ed。　Now　that　the　brightness　has　descended　upon　me；　I　hope　this　dereliction　of　duty　may　be　pardoned。〃

〃I　hear　Xu　Shu　is　here。　I　have　e　expressly　to　see　him；〃　replied　Water　Mirror　bluntly。

〃He　has　lately　left　for　Xuchang。　A　messenger　came　with　a　letter　telling　of　the　imprisonment　of　his　mother。〃

〃Then　he　has　just　fallen　into　Cao　Cao's　trap；　for　that　letter　was　a　forgery。　I　have　known　his　mother　to　be　a　very　noble　woman。　Even　if　she　were　imprisoned　by　Cao　Cao；　she　would　not　summon　her　son　like　that。　Certainly　the　letter　was　a　forgery。　If　the　son　did　not　go；　the　mother　would　be　safe；　if　he　went；　she　would　be　a　dead　woman。〃

〃But　how？〃　asked　Liu　Bei　dismayed。

〃She　is　a　woman　of　the　highest　principles；　who　would　be　greatly　mortified　at　the　sight　of　her　son　under　such　conditions。〃

Liu　Bei　said；　〃Just　as　your　friend　was　leaving；　he　mentioned　the　name　of　a　certain　Zhuge　Liang。　What　think　you　of　him？〃

Water　Mirror　laughed；　saying；　〃If　Xu　Shu　wanted　to　go；　he　was　free　to　go。　But　why　did　he　want　to　provoke　Zhuge　Liang　into　ing　out　and　showing　passion　for　someone　else？〃

〃Why　do　you　speak　like　that？〃　asked　Liu　Bei

He　replied；　〃Five　persons；　Zhuge　Liang　of　Nanyang；　Cui　Zhouping　of　Boling；　Shi　Guangyuan　of　Yingchuan；　Meng　Gongwei　of　Runan；　and　Xu　Shu　of　Yingchuan　were　the　closest　of　friends。　They　formed　a　little　coterie　devoted　to　meditation　on　essential　refinement。　Only　Zhuge　Liang　arrived　at　a　perception　of　its　meaning。　He　used　to　sit　among　them　with　his　arms　about　his　knees　muttering　and　then；　pointing　to　his　panions；　he　would　say；　'You；　gentlemen；　would　bee　governors　and　protectors　if　you　were　in　official　life。'

〃When　they　asked　him　what　was　his　ambition；　he　would　only　smile　and　always　pared　himself　with　the　g