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she cried, with rising anger. "/ hate yon English. 
 
 Go and leave ns in onr misery." 
 
 Page 264. 
 
Smitten and Slain 
 
 A igth Century Romance of 
 Life in China 
 
 BY 
 
 . a. id. id. 
 
 yu-f ^r h ^ 
 
 Xon&on 
 
 THOMAS NELSON AND SONS 
 
 35 Paternoster Row 
 
 EDINBURGH, AND NEW YORK 
 189O 
 
^ '.ȴ MORSE STEPHENS 
 
(STon tents. 
 
 I, 
 
 FIRE ! FIRE ! FIRE ! 
 
 II. 
 
 MOTHER, 
 
 III. 
 
 DAY-DREAMS, 
 
 IV. 
 
 THE WEDDING-DAY, 
 
 V. 
 
 HOME, ... 
 
 VI. 
 
 BABY, ... 
 
 VII. 
 
 TEMPTATION, 
 
 VIII. 
 
 THE SISTERS, 
 
 IX. 
 
 THE ROAD TO RUIN, 
 
 X. 
 
 ENGLAND AND CHINA, 
 
 XI. 
 
 A CRUEL KINDNESS, 
 
 XII. 
 
 lingsam's CRY, ... 
 
 XIII. 
 
 alone!... 
 
 
 9 
 
 
 28 
 
 
 4S 
 
 
 66 
 
 
 S3 
 
 
 105 
 
 
 121 
 
 
 140 
 
 
 164 
 
 
 1S4 
 
 
 205 
 
 
 226 
 
 
 244 
 
 5*4193 
 
SMITTEN AND SLAIN, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 fire! fire! fire! 
 
 "It must be agreed that if a worthy pretext for so dangerous an ex- 
 periment as setting houses on fire (especially in these days) could be 
 assigned in favour of any culinary object, that pretext and excuse might 
 be found in 7'oast pig." — Charles Lamb. 
 
 "One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.''' 
 
 HOWEVER much men may differ from one an- 
 other in complexion, in character, in desires, 
 and in actions, there is a habit to which all are ad- 
 dicted, from the proud philosopher to the untutored 
 savage. For every one yaivns sometimes. 
 
 It was this universal though albeit commonly 
 called vulgar act that little Lingsam, a young Chinese 
 lady, was concluding behind her fan when we take 
 our first peep at her. It is not a very distinct peep 
 either, for the room is but dimly lighted, though the 
 sun has not yet set. 
 
 No wonder Lingsam yawns, for the day has been 
 
io WIRE! mi;.: fire 
 
 as quietly monotonous as every other day, and dreary 
 with all the dull tediousness an Oriental lady's life 
 could make it. 
 
 The monotony had indeed been broken by the 
 marriage a week or so before of her only and elder 
 sister ; but now everything had settled down into the 
 usual humdrum routine. 
 
 Such a life as little Lingsam led would have been 
 wearisome beyond endurance to one who has been 
 educated amid Western civilization. Yet it is not an 
 unhappy one to her who has known no other, and in 
 whose home there were those who loved her and 
 whom she loved ; for in all lands — in far-off China 
 as in dear old England — it is love that makes the 
 wheels of life run smoothly. 
 
 Li Francho, Lino\sam's father, was a merchant of high 
 repute in Sin-tau, one of the innumerable cities of vast 
 China. His one continuous sorrow arose from the fact 
 that he had no son ; for his two daughters were but 
 worthless in his eyes compared to that great desire of 
 all Chinamen — a son to inherit his wealth, to perpetuate 
 his name, and above all, to bury him and worship 
 him after death. 
 
 His wife was still a handsome woman, and had 
 been considered very lovely, as loveliness is measured 
 among the Chinese, when she came as a bride to her 
 husband's home twenty years before. For howsoever 
 
FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! 11 
 
 you and I may judge, dear reader, Chinese women are 
 beautiful in some folk's eyes, and their charms are 
 as attractive to friend Chinaman as are those of the 
 bonny lassies who win the hearts of the poor deluded 
 youth of our own country. 
 
 Lingsam had inherited her mother's beauty. " How 
 awfully frightful ! " a young English lady would have 
 exclaimed on seeing her and beholding her flat nose, 
 her almond-shaped eyes, her high forehead, and stiffly 
 painted cheeks. She had also inherited her father's 
 brain-power, and he was reckoned a " cute old chap " 
 by the American agents. She had learned to read 
 and write fairly well — a not universal accomplishment 
 among her class in China. She had withal a strong, 
 vivid imagination, which found vent in day-dreaming. 
 
 This was Lingsam's great pastime, to imagine to 
 herself what other people and what other lands were 
 like ; also to plan what wonderful things she would 
 have done had she been a boy, for she ardently shared 
 in the bitter regret her sex had caused. She would 
 wonder, too, if she should ever live to be a grand- 
 mother, or perchance even a great-grandmother — 
 that highest ambition of the women of the land of 
 the wise Confucius — and would picture how, if she 
 ever attained that great honour, the most beautiful 
 arch should be built to her memory. 
 
 But most frequently of all she would dream 
 
is FIRE! run:: run:: 
 
 waking dreams of him, the husband that was fco be, 
 hoping he would be young an J handsome, and oft- 
 times praying with all her heart that the stars might 
 
 be propitious to her. For, unlike many Chinese girls, 
 her parents had not betrothed her in infancy. 
 
 ks Lingsam's yawn concluded the door opened, and 
 
 a portly woman entered the room. 
 
 •• I am so glad yon have come," cried Lingsam. 
 
 " Why," said the other. u are yon tired : See what 
 my daughter sent me to-day as a present." she added. 
 - she held up for admiration a very bright and 
 a a his pieee of silk. 
 
 ■• It is lovely!* 1 exclaimed Lingsam. as she felt the 
 soft fold-. "How I wish Wang-fu was here to see 
 it 1 Oh. 1 do miss her so much, Ning-pu!" and the 
 girl looked up with ey< - wot with the tears which 
 the name of her beloved sister had caused to start. 
 
 " I am sure you do : but I know you have a head- 
 ache, which makes you feel extra sad and lonely this 
 evening. You had better come to bed. though it is 
 yet said the servant. 
 
 To Ning-pu that word bed meant a cure for all ills : 
 SO folding up her new possession and putting it asi 
 Bhe bent down and took Lingsam on h 
 this k:: sla\ I fashion found walking infill, 
 
 ••lily feet" being help] ss, and she 
 
 was :' largely 1 adent on her vulgarly la. _ 
 
FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! 13 
 
 footed servant for locomotion. She was as glad as 
 any child of a ride pig-a-back such as Ning-pu now 
 gave her. 
 
 Ere many minutes had elapsed Lingsam was peace- 
 fully asleep, unconscious that ere the setting sun re- 
 visited the Flowery Land she would have learned 
 many strange lessons and have undergone many 
 strange experiences. 
 
 Time sped on, and the tocsin had already sounded 
 its warning note whilst Li Francho was returning 
 home in his chair from a banquet given by a friend, 
 whereat he had partaken of many good messes, from 
 bird's-nest soup to puppy-dogs' tails, an especially 
 favourite dish of his. He was feeling (is not this 
 the result of a good dinner wherever eaten ?) parti- 
 cularly well pleased with himself and with the world 
 in general. 
 
 But his consternation was great when on arriving 
 at the street where he dwelt he heard cries of " Fire ! 
 fire ! " and saw men hurrying by him in all the ex- 
 citement such an event as a conflagration ever arouses 
 in the human mind. But soon his dismay was in- 
 finitely increased, for on drawing nearer he discovered 
 that it was his own house which was being rapidly 
 reduced to a burning mass of flame. The red tongues 
 of fire shot high up into the sky, and great volumes 
 of smoke rolled out of the tiny windows. The portal 
 
14 FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! 
 
 had been long before broken in by the excited crowd, 
 and in the courtyard were gathered many " heathen 
 Chinee," as Bret Harte would have designated them, 
 gesticulating wildly as they made frantic efforts to 
 subdue the flames. There was ample cause for terror 
 and alarm, for, as they knew only too well, when a fire 
 breaks out in such a city as Sin-tau, ofttimes a 
 quarter or even half the town is destroyed. 
 
 High above his Chinese companions towered a tall 
 young Englishman, whose athletic form showed to 
 advantage as he directed the emptying of pails of 
 water on a dangerous spot by pantomimic actions 
 worthy of a Jack-tar. He looked as though he en- 
 joyed the " lark," as he expressed it ; for Tom Towers 
 was a thorough sailor, and made a plentiful use of 
 that much -abused but most expressive language 
 "slang." He talked incessantly — for Tom's tongue 
 was never quiet — to a fellow-countryman, an earnest- 
 looking young doctor, who only sometimes heard his 
 remarks ; for he was very busy in endeavouring to 
 calm and quiet matters, realizing that there was very 
 little chance of saving the house unless the motley 
 crowd around were reduced to some sort of order and 
 obedience. 
 
 "I say," remarked Tom, "was not it odd I should 
 have a chance of such a jolly piece of work as this 
 my last night on shore ? I love fires." 
 
FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! 15 
 
 " I expect Mr. Li does not," replied Maurice Graham 
 quietly, catching the last three words. 
 
 " Well, you must allow it is a grand sight, and no 
 mistake. — Here, you fools, bring the water here — 
 here, I say," Tom continued, addressing some China- 
 men who stood near, uncertain which way to go. 
 Their perplexity was by no means lessened by Tom's 
 shouts as he, as if convinced that the more noise he 
 made the better he would be understood, raised his 
 voice in crescendo accents, until he ended by simply 
 yelling at them. 
 
 " Be quiet, do," said Maurice, and he turned and 
 bade the men come to their assistance, in excellent 
 Chinese. 
 
 " Beastly language," answered Tom as the men 
 came up. " Nothing celestial about it, whatever 
 the people may be. Eva and I," he continued, " have 
 met with a series of adventures — I must tell you 
 about them another time — which accounts for our 
 being out so late. We only got through the gates 
 just before they were closed." 
 
 " Eva is never here ! " cried Maurice, thoroughly 
 startled. 
 
 " I have found her a nice little nook behind there," 
 said Tom, pointing with his hand, " where she is as 
 snug as possible ; and then I came gaily to the 
 rescue" 
 
16 FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! 
 
 " Really, Tom, you are too careless," said Maurice 
 Graham, much annoyed. 
 
 " Now don't fume, old man," replied Tom. " It 
 really has not been all my fault ; and Evelyn is able 
 to take jolly good care of herself. Besides, it is not 
 really late yet, save according to Chinese ideas." After 
 a few minutes' pause he added, " Have you ever read 
 Elia's essay on ' Roast Pork ' ? " 
 
 " Tom, you are incorrigible," said Maurice, smiling 
 in spite of his vexation. The question recalled to his 
 mind the vision of a large, comfortably furnished 
 library, and he saw himself seated once again in that 
 best-loved arm-chair beside a roaring fire, revelling in 
 Charles Lamb's perfect description of how roast pork was 
 first discovered. "Little did I think then — " he mused. 
 
 " I think I smell crackling," continued Tom calmly. 
 " Hullo ! what's up ? " he suddenly cried. 
 
 Tom's exclamation roused Maurice from his reverie, 
 to perceive that a great excitement was visible amongst 
 the crowd, some of whom might be seen weeping and 
 wrincnno; their hands. He started forward to find 
 out what was the matter, followed by Tom. 
 
 " It seems," he said, turning to Tom after a few 
 inquiries made of the bystanders, " that a young girl, 
 Mr. Li's daughter, is still in the burning house." 
 
 " By Jove, something must be done to save her ! " 
 exclaimed Tom. 
 
 (175) 
 
FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! 17 
 
 " Where is the room she is in ? " asked Maurice in 
 Chinese of the crowd around. 
 
 " There ! " said one of those near him, pointing to 
 a room at the farthest end of the building. It was 
 untouched as yet, though the one beside it was in 
 flames. 
 
 Even as they spoke a young Chinaman might be 
 seen making his way towards that part of the build- 
 ing. Every eye was on him, and all watched with 
 bated breath as he disappeared, apparently walking 
 straight into the flames. 
 
 " Who is he ? " The question was asked in awe- 
 struck tones. 
 
 " Hsi Ting-Chang," answered some one. 
 
 " What a plucky fellow ! " cried Tom. 
 
 " God help him ! " murmured Maurice. 
 
 " It is a pity so fine a man should risk his life for 
 only a girl," said the man who had just spoken. 
 
 " Yes : it is not as if it were Li's mother. He has 
 succeeded in saving her, though I heard say she will 
 not get over the shock," said one. 
 
 " She has been ill lately," replied another informant. 
 
 Hsi Ting-Chang, when, horrified at the idea of a 
 human being being left to perish unaided in those 
 cruel flames, he had volunteered to go to the rescue, 
 had hardly realized the extent of the danger of the 
 daring enterprise he had undertaken. Nor did he 
 
 (175) o 
 
18 FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! 
 
 fully do so until he found himself alone in the room ad- 
 joining Lingsam's, and separated from the world outside 
 by a sea of fire which was rapidly closing in upon him, 
 and which threatened to cut off all means of escape. 
 
 " Mother ! " he murmured, as the remembrance of 
 her who loved him so devotedly came over him, and 
 with it the quick thought, " What a fool I am to 
 risk my life for a foolish girl of whom I know 
 nothing ! " For when men are performing heroic deeds 
 it does not follow that their thoughts are elevated, 
 and that they are conscious of the grandeur of their 
 actions. Still Ting-Chang did not turn back, though 
 every moment was precious. The flames were 
 catching at his loose garments, and the floor of the 
 room was burning hot, as he groped his way into the 
 adjoining apartment and through the blinding smoke 
 reached the bed. There he found not the object of 
 his search, but only a tumbled quilt half tossed on to 
 the floor, which, the moment he touched it, burst into 
 flame, scorching his hand severely. In intense pain, 
 and so nearly suffocated as to be unable to make any 
 cry, he hurriedly felt with hands and feet about the 
 rest of the room ; but finding nothing human, and 
 perceiving that to return the way he had come was 
 rendered quite impossible by the flames, he passed 
 through an open door he now discovered, and found 
 himself in a narrow passage. 
 
FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! 19 
 
 The girl he sought had evidently escaped before, 
 and he had risked his life for no purpose ; but he 
 would not lose it — no, never, thought he. And forti- 
 fied by this determination, he. succeeded in reaching 
 the end of the passage and escaping from the burning 
 building. He was greeted by the shouts of the eager 
 onlookers and their cries of " Where is she ? " 
 
 " There was no one there," said Chang laconically, 
 and he hurried away from the crowd around him to 
 make, as soon as possible, his way homeward. Im- 
 mediately he was alone, and the excitement had passed 
 off, his strength, however, gave way, and being near 
 a sheltered corner of the garden at the time, he flung 
 himself down beneath a tree shaped to resemble 
 a dove. It was far from being emblematical of his 
 feelings just then. 
 
 Thus he lay, miserable, overwrought, and very 
 disgusted with himself and all the world, until, the 
 fire being nearly subdued, Tom Towers, more than 
 half-an-hour later, passed by him to rejoin his ne- 
 glected lady love. 
 
 " Hullo ! that is my plucky Chinaman," said Tom 
 to himself. " How ill he looks ! I'll offer him a drop 
 of brandy ; I guess he'll need no words to make him 
 understand — he'll twig fast enough." Suiting the 
 action to the word, he put his hand into his pocket 
 and drew therefrom a tiny flask. 
 
20 FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! 
 
 The faint and weary Chang was very grateful for 
 the Englishman's ready offer of help ; but he was 
 greatly horrified when Tom, catching sight of his poor 
 burnt hand, laid hold of him and dragged him along 
 at what seemed to him a tremendous pace, though 
 only Tom's average of five miles an hour. 
 
 Tom, meanwhile, kept up a continuous flow of 
 words, ignoring the fact that not a syllable was under- 
 stood by his startled and bewildered companion. 
 
 " That's a nasty burn, old man," said Tom. " Sorry 
 Maurice has gone home ; he would have set you right 
 in no time. Come along to Eva ; she has had any 
 amount of ambulance lessons in England, and has, I 
 know, some cotton wool in her basket." 
 
 Tom's chatter was cut short by a bright clear voice 
 exclaiming, " Is that you ? " as they turned a sharp 
 corner and came face to face with Evelyn Mathers. 
 
 She had hung her lantern on the low branches of 
 a tree hard by, and the light therefrom revealed the 
 fact that she was not alone, but that clinging to her 
 dress was a little frightened figure, which, as Tom and 
 Ting-Chang both intuitively guessed, was none other 
 than the lost Lingsam. 
 
 Chang's instinct was to turn and flee ; but quick 
 Eva Mathers had soon grasped the facts of the case, 
 and ere he had time to do so he found his hand secured, 
 and the process of dressing it had commenced. 
 
FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! 21 
 
 " How fortunate I bought that little bottle of oil 
 for uncle this afternoon ! " said Eva to Tom as she 
 applied her improvised bandages. 
 
 The soft wool felt gratefully cool to the burnt 
 flesh, and the presence of sympathizers soothed his 
 ruffled mind and changed the current of Chang's 
 thoughts. He could not but be interested in Eva 
 Mathers, for she was the first foreign lady he had 
 ever seen. He was struck with wonder at both the 
 height and the complexion of the tall fair woman 
 before him, whose slim white fingers so skilfully 
 touched his burnt ones, and whose calm blue eyes 
 looked approvingly, and without the least bit of 
 shyness, into his, as she listened with a little smile 
 on her lips to the, to him, unmitigated nonsense Tom 
 was pouring out to her in a voice particularly loud 
 and grating to Chang's ears, though Eva always 
 averred it was the j oiliest she had ever heard, and 
 exactly suited Tom. 
 
 Wonder, however, changed to delight when Eva, 
 turning to the little figure still clinging to her, called 
 on Lingsam to assist her ; and the girl obediently 
 placed timidly on his arm her tiny hand, and in so 
 doing unconsciously threw back partly the long wrap 
 that until now had almost enveloped her, and stood 
 revealed in all her charm. 
 
 Tastes differ. Tom Towers thought to himself, 
 
22 FIRE ! FIRE! FIRE! 
 
 " How ugly all the Chinese are ! " and turned to gaze 
 again on the fair face of his betrothed; but Chang 
 was enchanted by the vision of Lingsam, as she stood 
 before him, and the touch of her little hand sent 
 a delicious thrill through all his veins. His rapture 
 increased when Eva, having heard from Tom a rapid 
 but graphic account of " this fellow's pluck," turned 
 to the girl and told her in Chinese the story of his 
 gallant though vain search for her. And little 
 Lingsam, lifting her beautiful almond-shaped eyes to 
 him, thanked him very shyly but prettily in a low 
 sweet voice. 
 
 Was he not, as he whispered to her, a thousand 
 times repaid by that one look ? 
 
 " How handsome, how noble he is ! " she thought, 
 but did not speak again. 
 
 Thus they stood for a few moments, he gazing at 
 her with passionate admiration as if she were a being- 
 straight from another world, a glorious revelation of 
 grace and beauty, and as though he would take, in 
 that long, long look, a mental photograph of her before 
 she should vanish from his enraptured sight, to bear 
 ever in his mind as a joy in trouble, a medicine in 
 sickness, an encouragement to deeds of valour. 
 
 And she, apparently looking nowhere save on the 
 grass at her feet, managed, however, to learn his face 
 by heart, and to imprint it effectually on her memory. 
 
FIRE! FIRE! FLUE! 23 
 
 Then something dreadful happened. 
 
 Who has not heard of the effect of bad example ? 
 If any who reads this has not, let him meditate deeply 
 on the following paragraphs and learn henceforth to be 
 doubly careful of his words and actions, being more 
 fully aware of the unconscious influence, baneful or 
 otherwise, he ever exercises on others. 
 
 Many things are contagious besides scarlet fever, 
 therefore pass not too hard a judgment on Hsi Chang. 
 
 The dressing of the poor hand was accomplished at 
 last, and Eva was therefore free. Tom, who never 
 minded making love in public, took advantage of the 
 first moment of inaction to put his arm round her 
 waist, and pressed a loving kiss on her pure white 
 forehead ; and Eva did not seem to mind, for she 
 smiled charmingly, and lifted up her rosy lips for 
 another ; and Chang could not know they were an old 
 engaged couple, who had promised years ago to marry 
 as soon as they could, and were quite used to this 
 sort of thing. 
 
 Seeing that Tom's lips had travelled down from the 
 soft forehead to that invitingly upheld mouth, and 
 trusting that they were too busy to notice him, 
 tempted Chang, acting on the uncontrollable impulse 
 of the moment, bent down and pressed a kiss, first on 
 Lingsam's little hand, which still remained on his 
 wrist, and then on her high brow. She exclaimed 
 
24 FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! 
 
 naively, " You know you must not do so. It cannot 
 be proper," and then she hid her face in Evelyn's 
 friendly gown. But, must it be confessed ? she still left 
 her shapely little hand within reach, which said little 
 hand immediately received another assault from the in- 
 vader, and she, alas ! submitted thereto tamely, instead 
 of, like a little virtuous prude, administering condign 
 punishment, as she could very well have done had 
 she used those tremendously long nails of hers. But 
 then what had he not done, or, to write more correctly, 
 what had he not desired to do for her sake that very 
 night ? 
 
 With Eva, however, it was not a case of the first 
 time of asking, and though her lips were busy so were 
 also her keen blue eyes. She was rather scandalized 
 at the position affairs had taken, so with a firm " Be 
 quiet, Tom : this will never do," she released herself, 
 and turning to Chang, remarked that they must really 
 try to find Lingsam's parents, and asked him if he 
 knew where they were. 
 
 The question, asked in Evelyn's quiet voice, brought 
 Chang quickly back to his senses, and he replied with 
 much confusion that he believed they had gone to 
 Francho's partner's house in the same street, adding 
 that he was afraid Francho had been slightly injured 
 by a falling spar. He regretted the moment after 
 that he had given this piece of gratuitous information, 
 
FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! 25 
 
 for Lingsam was instantly thrown into a fever of 
 anxiety. 
 
 " We will go to them at once, clear," said Evelyn. 
 But there was an impediment in the way, and they 
 soon discovered that owing to Lingsam's lily feet the 
 procession was likely to prove a slow as well as 
 a mournful one, especially as they had not even the 
 small protection of the usual tiny pair of dainty 
 slippers. What was to be done ? 
 
 " I could not get them on by myself, and I was in 
 such a hurry to get out of the house. I didn't want 
 to be burnt," said Lingsam in a desolate voice. 
 
 " I'll carry her," said Tom, and was just about 
 picking her up bodily, when a look and cry from 
 the horrified Lingsam proved beyond doubt that she 
 did not consider this arrangement either proper or 
 agreeable, and had no intention of having such liberties 
 taken with her small person. Chang then came once 
 more to the rescue, and she was managing with his 
 help and Evelyn's to creep painfully along — Tom 
 bringing up the rear with the lantern, and muttering 
 fierce imprecations on those fools of Chinese — when to 
 her relief, yet at the same time regret, so strangely are 
 grief and joy intermingled ofttimes in the complex na- 
 ture of man, she perceived Ning-pu coming towards her. 
 
 There was no feeling of regret, however, in Ning- 
 pu's mind at the sight of her little lady, but she was 
 
26 FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! 
 
 very horrified at perceiving her companions. Making 
 straight for Lingsam, she hoisted her on her back, 
 and without a " by your leave '"' or " with your leave," 
 simply ran off with her, unheeding her entreaties to 
 " wait a minute," and barely giving her time for a 
 parting glance and a wave of the hand ostentatiously 
 to Evelyn ere she disappeared from view. 
 
 '•'Well, that's what I call gratitude," said Tom 
 laughing. 
 
 " It was not her fault," said Evelyn ; " the old 
 woman simply ran away with her. I think the poor 
 body thought we should bewitch the crirl. I never saw 
 any one in such a state as the child was in when she 
 came upon me," she continued. " Frightened by the 
 fire, she had managed to effect her escape, only to be 
 still more frightened at finding herself alone outside. 
 I had the greatest difficulty in calming her, and could 
 not leave her for a moment. I never thought they 
 would imagine she was still in the house." 
 
 This explanation was given both in English and 
 Chinese, for Evelyn Mathers spoke the latter language 
 fairly well, having spent many years of her life in 
 China. In a very few minutes they reached the 
 street, after passing by the burning house, now but 
 a mass of ruin. The fire was still smouldering, and 
 one or two people lingered about, but most of the 
 crowd had disappeared. 
 
FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! 27 
 
 As they hurried along the narrow street, Tom's 
 lantern was of the greatest use in the darkness. 
 
 " Why cannot they light their streets with gas ? " 
 growled he, causing Evelyn to smile. — " Take care, 
 what's your name," he added, for Chang nearly slipped. 
 
 " You forget he does not understand," said Evelyn, 
 laughing merrily, to the utter astonishment of her 
 Chinese companion. 
 
 Just then Dr. Graham came in sight with lanterns 
 and a sedan-chair with its bearers. 
 
 " Maurice, you are a welcome sight!" cried Evelyn. 
 
 " Which is most welcome — Maurice, or the chair ? " 
 asked Maurice smiling. 
 
 " Both are welcome," said Evelyn, holding out both 
 hands to her cousin, to Chang's horror. Indeed, though 
 outwardly calm, Evelyn had been very nervous several 
 times that evening, and felt most grateful to think she 
 would be soon safely housed. But she would allow 
 no word of blame to fall upon her madcap lover. 
 
 Hsi Ting-Chang now bade them a grateful farewell 
 with many gesticulations, but not till Tom had again 
 offered him his " pocket companion." 
 
 " Poor fellow ! " explained Tom, seeing Maurice 
 looked surprised. " He has gone through any amount 
 of shocks during the last hour, and needs fortifying." 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 flDotber. 
 
 "lies pourqouis de la terre seront les alleluias des cieux." 
 
 From an old French writer. 
 
 " Love is indestructible : 
 Its holy flame for ever burnetii ; 
 From Heaven it came, to Heaven returneth. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 It sovveth here with toil and care, 
 But the harvest-time of love is there." 
 
 SOUTHEY. 
 
 IT was noon in Sin-tan city, and very hot was the 
 blazing sun as it shone down from a brilliant 
 sky, making the tired eyes and weary head long 
 irrepressibly for the soft clouds and misty horizon 
 which make an English spring day so deliriously 
 delightful. What does it matter if — there must 
 always be a drawback somewhere — one is obliged to 
 carry (for woe to that adventurous spirit that dares 
 trust the weather and sally forth without) a defence 
 against that shower which always comes when least 
 expected ? 
 
MOTHER. 29 
 
 Does not the Chinaman, too, flaunt aloft his 
 umbrella, and thereby bid defiance to the king of 
 day? 
 
 Very, very hot does poor Evelyn Mathers find it. 
 She has ventured out to bid farewell to Tom — her 
 Tom, who has sailed away " for many a day " that 
 morning. The junk that is bearing him to the next 
 sea-port, from whence he is to join the magnificent 
 man-of-war of which he is one of the lieutenants, is 
 still visible, though receding away, till soon it will 
 have become but a speck on the ocean. 
 
 Maurice, on whose arm Eva is leaning, tries to 
 turn her thoughts from the recent parting by talking 
 over the events of the previous day. 
 
