# Epigraph explained — Clouds of Witness

> Chapter companion for Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers.

## What happens

The epigraph quotes from 'The Wallet of Kai-Lung,' suggesting a story permeated with the odor of joss-sticks and honorable high-mindedness, where the two characters are both of noble birth, and which has no real ending.

## Themes in this chapter

### Social Class and Aristocracy

The epigraph emphasizes that the two characters are both of noble birth, highlighting the theme of aristocracy.

### Family Loyalty and Honor

The reference to 'honourable high-mindedness' underscores the theme of honor and loyalty.

## Key lines

> The inimitable stories of Tong-king never have any real ending, and this one, being in his most elevated style, has even less end than most of them.

The unique tales of Tong-king always lack a proper conclusion, and this particular story, written in his finest manner, has even less of an ending than usual.

_Sets up the expectation of an open-ended narrative._

> But the whole narrative is permeated with the odour of joss-sticks and honourable high-mindedness, and the two characters are both of noble birth.

The entire story is filled with the scent of incense and a sense of noble virtue, and both main characters come from aristocratic families.

_Introduces themes of nobility and honor._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/clouds_of_witness_se/chapters/epigraph
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/clouds_of_witness_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/clouds_of_witness_se/chapters