"That being so", Tao Gan remarked, "I fear that we must be prepared for the worst. Could not some low ruffian have kidnapped her and sold her to a brothel?"
Fang sadly nodded his head.
"Yes", he said with a sigh, "you are quite right. I too think that we should check the licensed quarters. You know that there are two of that kind in this town. One, called the Northern Row, is located in the northwest corner of the city wall. The girls there are mostly from over the border, that quarter prospered greatly during the time when the route to the west still led through Lan-fang. Now that Northern Row has fallen on bad times, it is a favourite haunt for the scum of this city.
"The other one, known as Southern Row, consists of high-class establishments only. The girls there are all Chinese, and some are quite educated. They are not unlike the courtesans and singing girls of the larger cities."
Tao Gan pulled at the three hairs on his left cheek.
"I would say", he observed, "that we should start with the Northern Row. I gather from what you say that the houses of the Southern Row would not dare to kidnap girls. High class establishments like those are always careful not to offend against the law; they buy their girls in the regular way."
Ma Joong laid his big hand on the headman's shoulder:
"As soon as our judge has cleared up the murder of General Ding", he said, "I shall request that the job of locating your eldest daughter is entrusted to Tao Gan and me. If there is any man who can find her, it is this wily old trickster, especially when I am at hand to do the rough work for him!"
Fang thanked Ma Joong with tears in his eyes.
At that moment Dark Orchid entered the gate, demurely dressed as a housemaid.
"How do you like the work, my girl?", Ma Joong called out.
Dark Orchid ignored him completely. She bowed deeply to her father and said:
"I would like to report to His Excellency, father. Would you kindly take me there?"
Fang rose and excused himself. Sergeant Hoong went out to transmit Judge Dee's message to Yoo Kee, and the headman crossed the courtyard followed by his daughter.
They found Judge Dee sitting alone in his office, his chin cupped in his hands. He was deep in thought.
As he looked up and saw Fang and his daughter his face brightened. He acknowledged their bows with a friendly nod and then said eagerly:
"Take your time, my child, and tell me all about your experiences in the Ding household!"
"There can be no doubt, Your Honour", Dark Orchid began, "that the old General was in great fear for his life. The maids in the Ding mansion told me that all the food had first to be fed to a dog in order to prove that it had not been poisoned. The front and side gates had to be kept locked day and night, which is a great nuisance for the servants as they have to unlock the door for every visitor or tradesman who comes to the house. The servants don't like working there, everyone in his turn is the object of the old General's suspicion, and closely questioned by the young master. They don't stay longer there than a few months on end."
"Describe the members of the household!", the judge ordered.
"The General's First Lady died some years ago and now the Second Lady directs the household. She is in continual fear lest the others shouldn't treat her with sufficient respect and she is not an easy mistress to work for. The Third Lady is quite an uneducated person, fat and lazy, but not hard to please. The Fourth Lady is very young; the General acquired her here in Lan-fang. I suppose that she is of the kind that men find attractive. But while she was dressing this morning I noticed that she has an ugly mole on her left breast. She spends the greater part of the day in front of her mirror, if she is not trying to wangle some money from the Second Lady.
Young Master Ding lives with his wife in a small, separate courtyard. They have no children. She is not very good-looking and a few years older than her husband. But they say that she is quite accomplished and has read many books. The young master has occasionally brought up the question of taking a second wife, but she would never allow it. He now tries to make up to the young maidservants but without much success. Nobody likes to work in that household and the maids don't care whether they offend the young master or not.
This morning when I was cleaning young Master Ding's room, I rummaged a bit in his private papers."
"That was not what I ordered you", the judge remarked dryly.
Fang gave his daughter an angry look.
Dark Orchid blushed and went on quickly:
"I found in the back of a drawer a package of poems and letters written by young Master Ding. The literary style was too difficult for me, but I gathered from the few sentences I was able to understand that the contents are very peculiar. I brought the package with me to show to Your Honour."
As she spoke she put her slender hand in her sleeve and took out a bundle of papers. She handed them to the judge with a respectful bow.
Judge Dee shot a quizzical look at the indignant Fang, then rapidly glanced through the papers.
He put them down and said:
"These poems speak of a forbidden love affair, and in such a passionate language that it is all to the good that you could not understand them. The letters are of similar content, and all signed 'Your slave Ding'; Apparently young Ding wrote them to give vent to his passion, for they were apparently never sent to their destination."
"The young master would hardly have written such things for the blue-stocking that his wife is!", Dark Orchid remarked.
Her father soundly boxed her ears, shouting:
"Don't you dare to speak if you are not asked to, you forward hussy!" Turning to the judge he added apologetically: "It is all because my good wife is not there to educate her, Your Honour!"
Judge Dee smiled.
"When we are through with this murder case, Headman" he said, "I shall arrange a suitable marriage for your daughter. There is nothing better for a wayward young girl than to settle down to the regular household routine."
Fang respectfully thanked the judge. Dark Orchid looked furious but she did not dare to speak.
Tapping the package with his forefinger, Judge Dee said:
"I shall have these copied out immediately. This afternoon you will put back the originals where you found them. You did not do badly, young woman! Keep your ears and eyes open, but be careful not to pry into closed drawers and cupboards. Report again to me tomorrow."
As Fang and his daughter took their leave, the judge had Tao Gan called in.
"I have here a collection of letters and poems", he said. "You will copy them out carefully and try to deduce from all these passionate effusions some clue as to the identity of the lady to whom they are addressed."
Tao Gan glanced the poems through. His eyebrows shot up.
YOO KEE WELCOMES JUDGE DEE TO HIS MANSION
Thirteenth Chapter
The judge went to Yoo Kee's mansion accompanied only by Sergeant Hoong and four constables.
As his palanquin was being carried over the ornamental marble bridge he looked with appreciation at the nine-storied pagoda that rose up from the lotus lake on left.