 " Tom saw a good specimen of the heathen Chinee, 
 as he persists in calling them," said he. " Hsi Ting- 
 Chang was certainly very brave, and it was a most 
 darinof adventure ; I wonder he came out of it as well 
 as he did. Poor fellow ! it was a shame that all his 
 trouble and danger were for nought." 
 
 " To think I had the little woman safe hidden 
 away all the time ! " said Evelyn. " I wish now I had 
 insisted on going and finding her father ; but she was 
 so nervous at the bare thought of being left alone, 
 and I had promised Tom to stay where I was until he 
 came for me." 
 
 " I hope," said Maurice smiling, " you may prove 
 
30 MOTHER. 
 
 equally obedient after marriage. You will then be 
 a model wife." 
 
 " Did Tom tell you the sequel, Maurice ? " Eva 
 asked ; and on his replying in the negative, related 
 the latter part of the adventures of the evening 
 before, ending by saying half laughingly, " Is it not 
 a romantic story ? It ought to end in a marriage, like 
 a three-volume novel." 
 
 " Silly girl ! you think of nothing but romance and 
 such like folly," said Maurice in a slightly superior 
 tone. " In this Celestial Empire marriage is always 
 a matter of business, not of romance. It must have 
 been," he added thoughtfully, "however, a very strange 
 experience for a Chinaman ; and you say she is 
 pretty." 
 
 " Yes," said Evelyn hesitatingly ; for Lingsam's 
 beauty, in spite of those fawn-like eyes, was not 
 certainly her ideal. " Anyway, he admired her very 
 much. But I must not tell tales out of school." 
 
 A certain sense of honour prevented her from 
 speaking of Tom's example, and how strictly Chang 
 had followed it. It would not be fair upon him, she 
 thought, and hastened to change the subject. There- 
 fore she remarked rather inconsequently, — 
 
 " When are you going to get married, Maurice ? 
 When next you see a pretty girl ? " 
 
 " Never !" said Maurice. The word was spoken 
 
MOTHER. 31 
 
 very firmly. The tone and manner were very quiet, 
 but the question from her lips made his heart beat 
 quickly and sent a sharp stab of pain through it. 
 Maurice Graham and his cousin Evelyn had been 
 much together, especially at one time in their lives, 
 and he had learned to love her with all the intensity 
 of an ardent, passionate nature ; but while he had 
 longed and trusted, bright, quick, impetuous Tom had 
 come, and, all unwitting of a rival, had won the " fair 
 ladye " from him. And Maurice Graham had been 
 obliged to subdue every eager hope and behold with 
 aching heart his cherished day-dreams scattered to the 
 winds. But the bitter battle had been fought, and 
 he had conquered, now more than three years ago, 
 and the victor had come forth from the weary strife 
 stronger for the struggle, refined from the furnace 
 heat, and more meet, though he knew it not, to help 
 his fellow-men in the warfare ever raging between 
 the good and the evil, more able to sympathize with 
 their sufferings, more eager to pity and assist the 
 fallen and the weak. 
 
 Evelyn's innocent question had, however, started 
 the old wound, and again his swelling heart asked 
 itself the bitter question, as he thought on the good he 
 and she might have performed together amongst the 
 lost and suffering ones of this Chinese city, and of the 
 help and comfort she would have been to him in his 
 
32 MOTHER. 
 
 work, — " Why might not my desire have been granted 
 if only Tom had never met her ? " 
 
 Ah, those "whys" and "ifs" of life, those insolvable 
 problems ! Never shall they be answered till in 
 the great Hereafter we shall read the life -story 
 aright. 
 
 Maurice Graham had passed highly in his exam- 
 inations, and was considered by his fellow-students in 
 the hospital as one of their most promising men ; and 
 many there were still in England who regretted the 
 " mad folly," as they termed it, which had caused him 
 to decide to leave the chance of honours and advance- 
 ment in his own country to others, and to go forth, 
 following the example of Him who pleased not Him- 
 self, to labour as a medical missionary in China. 
 
 In the same city of Sin-tau, at the same time, in 
 a quiet room, from which the rays of the burning sun 
 were jealously excluded, and which was delightfully 
 cool in contrast to the glare without, reclined a very 
 ■finely-dressed Chinese lady. 
 
 There was a quiet, restful look on her fine, almost 
 sternly grand face that told of present happiness ; but 
 the lines of her forehead and the sunken look of 
 those gentle eyes bespoke her past life to have been 
 evidently a sad one. 
 
 Beside her sat her own dearly-loved son Hsi Ting- 
 
MOTHER. 33 
 
 Chang, and his poor burnt hand was being softly 
 caressed by her delicate fingers. 
 
 Chang's father had died when his little boy was 
 still but a babe ; but his mother, a clever, noble woman, 
 had brought him up, with the help of her husband's 
 only brother, very carefully and well. This brother 
 had had two children — a daughter, who, as is 
 customary in China, had been married at an early 
 age, and an only son. This son, Hsi Yang, Chang's 
 cousin and most intimate companion, was a very 
 talented youth, and his father was most anxious that 
 he should become a scholar; so he went to Canton 
 for the famous examinations which alone have power 
 to bestow that honoured title, and after three days' 
 incessant mental strain had been discovered dead in 
 the little cell-like apartment allotted to each student, 
 with some splendidly done papers lying before him. 
 He had fallen a victim of competitive examinations. 
 His father, then in ailing health, had sunk under the 
 terrible shock of this sad news, and had followed his 
 wife (who had died two years previously) and son 
 very soon to an untimely grave. Thus Chang had 
 become the sole protector and comfort of both his 
 revered grandmother, now an old lady, and partially 
 paralyzed, and his beloved mother, to whom he was 
 indeed all in all. 
 
 Chang had grieved bitterly for his young cousin, 
 
 (175) 3 
 
34 MOTHER. 
 
 whose society he much missed, and also for his uncle, 
 who had ever stood in the place of a father to him ; 
 and very sad and lonely did he find the old familiar 
 house without their presence. He spent much time 
 with his mother, to whom he was greatly attached, 
 and found in her his great support and help in this 
 heavy trial which had placed him, at so young an age, 
 at the head of his house. 
 
 Chang had no literary ambitions like his cousin, but 
 was a sharp, clever merchant. He had lately become 
 partner in a well-known firm, and was getting on 
 " like a house on fire," or, more emphatic still, " like 
 a steam-engine," as Tom Towers would have expressed 
 it, these being his two favourite phrases for indicating 
 that, in his humble opinion, a man was successful. 
 
 Chang was, as already stated, much attached to his 
 mother, whom he sincerely honoured ; but who can 
 adequately describe her feeling of ardent love and 
 admiration for him, her beloved son, the one brightness 
 in her life of sorrow and widowed loneliness — the 
 centre of her hopes, around whom her highest dreams 
 ever wove themselves — her only treasure, her joy, and 
 her pride ? 
 
 English mothers, with your little ones leaning on 
 your knees, over whom you weave bright fancies for 
 their future, with your young sturdy sons, of whom 
 you are so proud, just entering on life's battle, and 
 
MOTHER. 35 
 
 looking forward to that same future through roseate 
 spectacles, surely you can well sympathize with this 
 Chinese mother's love for her only child. 
 
 And you who have a mother's heart beating within 
 you, though maybe it has never been your lot to have 
 little arms clinging around your neck in fond em- 
 brace, nor tiny lips that call you by that sweetest 
 of names — by the love that you would surely have 
 bestowed on such a treasure, had it ever been yours, 
 think tenderly on this Eastern mother and her 
 son. 
 
 Ye Britons, whose greatest power for blessing is in 
 the reverence and love pertaining to your own homes ; 
 you fathers, who are ever ready to guide and help 
 your sons, even where you are obliged to blame them, 
 and who rejoice to see in them the vigour and power, 
 the longings and aspirations of your own lost youth, 
 pity and admire this widowed mother and her father- 
 less son, whom she has so carefully trained to be as 
 he is — earnest, gallant, noble, the stay and comfort of 
 those weak hearts dependent now upon him. 
 
 Chang had been giving his mother a short account 
 of his thrilling adventure of last night, and though 
 he had tried to make as light of it as possible, her 
 maternal instinct told her he had been in danger, 
 and thus he seemed doubly precious to her to-day. 
 Chang, gazing at her and seeing: the look of absorbing 
 
36 MOTHER. 
 
 love and devotion in her brilliant eyes, asked himself 
 again the question, " What would she have done had 
 anything happened to me?" and thinking on his narrow 
 escape and the tremendous fight he had had with 
 death, rejoiced with a thankful heart, not only for his 
 own sake, but because his mother had thereby been 
 spared a cruel trial. 
 
 Silence reigned in the quiet room, deep silence, 
 until at last the mother broke it by saying in trem- 
 ulous tones, " My son, you must promise me never 
 to risk your life so again. Remember you have a 
 mother who could never survive your loss. Can any 
 one's life be of such value to you as mine ? And it 
 would kill me, I am sure, if anything happened to 
 you," she went on excitedly. " Promise me, Chang, 
 my beloved, my obedient son, never again so to risk 
 your precious life ; promise, for my sake ! " 
 
 ' : Hush, mother ! be at rest," he said, striving to 
 calm her. " You can surely trust me, and I promise 
 to be very, very careful. And I tell you it was but a 
 little affair after all, hardly worth mentioning, only I 
 feared you would hear extravagant accounts." 
 
 " Of course you make light of it, but I know 
 better," said his mother, who in her heart of hearts 
 was exceedingly proud of her son's behaviour, and not 
 at all inclined to minimise the danger. " Just look at 
 your poor dear hand how burnt it is," she continued. 
 
MOTHER. 37 
 
 " Who wrapped it up like this for you V and she pointed 
 to Evelyn's bandages. 
 
 " An Englishman helped me," he answered after 
 a short hesitation. He did not wish to tell his 
 mother about Evelyn, or to mention his interview 
 with little Lingsam, which he feared might displease 
 her, as she could hardly realize the exceptional cir- 
 cumstances of the case. How lovely the girl had 
 looked, how sweet she had been ! And he lost him- 
 self in dreams of her. 
 
 It was fortunate for him that the mother-of-pearl 
 which in wealthy homes in China does duty for glass 
 is not noted for the amount of light that it admits, 
 else surely his confusion would have revealed itself. 
 As it was, his mother now put down his hesitation 
 to his knowledge of her dislike of foreigners, and 
 remained therefore still in blissful ignorance that, 
 whether for good or whether for evil, another image 
 had usurped the place she had hitherto held in her 
 son's heart. 
 
 " Were there many foreigners there ? " These were 
 the first words that aroused Chang from his short 
 dream of love. " Why do you not answer me ? " 
 
 " You mean last night," he replied, giving himself 
 mentally a slight shake. " Only two — Mr. Graham 
 and another young fellow with red hair, very ugly, 
 but who worked very hard at putting out the fire. 
 
38 MOTHER. 
 
 It was he who gave me a helping hand ; also a drink 
 of something out of a bottle — medicine, I suppose." 
 
 " I hope it will not hurt you," said his mother 
 anxiously. "I should be very sorry for you to 
 become intimate with those horrid foreigners," she 
 continued. 
 
 " Why, mother, I could not speak to him. He did 
 not know a word of our language, stupid fellow. Mr. 
 Graham did the translating for him." Chang did not 
 think it necessary to name another fair interpreter. 
 
 After a few minutes' more fitful conversation, 
 Chang said he was going out to inquire after Francho, 
 and disappeared. 
 
 Hsi Nancho watched her son as he left the room, 
 and then, after breathing forth one long sigh, became 
 lost in thought. 
 
 Love, thou art the great interpreter of hearts ! 
 Thou readest not by words alone, but by the power 
 of intense sympathy canst tell every sign, dost note 
 the meaning of every look. Thou claimest in thy 
 perfection on earth (though that perfection is but like 
 unto the moonlight, only the, at best, feeble reflection 
 of the glorious sun, or like the tiny pool that in its 
 greatest fulness is as a drop in the far-reaching 
 swelling ocean) the privilege of suffering with the 
 loved one's grief, though the cause be all unknown ; of 
 rejoicing in that beloved's joy, though it bring not joy 
 
MOTHER. 39 
 
 to thy own heart ; of losing sight of self in absorbing 
 concentration to the object of devotion. 
 
 This is the rarest, greatest, and ofttimes saddest 
 possession of mortal man, the holiest and noblest 
 emotion of the heart, the most precious gift of Him 
 whose name is Love. 
 
 Few, however, love thus. With most, alas ! this 
 most hallowed feeling is desecrated by that many- 
 headed monster Self, and the very love men pride 
 themselves on becomes after all but a form of self- 
 worship, and the great question in the poor vain heart 
 is not, " What is really best for the being I love ? " but, 
 " What can bring that beloved one nearer to me ? How 
 can I best keep what I have won ? " Seldom, indeed, 
 even in true, faithful hearts does the great big 1 
 become completely subdued ; seldom does jealousy, 
 that frightful jealousy, the bane of love, the shadow 
 of the sunlight, fail to find a loophole through which 
 to enter the citadel of the mind, there to sow the 
 bitter seed of discord. 
 
 " Jealousy is cruel as the grave," wrote the wise king 
 of old, and those who have paused to ponder the ways 
 of men, and consider cause and effect, have pronounced 
 this sad judgment, that more crime and more misery 
 are traceable to this fungus of earth, this canker of 
 heaven's fairest flower, than to any other source. 
 
 Is it not selfishness, that evil genius of man, which 
 
40 MOTHER. 
 
 makes it possible to write of few, indeed, the words 
 now penned about Chang's mother — She loved her 
 son better than herself ? 
 
