increase of the regard she had already conceived for him, and would have liked to return the signals. But she was afraid of the consequences of discovery, and felt a natural diffidence, as she had never, either in speech or action, broken the rules of etiquette. She therefore merely conveyed the sentiments of her heart by a smile. The youth, who was exactly like his father, knew quite well that, in order to find out if a woman was favorably disposed toward you, you needed only to observe if she smiled. If her lips parted in a smile, it was a sufficiently good sign.
Thus was the love-knot tied between these two through the agency of their shadows. From that time forth they came regularly every day to the same place, to avoid the heat. Nor did they ever allow any of their attendants to escort them, but preferred sitting alone, so that they could lean over the rails and converse with each other’s shadows in the water. On these occasions, however, Chin Seng did most of the conversing, the young lady using only the language of her hands to express her sentiments; for she was afraid that, should she speak, and her father or mother hear her, she might not only be exposed to severe chastisement, but even her life might be endangered.