 Though she rejoiced greatly in her darling's heroism, 
 though her mother's heart swelled with pride as she 
 thought upon his gallant conduct, her sympathetic 
 love told her something had happened — that her son 
 was altered. " Still he is good and loving to me," she 
 thought. " He would tell me if any news had to be 
 told." She trusted him because she loved him. 
 
 What had given her the clue ? 
 
 " Strange of him," she said half aloud, " never to 
 turn round to give me a last look as usual. I never 
 knew him not to do so before. What could he have 
 been thinking of ? Something pleasant, for he is in 
 good spirits. Still something makes me wish more 
 than ever that he had been at home last niffht." 
 
 o 
 
 The entrance of the servant disturbed her. 
 
 " Your mother desires your attendance in her room," 
 said the woman. 
 
 " I come at once," she answered, and mounted on 
 the servant's back, proving a heavy burden, for she 
 was decidedly corpulent ; but the " human pony " was 
 accustomed to her load. For the next few hours 
 Nancho was very busy, so had but little time for 
 thought before Chang reappeared, to find his meal 
 ready and waiting. 
 
MOTHER. 41 
 
 Later on, when Chang's grandmother, a very old 
 lady, had retired to rest, having first laid her yellow 
 bony hand on his head as he prostrated himself before 
 her with deferential reverence, mother and son found 
 themselves alone together again. 
 
 Chang had no desire to return to his now lonely 
 part of the house, in which the remembrance of his 
 uncle and favourite young cousin ever returned sadly 
 to him, and especially nol now at present, for he was 
 feeling "down," his visit not having been at all a 
 success, and also he was suffering from the reaction 
 of yesterday. Francho had been too ill to see him, 
 having been more hurt than was first supposed, and 
 he had been obliged to come away without hearing 
 aught of the sweet girl whose image filled his mind. 
 He thought regretfully of Tom and Evelyn. 
 
 " I suppose they are happy together. How I envy 
 them ! " he sighed, as in imagination he pictured them 
 once more as he had beheld them yesterday, her sweet 
 face uplifted to his with that calm look of quiet con- 
 tentment on it, and he with his sturdy arm encircling 
 her little waist, while he chatted and laughed, showing 
 his white teeth. 
 
 And, as usual, that great " bungler " Imagination 
 pictured it all wrong. Tom was keeping lonely 
 watch, and gazing soberly into the dark sea, inclined 
 to assert, if any one had been by to whom to assert 
 
42 MOTHER. 
 
 it, that the world was very flat in his opinion just 
 then, though such assertion would have been in di- 
 rect contradiction to all the geographical lessons of 
 his childhood, when he used to be told that it was as 
 round as an orange. And Eva Mathers knelt in the 
 plain little chapel on the hill, her blue eyes full of 
 tears as she joined in the prayer offered for those at 
 sea, and in a voice low with emotion breathed forth 
 an " Amen " to the petition that " they might be 
 brought unto their desired haven." 
 
 " Chang," said his mother, " tell me what makes 
 you so very silent." 
 
 " Am I silent, mother ? " he answered. " I was 
 thinking." 
 
 " What about ? " Then seeing him hesitate — " You 
 had rather not tell me. I see something is on your 
 mind ; but as you will, my son, only, believe me, there 
 is no place where a son. can better dispose of a secret 
 than in his mother's heart." 
 
 Then after a moment's pause she continued, — 
 
 " You did not eat your dinner, although I so care- 
 fully chose your favourite dishes. Are you ill or 
 unhappy ? " 
 
 " I fear to vex you, mother," he answered. " But 
 who can withstand your loving invitation ? I must 
 tell you." 
 
 So out came his story in a low, agitated voice, 
 
MOTHER. 43 
 
 and the poor burnt hand she was holding quivered, 
 she felt, with emotion ; but she only held it closer 
 still. 
 
 Now Nancho, though she had noticed the untouched 
 meal, had never guessed at such a romantic cause ; for 
 she was not an English mother of a large family of 
 sons. And to say she was not scandalized and horrified 
 would not be true ; indeed, neither of these words, 
 not even the latter, explains her sensations sufficiently 
 graphically. She was completely overwhelmed. It is 
 always hard on a mother to find herself supplanted — 
 to have to be number two where once she was first ; 
 to know that though the love to her may be and often 
 is as deep and true as ever, it can never be the same 
 as before, for other joys, other interests, other thoughts 
 have come between her and her child. Most English 
 mothers, though, are in some ways prepared for and 
 expecting " their boys," as they still call them, to fall 
 in love ; whereas Nancho had never dreamt of such a 
 thing. Of course Chang, she knew, would marry some 
 day, — but for their mourning, she would have set 
 about getting him a wife before. She looked forward 
 to having little ones, his children, playing around her 
 knee, and growing up to comfort and support her in 
 her old age. But this was very different, and she did 
 not understand it. 
 
 For to fall in love — -words common enough in 
 
44 MOTHER. 
 
 England, often misused and abused — is an unusual 
 thing in China, the manners and customs of the 
 people preventing it from being anything but an 
 exception to the rule. 
 
 " Most improper," thought Nancho ; " fearful ! My 
 son alone with two foreigners, who do not really 
 count, and a pretty girl ; and she must be pretty, or 
 Chang would not rave so." 
 
 He was just then dilating on her most abundant 
 hair, lustrous, fawn-like eyes, coral lips, tiny feet, and 
 exquisite voice. 
 
 " How could she let you do it ? " were the first 
 words she uttered in a low voice, making Chang 
 rampant. He had just illustrated what a kiss was 
 on her forehead, causing thereby the deep colour to 
 mantle under her painted cheeks. 
 
 " It was all my fault," he cried. "And really I could 
 not help it, she was so pretty ; and there was that 
 other fellow a-loving the lady, and putting his arm 
 round her waist even." Chang hoped that by pointing 
 out Tom's awful misdeeds his own might appear a 
 shade less black. 
 
 " Those wretched foreigners ! I hate them. I never 
 thought my son would follow their example, and such 
 an example also !" Her tone was severe ; but the 
 culprit felt his hand was still safe in her tender grasp, 
 and he grew more hopeful. 
 
MOTHER. 45 
 
 " Did not the young lady nearly kill you for your 
 presumption ? " said she. 
 
 "She is very young, mother; and" — here Chang 
 (as he was usually called) looked Nancho full in the 
 face — " would you not have rather liked it if you 
 had been in her place ? Would you have killed 
 me ? 
 
 This was carrying the war into the enemy's 
 country with a vengeance, but the daring assault 
 proved successful. Nancho looked at her adored son, 
 in whom she could see no fault, and smiled. She 
 could not help ifc ; and Chang was enchanted, feeling 
 he had won the victory. 
 
 " She might have kept her veil on at least," said 
 Nancho, determined not to yield herself prisoner at 
 once. 
 
 " It fell off accidentally. It did indeed, mother," 
 answered Chang with eagerness. " I am sure she is 
 as good as she is beautiful." 
 
 " A most improper situation," remarked Nancho. 
 
 " She could not help it, mother. It was all the 
 fault of the fire. She was frightened, of course." 
 
 " How I wish it had never broken out ! Our 
 Feng-shui* must have been offended, or my dear 
 son would not have been there surely. Our house 
 
 * The name for the family spirits, much dreaded in China. If trouble 
 comes, it is always thought that the Feng-shui are offended. 
 
46 MOTHER. 
 
 seems doomed to be unfortunate," sighed poor Nancho 
 to herself. 
 
 " It was all those wretched foreigners," she ex- 
 claimed. " They put the idea into your head." 
 
 " Do you mean the kiss ? It was very naughty, I 
 allow, but very nice." Or rather Chang used the 
 equivalent in Chinese to that most convenient, em- 
 phatic, but most incongruously used little word in the 
 English language. 
 
 " I am very glad I have told you all," said Chang. 
 " I am sure I could have no better confidant than 
 you." 
 
 These words rewarded Nancho for having so reso- 
 lutely suppressed those jealous pangs which had arisen 
 in her heart. 
 
 " You will love her as your own daughter, will you 
 not ? " Chang continued. 
 
 " If she makes you happy, I shall be content," said 
 poor Nancho with truth, though the future looked 
 very black to her just then. " So you wish to marry 
 her ? " 
 
 " I must ! I will ! " exclaimed Chang. " And you 
 will help me ?" he added coaxingly. 
 
 " Yes, if you will be patient and leave it all to me. 
 I foresee, though, many difficulties. Suppose your 
 horoscopes do not agree." 
 
 Chang looked heart-broken. 
 
MOTHER. 47 
 
 " Mind," continued his mother, " this story must 
 not transpire, for her sake if not for your own," — 
 which last little speech showed her woman's wit, 
 also her woman's dread of the Chinese Mrs. Grundy, 
 the most formidable of all old ladies in the Celestial 
 Empire, and as important an individual there as she 
 is in enlightened England of the nineteenth century. 
 
 The ice once broken, Chang talked on and on, 
 raving as only lovers can rave about her he adored, 
 and horrifying thereby his gentle mother, unused 
 to les affaires des coeurs, until at last he betook him- 
 self to bed to dream of his lady love. 
 
 And then poor Nancho found relief in the shedding 
 of those tears she had so bravely restrained while 
 she had sympathized with, cheered, and comforted 
 her son. 
 
 " Why, oh why should this strange adventure have 
 happened to her son ? What had she done that the 
 fates should be so hard on her ? " she sobbed. 
 
 But no answer came as yet to Maurice Graham's 
 or to her question, Why ? 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 Da^D reams, 
 
 " But there's nothing half so sweet in life 
 As Love's young dream. " 
 
 Moore. 
 
 IT was some clays before Francho was able to be 
 moved into the new house hurriedly taken for 
 him and his family, and very many weeks elapsed 
 before he was sufficiently recovered to return to his 
 business. But the desired event came to pass at 
 last, and now life was following the same current as 
 before the fire ; and so trifling is the mark left often 
 by the most exciting events on the minds of men, 
 that by the anniversary most of the household had 
 forgotten the very fact. 
 
 Li Francho had been so ill for some time after the 
 events related in the first chapter, that his wife had 
 seldom left his side ; and satisfied at her daughter's 
 safe return, had never questioned her at all, and thus 
 Lingsam had been able without difficulty to keep her 
 secret, especially as owing to Li's injuries he had not 
 
DAY-DREAMS. 49 
 
 been present at the time of Chang's gallant though 
 useless attempt to save little Lingsam, and therefore 
 knew nothing about it. 
 
 She was sitting on a stiff, high-backed chair by 
 the window on the anniversary of that fateful even- 
 ing, watching the setting sun as it dipped below the 
 horizon. 
 
 The house they now occupied did not please Francho 
 at all, the wall that surrounded it being to his ideas 
 of propriety far too low, especially on one side ; but 
 his landlord absolutely refused to have it raised, lest 
 thereby the spirit of his father might be turned 
 against him, and therefore Francho had determined 
 to leave it as soon as he could conveniently do so. 
 Also, the apartments of the women, being to the side 
 of the house, were not secluded enough to suit his 
 Chinese ideas of propriety. 
 
 Thus it was that the room Lingsam now occupied, 
 the house being built on a hill, had (a most unusual 
 thing for China) a fair view, not indeed of the sur- 
 rounding streets, but of the level land beyond the city 
 gates, through which the river meandered slowly, and 
 of the distant sea ; while straight in front might be 
 seen the top stories of a tall gilded pagoda, beside 
 which stood, like guardian angels, two tall trees. 
 
 Lingsam was in appearance nothing altered, save 
 that she had grown a little more womanly. Her 
 
 (17:') 4 
 
50 DAY-DREAMS. 
 
 tiny hand supported her still tinier foot, of which she 
 was so foolishly proud ; but she was hardly conscious 
 of her attitude, for this is not an unusual fashion with 
 Chinese ladies. She had managed to slip out the 
 mother-of-pearl panes from the window. Had her 
 mother known, she would have got well scolded, if 
 not punished, for such audaciousness ; but Chinese 
 girls, as well as English, are naturally curious. 
 
 There was a bright smile on her coral lips ; but 
 her eyes had a far-away, dreamy expression, for Ling- 
 sam's thoughts were wool-gathering. She was busy 
 with a " Chateau d'Espagne," one of those fairy fabrics 
 so rapidly and easily erected, but unstable as that 
 air after which they are sometimes called. 
 
 The view before her, the sight of that wide ocean, 
 now seemingly a flood of golden light, had made her 
 think of other lands divided from China by that far- 
 reaching sea, and she wondered if the girls of those 
 countries were like her at all in their thoughts and 
 feelings. Then the remembrance of Eva Mathers — 
 tall, fair, simple — came into her mind. She was the 
 only foreign lady she had ever seen. " If only they 
 are all like her," she thought, " I think they must be 
 very nice. She was so kind and gentle. But I did 
 not like that horrid, red-haired man who was with her." 
 (Tom's hair was sandy coloured in reality.) " He was 
 so ugly, and laughed so much, and made my head 
 
DA Y-DREAMS. 51 
 
 ache — talk, talk, talk ; but I suppose that she was 
 his wife, and so obliged to put up with him." For 
 this is how Lingsam in her mind had settled matters. 
 
 But the smile which lingered on the lips of little 
 Lingsam was not caused by the remembrance of sweet 
 Evelyn Mathers, however, but by the train of thought 
 engendered therefrom, for her mind was full of him 
 who had spoken to her, and whose lips had pressed 
 her forehead that eventful, strange, awful, yet happy 
 night, since when twelve full moons had passed away ; 
 of him who had tried to save her at his own per- 
 sonal peril, and with whom, when she had been borne 
 away so impetuously, she had left her most priceless 
 possession, her heart's love, as he faded away into the 
 darkness of night. 
 
 Never had she seen or heard of him again, but her 
 thoughts were often busy about him, her hero ; and 
 fancy wove sweet dreams of him, of his beauty and 
 greatness, and she would live again those happy mo- 
 ments, and almost feel the touch of his lips on her 
 hand, and would embrace those tiny fingers he had 
 handled, thinking how thereby they had been conse- 
 crated. The remembrance of how tenderly he had 
 helped her faltering steps, and how admiringly he 
 had looked at her, would send a thrill of delight 
 through her foolish little frame. 
 
 But blame her not too severely. Are not all 
 
52 DAY-DREAMS. 
 
 women born with the fatal propensity of falling in 
 love (that is, if we may believe the poets and his- 
 torians) — of being drawn, ofttimes unaccountably, to- 
 wards another kindred spirit ? And little Lingsam 
 was not the first, nor will she be the last, of her sex 
 to be conquered and captivated at first sight ; for 
 since those days, now long ago, when Queen Dido 
 found and lost her recreant swain, many a noble 
 woman has yielded herself to one of whom she knows 
 nothing. 
 
 Remember, too, Lingsam, though she had never 
 beheld her love again, had seen or heard none else. 
 He with the " bright blue eye " had never appeared 
 to change the current of her thoughts, and to cause 
 those dark-brown orbs, which used to be considered 
 so very interesting, to fade away out of remem- 
 brance ; nor had another voice come to whisper the 
 same sweet story in her ear ; nor was there with her 
 a busy present claiming bewildering and concentrated 
 attention, thus thrusting out the memory of the past. 
 So ever since her eyes had looked into his, when they 
 had met and parted in the night, his image had held 
 royal sway in her heart ; and the flower of love 
 bloomed there brightly, all the more so because none 
 knew her secret, and the story of her love was a 
 sacred possession, belonging to herself alone. Only 
 Lingsam used to think sometimes that Ning-pu had 
 
DAY-DREAMS. 53 
 
 guessed, especially since a little incident which had 
 occurred a month or two before. 
 
 Lingsam (more fortunate than Chang in this re- 
 spect) had had a treasure as dear to her as the photo 
 laid by in a carefully locked drawer, or the fair curl 
 in the simple gold locket, or the little note in his 
 handwriting, and therefore not consigned, as most cor- 
 respondence, to the hungry flames — those little keep- 
 sakes of English ladies, whereby generally hangs a tale, 
 ofttimes sad, sometimes happy in its ending. One 
 day, however — an unfortunate day for little Lingsam 
 — she was busy at her embroidery in her mother's 
 room, when Ning-pu entered and began to detail some 
 news of the town to her mistress, who was an in- 
 veterate gossip ; but much as she loved a bit of scan- 
 dal, she had no desire for her daughter to overhear 
 the conversation, so ordered her to take her work to 
 a far-off corner of the room. 
 
 Lingsam obeyed willingly enough, for she was not 
 naturally an inquisitive girl, being too much occu- 
 pied with her own thoughts and feelings to care much 
 for outside things. But she was not much in the 
 humour for work ; and so seeing she was unnoticed, 
 and judging from the sound of the voices as they rose 
 and fell that the subject of discussion was a highly 
 interesting one, and that she was not likely to be 
 remembered soon, she began to indulge herself in 
 
54 DAY-DREAMS. 
 
 that most pleasing of occupations — namely, day- 
 dreaming. Some fresh -gathered flowers near her 
 caused memory to recall the thought of Eva Mathers 
 to her mind ; and to think of Eva meant to live 
 again in fancy that evening and night which stood 
 out in high relief to the other evenings of her mono- 
 tonous life. Then Lino-sam had bethought her of 
 feasting her eyes on her treasure, and drew it out 
 from where in her robe it lay safely hidden. She 
 passed her hand lightly over it. It was not very 
 beautiful, nor very uncommon, maybe its intrinsic 
 value was but trifling, but to her it was a treasure 
 indeed, and she pressed it to her lips ; for had it not 
 belonged to him ? had he not worn it once ? She felt 
 she quite loved it. 
 
 " Lingsam, whatever have you got there, my girl ? 
 One of your father's buttons, I declare ! Give it to 
 me at once." Little, horrified Lingsam submissively, 
 but with aching heart, yielded it up, turning quite 
 white the while, only the profusion of red paint on 
 her cheeks prevented this being perceived. 
 
 " I found it," she gasped. " Oh, do let me keep it!" 
 
 " Your father's button, my dear ! whatever do you 
 want with it ? It will do again ; it is not worn out. 
 Now show T me your w T ork," and careful Mrs. Francho 
 put the button away in a little box hard by. 
 
 Poor Lingsam spent a most miserable evening ; and 
 
DAY-DREAMS. 55 
 
 when she was borne off to bed by the faithful Ning- 
 pu, she could not restrain her tears, but wept passion- 
 ately until she succeeded in crying herself to sleep. 
 It was when she thought about Ning-pu's discreet 
 silence with regard to these tears that she felt perhaps 
 Ning-pu had at least partly guessed her secret. 
 
 But this had happened earlier in the year, and to- 
 night Lingsam had naught to aid her dreams but her 
 own lively imagination. She lay wondering if she 
 should see him, her love, again, and almost wishing 
 another fire might come to pass, if only it would 
 bring on its wings her hero, when the door opened, 
 and as had happened that night year, the portly 
 person of Ning-pu presented itself to her gaze. 
 
 " Surely, Ning-pu, it is too early for bed ? " said 
 Lingsam, very happy in her dreams, and much vexed 
 at the interruption. 
 
 " Your parents desire your presence," said Ning-pu. 
 " I have come to fetch you to them." 
 
 Lingsam obeyed with alacrity, and was soon stand- 
 ing before them. 
 
 Her father and mother were seated side by side, 
 looking very important, and a sudden awful fear 
 crept into her heart, and made her remember what 
 had not hitherto struck her particularly — namely, 
 that all the household had had a rather mysterious 
 " I-know-something " air lately. 
 
56 DAY-DREAMS. 
 
 Her worst fears were soon realized, for her mother, 
 in what seemed to her daughter's highly-strung nerves 
 a very harsh, abrupt way, having preluded her state- 
 ment with, " I have some important news for you," 
 told her that her father and she had arranged her be- 
 trothal, and subsequent marriage in two months' time. 
 
 " It is a most excellent marriage for you, Lingsam," 
 she remarked ; " and we have altered all our previous 
 arrangements for your sake. Everything has been 
 done in the most satisfactory manner, and your father 
 and I are much pleased. The astrologers have been 
 consulted, and prophesy all good fortune, as in the 
 case of your elder sister ; and your father and uncle 
 have interviewed your future husband." 
 
 " Everybody has been consulted but I," thought 
 poor Lingsam ; for, wrapt up in her own thoughts, 
 the idea had never entered her mind (or if it had, 
 she, as most of us do with disagreeable thoughts, had 
 cast it aside) of this most likely, nay, certain event 
 happening — at any rate just yet, for she was still 
 younger now than her sister was when she was 
 married. Therefore the shock was proportionately 
 great and overwhelming. 
 
 She stood like a statue while her mother con- 
 tinued, — 
 
 " See, here are the bracelets. Are they not beauti- 
 ful ? " and producing a couple of handsome bangles. 
 
DAY-DREAMS. 57 
 
 prepared to fasten them on her wrists. This was too 
 much. 
 
 With a passionate cry she threw herself down on 
 the ground, hysterically screaming, — 
 
 " I won't — I can't — I shan't ! Never ! never ! I 
 don't want to be married ! " she cried. " It is horrid 
 — I hate it so ! " and she sobbed violently, her whole 
 frame shaking with the emotion she vainly strove to 
 hide, her slight figure convulsed with grief. 
 
 " My dear child ! " said her father in a tone of re- 
 monstrance. 
 
 Both parents were aghast at the manner in which 
 their news was received ; and so were her grand- 
 mother and uncle and aunts, who were all present. 
 
 " Father, oh, father, do not send me away ! " she 
 implored, clinging to his knee. 
 
 " But, my dear, you must marry," said her father. 
 " And it is a very good marriage — a most estimable 
 man." 
 
 " I do not want to marry him, father ! " said Ling- 
 sam, stamping her tiny foot. " I want to stay at home." 
 
 " You are behaving disgracefully ! " interposed her 
 mother severely. " Instead of being so naughty, you 
 ought to be grateful to your father for all the trouble 
 and care he has taken in this matter. You are, I 
 assure you, a most fortunate woman. Every one 
 speaks highly of your future husband." 
 
58 DAY-DREAMS. 
 
 " I hate him ! Don't name him ! " howled Lin^sam, 
 throwing herself down on the floor again in her 
 abandonment of grief and utter loss of self-restraint. 
 " Oh, my love, what shall I do ! " 
 
 " You should be ashamed of yourself, you wicked 
 girl ! " shrieked her mother angrily. " I have never 
 heard of such behaviour before." 
 
 " Oh, stop this ; it is awful ! " exclaimed Francho, 
 who had all a Chinaman's horror of scenes ; and then 
 he called Ning-pu in a voice which caused that 
 worthy to appear in quite a flutter. 
 
 " Take Lingsam to her room ! " demanded her mis- 
 tress in furious tones. 
 
 This was easier said than done, for by this time 
 Lingsam hardly knew what she was saying or doing, 
 and she struggled violently, declaring she wished she 
 was dead, and she would stay where she was and no 
 one should touch her ; and it was some minutes ere 
 she was triumphantly borne by the now angry Ning- 
 pu from the room, kicking and screaming, her im- 
 potent misery being in no wise decreased by over- 
 hearing her mother remark to Francho, — 
 
 " I pity her husband. She is a little spit-fire. She 
 has been spoiled since her sister left us ; " and his 
 reply, — 
 
 " He'll manage her fast enough. A fine man, who 
 looks as if he would rule." 
 
DAY-DREAMS. 59 
 
 After some more struggles she was safely put to 
 bed, and left alone sobbing and screaming until, under 
 the influence of fatigue, she began to quiet down ; only 
 a low, deep moan breaking out now and again testi- 
 fied that though the tempest was over the deep was 
 troubled still. 
 
 " My darling ! my hero ! " she thought, " I must not 
 dream of meeting you any more ; and if I did, should 
 I not be married to another horrid man ? Wretch ! 
 I know he will beat me and make me miserable, and 
 will perhaps kill me if he ever knows of that night. 
 But he need not know," and she smiled. No, her 
 secret was still her own. If only mother and father 
 had not guessed ; but perhaps they would not under- 
 stand her hasty words. " How tired I am! I ache all 
 over," she thought ; and then her weariness overcame 
 every other sensation, and she sank into a kind of 
 stupor which ended in sleep, though only of a restless, 
 unrefreshing sort. 
 
 Judge her not too hardly, kind reader, for she was 
 only an uneducated Chinese lady — not very old, not 
 very clever, not, in fact, a heroine at all in the con- 
 ventional use of the word. Her brain had never been 
 trained by problems of Euclid and conic sections ; 
 she had never heard of the philosophy of Aristotle, 
 or read of the great and good men and women of 
 the past from whom our ideal of the heroic has been 
 
60 DAY-DREAMS. 
 
 formed, and whose lives, like sweet perfume from 
 dead flowers, still emulate others to like deeds of 
 valour and self-sacrifice. 
 
 Nor had she been " finished " at a grand finishing 
 school, or by a year of foreign travel, when she might 
 have learned from that truest, best-remembered book, 
 personal experience, the facts — whether comforting or 
 otherwise who shall say? — that she was not alone in 
 her sorrow ; that her moan of pain was but one note 
 of that deep, low, minor chord of woe which is ever 
 arising from this world of crime and misery, though 
 ofttimes drowned to human ears by the ringing music 
 of earthly joy and the wild jargon of noisy merri- 
 ment. 
 
 In that very city Maurice Graham was wrestling 
 with an aching pain at his heart and an utter feeling 
 of desolation which he had been striving vainly to 
 conquer all day, and wisely seeking strength from 
 Him who is, as Maurice had often proved before, 
 " a ready help in time of trouble," and who, he knew 
 —and the knowledge was sweet indeed — loved him 
 with an everlasting love. 
 
 The night wore on, and all was still in the house 
 when Lingsam suddenly awoke. She lay thinking 
 sadly of her hard fate, and tossing restlessly to and 
 fro on her bed, almost wishing she had never seen 
 Chang, had never been initiated into the joys and. 
 
DAY-DREAMS. 61 
 
 alas ! the woes of love, until at last, after coming to 
 the conclusion that there was no one on earth half so 
 miserable as she was, she nearly determined to de- 
 stroy herself. 
 
 With that strange sequence of thought which is 
 one of the most unaccountable sides of our complex 
 nature, this thought led her on to remembering a 
 tiny knife given to her father by a foreign friend, 
 and which one day he had told her she might have 
 to keep. She now recalled how she had left it in the 
 other room, when she had been summoned before her 
 parents, instead of replacing it in its case. In the 
 restless fit now upon her, to remain quiet seemed 
 impossible, so she rose and dragged herself slowly 
 across the room in quest of her favourite possession. 
 Entering the other apartment, which was close by, 
 as quietly as possible for fear of disturbing any one — 
 for it was the middle of the night — she found all 
 was exactly as she had left it, and made her way as 
 quickly as possible (it was quite a long way for her) 
 to the couch whereon she had been lying that afternoon 
 dreaming of him. "How different it all is now!" she 
 thought wearily. " Oh the misery of life!" And then 
 she saw that the mother-of-pearl panes she had re- 
 moved had not been replaced, and turned to look out 
 at the view. " How lovely ! " she thought. 
 
 In the foreground was the garden wall, very black 
 
62 DAY-DREAMS. 
 
 and sombre, the darkness intensified by the long- 
 shadows thrown by the trees which, as it were, kept 
 guard over the pagoda, and from the pagoda itself. 
 
 From this said pagoda hung many little lights, 
 gleaming like myriad fire-flies. Beyond lay the dark 
 belt of swampy land ; and further off still the sea, 
 that same sea which had a few hours before reflected 
 on its surface the sunset glory light. Over it now 
 the moon had cast her silver sheen, and formed a 
 fairy pathway, calm and white. 
 
 Lingsam, as she paused and looked, felt the calm 
 peace of the moonlight — that peculiar calmness which 
 those soft beams, so pure, so still, so removed from 
 the jar and turmoil of the day, ever breathe into the 
 hearts of those who stay to listen to their message — 
 steal softly over her ; and she quietly determined, as 
 she gazed on that peaceful scene, and thought on the 
 grace of patience, to resign herself obediently to her 
 lot in life, and bear bravely her new trials, because 
 she knew it would be right to submit herself dutifully 
 to her parents. 
 
 Thus, though she knew not the Book of books, she 
 learned a lesson that night from God's great book of 
 nature. " There is no speech nor language but their 
 voice is heard amongst them." 
 
 Far, far away from the great Chinese Empire, in 
 
DAY-DREAMS. 63 
 
 one of the eastern counties of England, lies nestling 
 
 beneath the frowning cliffs the little town of B , 
 
 with its one long straggling street, which leads right 
 past the glorious old church, a fine strictly Norman 
 building, on to the pebbly beach, where the blue sea 
 plays at bo-peep with the bright little pools covered 
 with vivid-coloured seaweed, beneath which hide the 
 shy anemone. 
 
 The fine old church was filled to overflowing this 
 summer morning by both rich and poor from miles 
 around. On both sides of the red carpet — sure sign 
 of a wedding — stood the school children, with their 
 little hands full of flowers, their faces extra clean for 
 the occasion, and bright with smiles. 
 
 The sun having succeeded in his struggle with 
 a dark bank of clouds which had made sad-minded 
 folk shake their heads solemnly earlier in the day, 
 and obtained his desire to be a witness of the cere- 
 mony, peeped gaily through the stained-glass windows, 
 and kissed the white -robed, white-veiled bride. It 
 was Eva Mathers who knelt before the altar-rail, her 
 father's hand resting on her head with a fond pres- 
 sure as his soft voice uttered in trembling tones the 
 solemn blessing ere she rose to enter upon her new 
 duties and pleasures as a loving and beloved wife. 
 
 She had scarce risen from her knees ere Tom, much 
 to the detriment of her bridal veil, placed his saucy 
 
64 DA Y-DREAMS. 
 
 arm round her slim waist and administered just such 
 a hearty kiss on her rosy lips as the one that had 
 proved so contagious to poor Chang but a year ago. 
 Then he carried her home at quick-march time to the 
 rectory, where a simple repast was laid on the dining- 
 table, and the newly-made wife performed her first 
 wifely duty by cutting her wedding-cake with much 
 dignity and decorum, until her roguish husband in- 
 formed her quizzingiy that she had a pigtail, pulling 
 the while a straggling curl which had escaped from the 
 confinement of hairpins to wander at its own sweet will. 
 
 As Evelyn recaptured the golden rebel, her thoughts, 
 being influenced by the magnetic word pigtail, flew 
 away to far-off China and her Chinese lovers, as she 
 ever called them in her own mind. 
 
 " I wish they might be as happy as Tom and I 
 are," she thought, " for they could not be happier. I 
 must ask Maurice if he knows anything about them 
 when I write to thank him for his present," and she 
 glanced at a Chinese cabinet in the corner of the 
 room. " Poor Maurice ! I wish he was here." 
 
 Poor Maurice was kneeling in his little, un-English- 
 like room in far-away China, and praying that she 
 whom he loved might be blessed with wedded hap- 
 piness. " Tom will make her a good husband," he 
 thought, striving to keep clown the rebellious pain in 
 his own heart. 
 
DAY-DREAMS. 65 
 
 But Eva, on her wedding-day, had but little time 
 for reminiscences, for she had to hurry soon to catch 
 the train which was to take them to the lovely Scottish 
 city where they had first met, there to spend those 
 happy weeks which were to elapse before Tom went 
 to sea again. 
 
 <175> 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 " She's beautiful, and therefore to be wooed ; 
 She is a woman, therefore to be won." 
 
 Shakespeare. 
 
 THE next two months fled by on the rapid wings 
 of time all too fast to please either happ} r 
 Evelyn or sad little Lingsam, to whom it seemed as if 
 the days flew away. Every one was full of business ; 
 for there were the wedding-robe to be made and sent 
 to the expectant bridegroom, and the trousseau pre- 
 sented by him to his affianced bride to be overhauled 
 and examined by all the female relatives of the house- 
 hold. 
 
 Even Lingsam, sad as she felt, would not have 
 been human had she not been pleased with this part 
 of the programme, especially as one and all combined 
 to pronounce it to be a particularly fine one ; and 
 certainly, as she could not but admit when she glanced 
 in the mirror, she did look very lovely in some of the 
 robes. If only he could see her, especially in that 
 
THE WEDDING-DAY. 67 
 
 lovely pink and silver embroidered one which suited 
 her so well. 
 
 Lingsam had been quite ill for a day or two after 
 the scene just described, the shock and over-excite- 
 ment telling on her delicate constitution ; and her 
 mother had considered it best never again to refer to 
 her daughter's, to her unenlightened understanding, 
 most remarkable reception of the news of her betrothal. 
 And Lingsam, though she had often wept in secret 
 since, had never by word or sign made again any 
 protest against her fate ; only her little face wore a 
 look of patient endurance hardly in keeping with her 
 youth, and she was very pensive and quiet. 
 
 One day, however, when her mother had been des- 
 canting on the beauty of those bracelets which Ling- 
 sam had at first so rebelliously refused, but which she 
 had since resignedly accepted, and which said bracelets 
 were the cause of much satisfaction to her relations on 
 account of their size and beautiful workmanship, of a 
 sudden a brilliant smile had illuminated her face, 
 caused by a rapid thought full of rapture which 
 darted into her mind. Could it be possible that it 
 was her love himself ? But this bright hope arose 
 but to die ; for when Lingsam began to question 
 about her future husband her mother answered 
 proudly, — 
 
 " The fame of your beauty must have got abroad, 
 
68 THE WEDDING-DAY. 
 
 for he who seeks you as his bride is one of the wealth- 
 iest and leading merchants of our city, and far beyond 
 your father in position, and therefore we did not like 
 to refuse him for you. We were rather disappointed 
 though, because, as we have no sons," and she sighed, 
 " your father and I thought of adopting some one and 
 of marrying you to him. The stars were all in favour 
 of this marriage also," she continued after a pause ; 
 "for of course the horoscopes have been carefully 
 examined. Your father says your future husband is 
 very clever, and you know you like clever people — at 
 least you have always said so." 
 
 " Yes," said Lingsam in a low tone. — " I know I 
 shall hate this horrid, clever old man," she thought. 
 
 Her mother was utterly puzzled by the blank look 
 that came over her daughter's face, for she had no 
 clue to the thoughts in her mind. 
 
 " She really is a most unaccountable child," she 
 murmured. " I wish she was more like her sister." 
 
 All things come to an end at last — the day, whether 
 looked forward to or dreaded, ever dawns in its own 
 good time. 
 
 Linofsam stood, on the eve before the wedding-morn, 
 looking with a full heart at the blue, blue sea that 
 always reminded her so of Evelyn and of that night 
 of which she now hardly ever dared to let herself 
 think. " The last time " is always a sad thought, and 
 
THE WEDDING-DAT. 69 
 
 she knew that by to-morrow her father's home would 
 be hers no longer; that she would be amongst strangers, 
 and away from all familiar objects. The thought of 
 the past was overshadowed to-night by the fear of the 
 future. The cry of her heart was, " Oh the morrow, 
 the morrow ! what misery it will bring to me ! " and 
 then the thought arose, " Why, oh why must I suffer 
 so much ? Had I not better have perished in those 
 raging flames ? " 
 
 Surely so indeed, Lingsam, were it not that as the 
 furnace heat refineth so the heart of man is purified 
 by sorrow, and above all by the bitter sorrow born 
 of love. And what man, even if he could, would hold 
 back a soul from that which cleanseth while it melts, 
 and overcoming yet maketh enduring ? for thereby 
 the dross is removed, while the perfect ore remaineth. 
 
 Thus oppressed with fear and a presentiment of 
 coming evil, little Lingsam wept bitterly on this her 
 last evening beneath her parents' roof. To-morrow 
 she knew there would be no time for weeping. 
 
 Very early next morning most of the household 
 were astir, yet it was not till seven o'clock that Ling- 
 sam was arrayed in her gorgeous robe and ready to 
 enter the magnificent sedan-chair (bright red, and 
 ornamented with beautiful tiny birds' feathers, jade 
 stone, etc.) which had been sent from the bridegroom 
 with an extra big red card the day before. Her 
 
70 THE WEDDING-DAY. 
 
 mother then performed the last duty, and threw over 
 her head the thick, heavy veil which completed the 
 costume. She was then conducted by her assistants 
 across the red carpet, that symbol of a wedding in 
 China as in England, and amid the cries of her mother, 
 which made Lingsam long to fly back and cling to 
 her and vow that she would never, never leave her, she 
 was lifted into her grand yet cumbersome conveyance, 
 where, safely concealed from view and very much in 
 the dark, she felt like a little frightened bird in a 
 brilliant cage. 
 
 It was a very grand procession, and it drew much 
 attention as it marched along. First went men carry- 
 ing lanterns with the name of the bridegroom on them ; 
 then two others bearing lanterns proclaiming the name 
 of the bride ; then the friends of the bride and groom, 
 surrounding the chair ; and then the beloved red um- 
 brella, borne triumphantly aloft. After it came the 
 musicians, with their, to English ears, excruciating 
 music (Mendelssohn's " Wedding March " was not in 
 the programme) ; and last, but not least, at any rate 
 not in their own estimation, more men with more 
 lanterns and crackers, hundreds of which were let off 
 to scare away the evil spirits, as the noise they made 
 certainly ought to have done, — that is, if evil spirits 
 dislike noise. 
 
 It wound its way through the tortuous streets, 
 
THE WEDDING-DAY. 71 
 
 thrusting aside the passengers, and impeding business 
 in a way which would, I fear, have made an average 
 Englishman swear freely ; but the Chinese are a very 
 easy-going people, and the shoves were taken in good 
 part. The bystanders had a good stare meanwhile, 
 for a wedding is a wedding all the world over, even 
 though the bride may be invisible. 
 
 Maurice Graham was making his way as quickly 
 as possible down the principal street in the city when 
 he beheld the pageant advancing towards him, and 
 knowing it would be a case of, " Get out of my way, 
 or I'll make you," sought refuge in the nearest stall, 
 from under which hospitable roof he watched as the 
 glittering display passed by. 
 
 " Poor child ! " he thought as he looked with interest 
 at the bright bridal chair, and pictured the sad little 
 inmate shut up therein. Then as soon as possible he 
 pursued his onward way, for he knew that the case 
 he was going to attend was a very urgent one. 
 
 He smiled sadly as he walked along thinking of 
 another wedding in a sweet country church at home — 
 a church connected in his mind with happy childish 
 days and those " thoughts of youth which are long, 
 long thoughts," as the poet sings, and with noble 
 resolutions nobly kept ; for only by that morning's 
 mail he had received a detailed account from his sister 
 of Evelyn's wedding, and the Chinese marriage pro- 
 
72 THE WEDDING-DAT. 
 
 cession he had just witnessed reminded him of his 
 letter. 
 
 Lingsam within her gilded prison was quaking and 
 cowering, frightened by the noise and darkness and 
 almost stifled by her thick veil. She knew by the 
 stopping of her chair when the ceremony of receiving 
 the bride took place — that is, when about half-way 
 the bridal chair was solemnly presented to the bride- 
 groom's friends. Then the bride's cards were turned 
 round, and her relations left her and returned to their 
 home. Poor child ! she felt more desolate and dreary 
 than ever as the chair moved on once more in the 
 newly-formed procession. 
 
 At last, after what seemed to her an interminable 
 time, they stopped at the door of her future abode, 
 and she, helped by her assistants, alighted, being 
 welcomed by a fine -looking young matron hired for 
 the occasion and a young boy with a mirror in his 
 hand. 
 
 Two elderly assistants instructed and helped the 
 little bride, whom they treated as if she was an au- 
 tomaton, pushing her through her part ; and indeed 
 for a great deal of the time of the ceremony she was 
 literally under their guidance, her veil being so thick 
 that she was practically blindfolded. They held a 
 sieve over her to keep away evil spirits as they guided 
 her into the entrance ; and then, preceded by a mar- 
 
THE WEDDING-DAY. 73 
 
 riecl woman, who, hired for the occasion, had welcomed 
 her at the entrance, she was led into the bridal cham- 
 ber, where the bridegroom was already waiting, stand- 
 ing facing the bed ; but on hearing them enter he 
 turned round eagerly, and the assistants exchanged 
 glances of approval as they led their "little victim" 
 up to the couch whereon " he and she " now sat down 
 solemnly side by side, silent as any piece of Dresden 
 china ; for this is the rule in China as decreed by that 
 potent monarch Custom. 
 
 Lingsam knew that it was commonly said that if 
 the husband during those few minutes manages to sit 
 on his wife's flowing dress he will be her master ; and 
 as she had determined that this should never come to 
 pass if she could help it, she managed to arrange her 
 robe so that it would be quite impossible for him to 
 do so, much to her own satisfaction and to the amuse- 
 ment of her companions. 
 
 She was very glad when another move was made, 
 even though she had new shoes on ; for sitting thus 
 in perfect silence made her desire to laugh or else to 
 scream, and then what would her husband think of 
 her ? The same strict silence was preserved as they all 
 moved slowly into another room where, upon what is 
 called the " temple table," stood two candlesticks with 
 long lighted candles in them, a vessel with incense in 
 it, some sugar in a bowl ; some dried fruit, a pair of 
 
74 THE WEDDING-DAY. 
 
 shears, chop-sticks, and money, scales, and two goblets 
 tied with red thread. Before this table the young 
 couple knelt four times, then rising reversed the order 
 and knelt again four times, this being not unlike one 
 of the fio-ures in the lancers. Then after several more 
 prostrations before some tablets in the room (Lingsam 
 was by this time rising and kneeling almost mechani- 
 cally, and without any idea of the why and wherefore), 
 they knelt lastly facing each other ; then rose, silent 
 still, and waited until the foremost assistant, filling the 
 goblets with wine, gave first one goblet to the bride- 
 groom and one to the bride, and then exchanged them. 
 Afterwards they partook of the fruits, cane, etc., all 
 of which have a symbolic meaning. Next Lingsam 
 felt her veil moved gently by the pair of chop-sticks 
 — the bridegroom's privilege ; and then, to her great 
 joy, they returned to the bridal chamber, when he 
 departed and left her alone with her assistants. 
 
 " Oh, I'm so glad he has gone ! " exclaimed Lingsam 
 as her companions took off her veil and began to dress 
 her for the feast ; "it was awful that silence. I felt 
 I must speak." 
 
 " You are such a little chatterbox," said one of 
 them. 
 
 " He did not sit on my dress though. I would not 
 let him. Is he very ugly ? " 
 
 They both smiled, and one said, " You are to be 
 
THE WEDDING-DAY. 75 
 
 much congratulated." But she only shook her head 
 and sighed. 
 
 " I know I shall not like him just because every 
 one else does," Lingsam remarked censoriously. 
 
 " Come and see for yourself then ; you are ready," 
 answered one of her companions. So with a quaking- 
 heart, for a sudden fear had seized upon her that 
 perhaps he might take a dislike to her, she was led 
 trembling into the room where the bridegroom awaited 
 her, and lifting up her dark shy eyes found herself 
 face to face with Hsi Ting-Chang ? 
 
 He gave her one quick glance, in which admiration, 
 recognition, and pleasure were intermingled ; then with 
 a gesture to her implying silence as to her previous 
 knowledge of him, he placed himself and her at the 
 bridal feast. Lingsam quite understood, and behaved 
 with the utmost decorum, conscious that, as it seemed 
 to her, scores of eyes were upon her. She waited, 
 however, so assiduously on him that one of the watch- 
 ers observed scornfully that it would be well if she 
 always continued as she had begun. But her heart 
 felt light indeed and her pulse throbbed with joy, all 
 the more intense from her previous depression. 
 
 " If you love me tell me so, but don't kick me 
 under the table," the young English lady is said to 
 have remarked to her nervous lover who showed his 
 affection in this ungallant manner ; but even she 
 
76 THE WEDDING-DAY. 
 
 would have excused Chang when, under these trying 
 circumstances, he contrived to give Lingsam a gentle 
 little touch with his foot, and have forgiven her 
 Chinese sister for not resenting the indignity. 
 
 Food was placed before her, but of course she 
 did not eat, for that would have been contrary to all 
 rule, though outraged Nature longed for some of the 
 tempting viands. Still it was bliss to her to watch 
 Chang, who, more than satisfied, having come to the 
 conclusion that his brightest dreams w T ere amply ful- 
 filled, and that his bride was fairer and more charm- 
 ing than even he had expected, was enjoying himself 
 thoroughly. 
 
 After the dinner — dinner only in name to poor 
 Lingsam — Chang rose, and as it had been decided 
 that the wedding ceremony should take only one day, 
 the two assistants who had never left Lingsam's side, 
 preceded by the same married woman afore-mentioned, 
 conducted them to a large chamber at the other side 
 of the house, there to perform the rite of parent- 
 worship. 
 
 Seated on chairs were two ladies, Nancho and her 
 mother, each with a tablet beside her representing the 
 dead husbands, and also an uncle and aunt of Chang's, 
 by his mother's side. 
 
 Before them, in turn, the young couple prostrated 
 themselves, touching the ground with their foreheads. 
 
THE WEDDING-DAY. 77 
 
 Lingsam was very awe-struck, and her new joy 
 seemed to vanish as she beheld the old lady, and 
 worse still, the fine, noble-looking but stern face of her 
 mother-in-law, to whom this day of her son's marriage 
 had proved a severe trial, for Nancho dreaded much 
 the advent of the young bride. Her heart relaxed, 
 however, as she noticed the quiet, gentle manner of 
 the girl and the tremble of the little lips, which was, 
 however, bravely suppressed. It reminded her of a 
 day, now but a reminiscence of the past, when she, 
 a lonely bride, had stood trembling before her hus- 
 band's mother, before whom these children, as she 
 called them in her mind, were now presenting them- 
 selves humbly ; and she felt moved to pity, for a 
 " fellow-feeling makes us wondrous kind." 
 
 Thus it was with no ungentle hand that she placed 
 the ornaments, her present to the bride, in the dark 
 tresses of Lingsam's stiffly arranged hair as they knelt 
 next to her ; and she was rewarded by an eager, 
 grateful look as the girl turned, obedient to the direc- 
 tions of her assistants, to prostrate herself before the 
 uncle and aunt, the former of whom looked benignly 
 approving, struck by her, to his ideas, uncommon 
 beauty ; but the aunt sniffed, for, alas ! ever since the 
 Flood women have been jealous of those better looking 
 than themselves. But the duties of the day were not 
 over yet. 
 
78 THE WEDDING-DAY. 
 
 Lingsam was conducted into a large room facing a 
 small courtyard, the curtains of which were drawn 
 back, and soon both the yard and room were filled 
 with curious guests, who freely criticised her appear- 
 ance and demeanour, talking in loud tones as if she 
 was incapable of hearing or seeing or speaking, or, 
 worse still, of feeling. 
 
 " Pretty," quoth one. 
 
 "Very forward-looking," said another, who was 
 very much annoyed that it was not her daughter who 
 stood in Lingsam's place. 
 
 " Very long nails," said a third approvingly ; " but 
 Francho's family is good, especially on his wife's side." 
 
 " She is very like her mother," added one old lady 
 who remembered when Mrs. Li stood in just such an 
 uncomfortable position, having been one of the guests 
 at her marriage. 
 
 " Ah, one knows who rules in Francho's household," 
 said another ; for people love to gossip of their neigh- 
 bours in whatever quarter of the globe they may 
 dwell. 
 
 " Francho is fearfully weak," answered some one. 
 
 " Ah, poor little one ! really she is very beautiful," 
 remarked a young married woman in a patronizing 
 tone. " I expect," she continued, " she will not have 
 a pleasant time of it with that mother-in-law of hers. 
 She always seems so stern, so uncompromising." 
 
THE WEDDING-DAY. 79 
 
 " How she adores her son ! " said the first speaker. 
 
 Lingsam felt utterly indignant, especially at the 
 words about her mother; but she had been schooled 
 before that she was not on any account to speak or 
 act as if she heard ; and the thought of Chang, and the 
 desire not to disgrace herself before his friends, made 
 her keep in by a great effort her righteous anger. 
 
 " If my mother-in-law will be hard on me, that 
 horrid woman need not have said so," she thought. 
 
 Lingsam longed passionately for the time to come 
 when she would be alone with Chang, and discover 
 if it was fate alone which had thus brought them 
 together. But for that one glance, he had acted 
 throughout as if he had not known her, and her 
 weary, overstrung mind began to tempt her with the 
 idea that perhaps she had been mistaken as to his 
 gesture ; but then she remembered that gentle kick. 
 
 Hoping against hope, she looked round about for 
 Chang, although she knew it would be most unlikely 
 for him to be present ; and so doing her eye rested on 
 Nancho as she moved about among her friends and 
 neighbours with all her calm dignity of demeanour. 
 
 " How like she is to Chang ! " she thought before 
 she grasped the fact that she on whom she was now 
 gazing was his mother. Nancho caught the look as 
 she made her way towards that end of the room, 
 dispersing thereby the gossiping crowd around, though 
 
80 THE WEDDING-DAY. 
 
 only for their places to be filled by new-comers, each 
 with their individual criticisms. 
 
 " She has very small feet," said one. 
 
 Those said little feet, crushed into new shoes that 
 morning and stood upon that long day so much more 
 than usual, were aching terribly ; in fact, so great was 
 the pain in them that the physical gradually over- 
 came the mental suffering, and the tiredness of her 
 poor little body rendered her hardly conscious after a 
 while of the remarks, favourable or unfavourable, that 
 passed around her. 
 
 The excessively rude stare, however, of a young 
 man about Chang's age, handsome but with a cruel, 
 hard expression of countenance, aroused her to a con- 
 sciousness of her surroundings, and created a passion- 
 ate desire on her part to hide her face in her hands. 
 But this might not be, she knew ; she must bear all, 
 suffer all. 
 
 " Confucius ! she is lovely. My cousin has a fine 
 catch here," thought the stranger. " A little Tartar," 
 he said aloud as she shot out of her brilliant eyes an 
 indignant glance of scorn as he drew a little nearer 
 her with a harsh laugh. She could have cried with 
 anger, only pride came to her rescue. 
 
 The room was now fast emptying, as it was getting 
 very late, but a few young fellows lingered still, 
 headed by the new-comer. 
 
THE WEDDING-DAY. 81 
 
 " I hate him," she said to herself ; " he makes me 
 shiver all over." 
 
 But at length she saw the last pigtail disappear, 
 and was almost carried by her assistants back to the 
 gorgeously decorated bridal chamber, where they left 
 her alone until Chang joined her, and in another 
 minute she felt again the well-remembered pressure of 
 his lips as he embraced her rapturously. 
 
 Had he not waited a long year for that kiss ? So 
 he did it again, remembering Tom's example ; and she 
 clung to him, happy beyond description — fatigue, 
 sorrow, pain, all forgotten as she realized the blissful 
 fact that he whom she so admired and loved re- 
 turned her affection, and that at last they were 
 together again. 
 
 " Nothing shall part us now," he said softly. 
 
 As soon as he released her from his embrace, 
 Lingsam fell at his feet and promised to be ever his 
 faithful and devoted wife. 
 
 " I thought," she whispered as he raised her, " it 
 was going to be some horrid old man, and it was you 
 after all." 
 
 " Are you glad ? " he replied. 
 
 " Glad ! why, I have thought of no one but you 
 ever since I saw you. You are my hero," which con- 
 fession, so naively given, delighted Chang. 
 
 Then after a short pause he said, — 
 
 (175) 6 
 
82 THE WEDDING-DAY, 
 
 " I am very glad you behaved so well to-day, and 
 did not show any sign of having seen me before. It 
 would never have done to have betrayed oar secret. 
 People would be horrified." 
 
 " Oh, what a long, strange, miserable yet happy 
 day it has been ! " said Lingsam. " I thought it was 
 never o-oinof to come to an end. What a dreadful 
 time those men stayed ! " 
 
 " Yes," said Chang, and thought of how he had 
 been obliged to bribe them to depart even then by a 
 handsome douceur. 
 
 "Do you not think," said Lingsam with a sigh of 
 bliss, " that we are the two happiest people in China?" 
 
 Chang heartily agreed. 
 
 " And to think," thought she, " I kicked and 
 screamed and cried because I was to be married, and 
 it was to him all the time S How little we know 
 what is best for us! I will wait and see first another 
 time." 
 
 Surely a very wise resolve ! 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 Ibome, 
 
 ■ : Tis sweet to know there is an eye will mark 
 Our coming, and look brighter when we come. " 
 
 Byron. 
 
 ■' Eyebrows shaped like leaves of willows, 
 Drooping over ' autumn billows ; ' 
 Almond-shaped, of licpiid brightness, 
 Were the eyes of Yang-kuei-fei. " 
 
 Ballad translated from Chinese. 
 
 WELL, Chang, you look as if marriage agreed 
 with yon." 
 
 The speaker was the same young fellow to whom 
 Lingsam had taken so great a dislike, and who was 
 walking by Chang's side, the two young men having 
 met at a kite-flying match given by one of the city 
 "magnates" of Sin-tau, and from which they were 
 now returning together. Both young men carried 
 caged birds in their hands, one a lark and the other 
 a canary. 
 
 They were both much the same age, but were 
 singularly unlike, for Chinamen, and in appearance 
 
84 HOME. 
 
 and also in thought and in character were exact 
 opposites. 
 
 Two or three years before this time Ma-i Lao had 
 left his own city and gone to reside in Canton, and he 
 had but lately returned to Sin-tau, not, at least so 
 said his neighbours, particularly improved by his 
 wider knowledge of life and his experiences in that 
 capital, which is noted for its corrupting influence 
 upon the youth of China. 
 
 Chang quite concurred in the general opinion as 
 regarded his cousin ; but his relationship with the 
 family, and the fact that as boys they had been very 
 close companions, would have made it impossible for 
 him to have dropped the old intimacy entirely, even 
 had he wished to do so. This was not the case either, 
 for though he instinctively felt that Lao's society was 
 lowering in its influence, and his finer mind was often 
 jarred by his cousin's flippant and coarse conversation, 
 still he found him clever and amusing, and was 
 attracted by his superior knowledge of the world and 
 by his gay, racy stories, often gross exaggerations, of 
 life in the southern capital. 
 
 " I am veiy happy," said Chang in reply to Lao's 
 remark, and received for answer in a cynical tone, — 
 
 " She is awfully lovely, but a little fury, I should 
 imagine. However, I daresay you will be able to keep 
 her in order." 
 
BOMB, 85 
 
 Chang flushed up, for this speech did not please 
 him. 
 
 Just then they came to a jeweller's bazaar, or rather 
 stall, whereon might be seen arranged many a lovely 
 piece of jade stone and beauteous inlaid ornaments, 
 and those dazzling jewels which go to make such a 
 shop so interesting and fascinating in an Oriental 
 town. Therein sat the jeweller hard at work. 
 
 Chang paused and invested in some handsome 
 articles. 
 
 " Not for yourself then," said Lao as he noted his 
 cousin's choice. 
 
 " No," answered Chang mechanically as he counted 
 out " cash " after " cash." 
 
 When they had proceeded on their way, Lao could 
 not keep his opinion to himself any longer. 
 
 " You must have more money than brains," he said, 
 " to buy such costly presents for your new toy. Take 
 my advice, and don't spoil her, or you will find your 
 hands pretty full, I can assure you." 
 
 " From whence is your knowledge of married life 
 derived, seeing you are not wed ? " said Chang, trying 
 to speak chaffingly, but feeling much ruffled and re- 
 senting; his cousin's interference. " You must follow 
 my august example," he added after a moment's rather 
 awkward silence. Lao saw he was annoyed. 
 
 " I will then, if you undertake to procure me a 
 
86 HOME. 
 
 bride as beautiful as yours," he answered with ready 
 tact, seeing the bent of Chang's mind, and wishing to 
 conciliate him, for he was most anxious to keep on 
 good terms with his respected and influential cousin. 
 
 He succeeded, for Chang's face flushed with pleas- 
 ure at this little speech, and he willingly agreed when 
 a little later Lao proposed that they should get a cup 
 of tea together at one of the large tea-houses so abun- 
 dant in the city. 
 
 The waiters came forward servilely to wait on 
 their honoured customers, and soon the light-coloured 
 beverage was placed steaming before them in tiny 
 cups (no milk or sugar), and they sipped it with 
 evident enjoyment as they chatted together, discuss- 
 ing the world in general and Chinese politics in par- 
 ticular. 
 
 " I must say I approve of the position taken by 
 our Government with regard to foreigners ; also of 
 their wisdom in having so much gunpowder sent over 
 from England. When next we go to war we shall be 
 able to meet those white-faced fellows on their own 
 ground. Also trade with them means money to us; 
 and I think the country ought to be opened up to 
 them more and more," said Lao. 
 
 " We must be careful," said Chang. 
 " Nonsense ! why, this sleepy old city might make 
 its fortune if only a breakwater was built out yonder. 
 
HOME. 87 
 
 so as to make a secure harbour, instead of, as now, 
 everything being obliged to be sent out in the junks 
 and be again transferred into the ships. We could 
 export and import direct then. It would not cost 
 much money," said Lao, eagerly pouring out his 
 borrowed, not original, ideas, all very new to Chang. 
 " And then," he continued, " I believe that in some 
 parts of England you can almost pick up the coal, 
 and it costs a mere song. Freight is never expensive, 
 especially if there is no transfer of cargo, and here it 
 could be sold for its weight in gold." 
 
 " Not for quite so much as that," said Chang sotto 
 voce. 
 
 " Better still, I believe there is plent}^ of coal all 
 round Tawtoi-way, if only any one was enterprising 
 enough to commence mining operations there. If 
 only I had capital like you have, I would have been 
 a made man." 
 
 " You had capital too, you know, once," said Chang 
 quietly. 
 
 Lao winced, and did not love his cousin any the 
 better for that quiet reminder, for there are some 
 things one would rather forget. 
 
 Lao's father had been killed during the rebellion 
 against the emperor by the Taptists, and his mother, 
 Nancho's sister-in-law, had died at his birth. He had 
 been brought up by his grandfather in a very strict 
 
88 HOME. 
 
 way, until at a good old age he too had paid the debt 
 of nature some few years ago, leaving most of his 
 money to Lao, who had wasted it in " riotous living" 
 and in wild speculations in Canton. Indeed it was 
 only want of capital that had brought him back to 
 his native city, and caused him to consent to settle 
 down for a while to the irksome duties of his uncle's 
 office. Chang instead had, on reaching man's estate, 
 invested most of his father's money in a partnership 
 with a very influential merchant, who had died lately 
 and had left him the sole possessor of a very pros- 
 perous business, which was rapidly developing under 
 his careful management into one of the largest in the 
 city. 
 
 " I do not understand," continued Chang, " what 
 you mean by a breakwater in the sea;" and then look- 
 ing out at the ocean and seeing the long line of surf 
 caused by the heavy waves, he added, " Nature never 
 meant Sin-tau for a sea-port town. No ship could 
 ever ride at anchor here. It is much too rough." 
 
 " Let art do what nature has left undone," replied 
 Lao promptly, "and throw out a stone wall into the 
 sea." 
 
 " Build into the sea ! You must be wild to think 
 of such an idea." 
 
 " But it could be done easily," said the other, angry 
 at his cousin's incredulity ; " it would not be nearly so 
 
HOME. 89 
 
 difficult to make as a bridge. Why," continued Lao, 
 "I had it on good authority in the capital that in 
 England they build out long stone or wooden walls 
 just to walk on." 
 
 " Indeed ! " said Chang. " I always heard that 
 England was a very small island ; but surely they 
 have a few streets to walk in. You must have heard 
 and seen many curious things in Canton," contin- 
 ued he. 
 
 "Yes, indeed. When I was in Canton," went on 
 Lao, " I remember going all over an American 
 ship." 
 
 " Yes ? " said Chang inquiringly. 
 
 " And they had on board a most curious contrivance 
 by which, when you touched a little button, a bright 
 light lit up the whole ship all at once." 
 
 " Were you startled ? " 
 
 " Yes ; but not nearly so much so as when, just as 
 I was going to leave, there was heard a great yell — 
 squeak rather — quite supernatural in its weirdness. 
 How I jumped ! " But he did not add, " How the other 
 men laughed at me ! " though he might have done so 
 with truth. 
 
 " What caused it ? " asked Chang. 
 
 Lao had no more idea than his cousin, as he had 
 been a oreat deal too frightened to ask, but he was 
 determined not to appear ignorant, so invented freely. 
 
90 HOME. 
 
 " It was caused," he said slowly — " it was caused 
 by a pig." 
 
 " A pig ! " 
 
 " Yes ; it was a sacrifice to their gods, and they 
 were roasting it alive, and it squeaked." 
 
 " Gods ! I thought the English worshipped only 
 one god." 
 
 " God or gods, it does not signify." 
 
 " And a pig ! surely that was an extraordinary 
 animal to offer up for sacrifice. Did you see it ? " 
 
 " I heard it — that was enough. No other animal 
 could have made such an unearthly noise. I am 
 quite positive it was a pig," said Lao, in a most 
 determined " stick- to-th at " tone. 
 
 A smothered sound of laughter was heard proceed- 
 ing from the occupant of the next table, and looking 
 round they beheld Maurice Graham seated there con- 
 vulsed with merriment. He had turned into the tea- 
 shop for some tea, creating quite a little sensation 
 therein ; but the young companions were so engaged 
 in conversation that he had passed by them unnoticed, 
 and had taken the table next to them, where he had 
 unwittingly overheard the latter part of their conver- 
 sation. 
 
 " I wonder why Englishmen are always laughing,'*' 
 remarked staid Chang, not, however, thinking so 
 much of Maurice as of merry Tom. " They are," he 
 
HOME. 91 
 
 continued solemnly, " a most curious nation," — which, 
 by the way, did not tend to cure Maurice's upset 
 risible faculties. He tried, though, to look as if he 
 was not laughing at them. 
 
 " Who is he ? " asked Lao, lowering his voice, feeling- 
 he was being laughed at, partly divining the cause, 
 and taking an instant aversion to Maurice. " Do you 
 know him ? " sincerely hoping he did not. 
 
 " He is the young Englishman at the opium refuge. 
 I only know him by sight. He does a good work 
 there, I believe." 
 
 Maurice wished he might speak to Chang, whom 
 he both admired and liked ; but etiquette, that most 
 miserable of unrealities, with its bobbings and bow- 
 ings, a hydra-headed monster in Chinese social life, 
 absolutely forbade him. He rose almost immediately. 
 
 " It was self-sacrificing at least of him to leave his 
 own country," continued Chang. 
 
 There was a slight scornfulness in his tone; he did 
 not think evidently he need have done so. 
 
 " He had much better have remained there," re- 
 marked Lao, still angry at the ridicule. " You may 
 be sure he gets well paid for coming here. Whatever 
 the English may protest with regard to religion, I 
 say their god is gold." 
 
 " Yes," responded Chang, " or else the opium trade 
 with India would have been suppressed long ago. 
 
92 HOME. 
 
 Certainly first of all to sell the vicious drug which 
 ruins so many of our countrymen, and then to send 
 men to cure them, seems a strange idea. Just like 
 those foreigners. My mother hates them." 
 
 " Well, really, opium is a good thing," said Lao — 
 " taken in moderation, I mean of course," seeing his 
 cousin's look of horror. " I occasionally smoke a little 
 pipeful myself. It is quite fashionable to do so, I 
 assure you." 
 
 "Then I had rather not be in the fashion," said 
 Chang dryly. " Poor mother ! she has a perfect horror 
 of it." 
 
 " Always mother, mother ! I should be ashamed 
 to be tied to my mother's apron-strings," or rather 
 Lao quoted a Chinese proverb to the same effect. 
 
 "I am not!" flared up Chang, for he much disliked 
 the imputation. 
 
 " Don't be peppery," Lao remarked sneeringly ; then 
 continued, as he calmly killed an insect which had 
 settled on the table, "I hope, in one of my many 
 transmigrations of soul, I may some day be a mosquito. 
 Should I not be revenged on some people ! What a 
 life I would lead them !" 
 
 Chang, lookino- into his face, beheld on it an ex- 
 pression of harshness and cruelty which made him 
 shudder. 
 
 " I pity any man in your power," he thought. He 
 
HOME. 93 
 
 was much scandalized, too, at the last flippant speech, 
 and rose, saying coldly — 
 
 " I cannot be staying here all day." 
 
 " Have you ever heard of a railway ? " asked Lao 
 as they continued their way. 
 
 " No ; another foreign innovation ? " said Chang. 
 
 This gave Lao a chance of discoursing on a theme 
 of which he knew nothing, but of which his com- 
 panion knew less than nothing, and was therefore 
 easily " greened," as Tom Towers would have em- 
 phatically described it. So he beguiled the way with 
 a very learned discourse — if only most of the facts had 
 been correct, which they were not — on railways, the 
 need of them, and the revolution that the use of them 
 would cause in conservative China. 
 
 The feeling of depression and discontent which had 
 been growing on Chang during his long conversation 
 with Lao, lifted as he entered his own home and made 
 his way at once to the women's apartments. 
 
 Nancho was one of the exceptional mothers-in-law 
 which go to prove the rule, and little Lingsam soon 
 learned to love her dearly. Her love for her son had 
 constrained her to win for him the choice of his heart, 
 though hers had often sunk at the thought that when 
 the bride came the mother would be second to the 
 wife in reality, even if he did not show it in his 
 manner. " Of course he will be good and respectful 
 
94 ROME. 
 
 to me ; he has been too well brought up to be other- 
 wise," she thought, but with a jealous pang at the 
 bare idea " he will love her best." She could not but 
 see how deeply enraptured he was with this young 
 girl; and the temptation was often strong upon her to 
 insist on his marrying some other woman, some one 
 whom he would loathe instead of adore, so that she 
 might still reign first in his heart — or at any rate 
 not behold the rival of that domain. She knew that 
 if she strongly opposed the match Chang could not 
 have his desire or win his coveted treasure, and she 
 also knew that the power of custom was too strong 
 for him to dare to complain, even if he thought of 
 doing so. 
 
 But her love for Chang and her great desire for his 
 happiness conquered ; for how could she grieve the son 
 she loved ? No ! he should have his wish and marry 
 the coarse, flighty girl he had set his mind on (she 
 always pictured her daughter-in-law-to-be as a coarse, 
 vulvar, though beautiful woman), and she would hide 
 away her feelings and let them forget her as long as 
 he was happy. Thus she had thought. 
 
 She had been favourably struck with the childish 
 grace of Lingsam on the wedding-day, and had ad- 
 mired the look of indignation she had cast upon Lao, 
 whom Nancho did not like. 
 
 Therefore when, the next morning, Chang had 
 
HOME. 95 
 
 brought his young bride to her and said that his 
 happiness would never be quite complete without her 
 sympathy, and Lingsam, with a sweet, shy look on her 
 fair face, had whisperingly asked her if she might love 
 her for Chang's sake, she had with a very good grace 
 blessed the young girl and promised to be a kind 
 mother to her. And when a little later Lingsam had 
 sat between them very happily, one hand in Chang's 
 grasp, the other on Nancho's knee, she knew that the 
 bond of union was complete, and that her unselfish 
 love had found its reward. 
 
 Day by day the ties between her and her little 
 daughter-in-law became nearer and dearer. Chang 
 had, especially of late, been of necessity away from 
 home a great deal of the day, and even when he was 
 in the house, the social ideas of China prevented 
 Nancho from seeing much of him ; and as he had 
 grown older, he had been engrossed by cares and 
 occupations in which she could take no part, for was 
 she not only a woman ? 
 
 Chang's grandmother, too, was growing old and 
 getting very deaf ; and though they had always been 
 fair friends, the two had but little in common, the 
 elder lady never having been able to understand the 
 depth and power of the younger one's nature, being 
 herself always remarkably dull even in a land noted 
 for dull women. And thus Nancho was often very 
 
96 HOME. 
 
 lonely, and the coming of bright little Lingsam into 
 that quiet household was a welcome change. 
 
 Lingsam, such is the power of love, was developing 
 into a sweet, bright, contented woman. 
 
 It was delightful to Nancho to have a companion 
 to listen to her tales of her early married life and of 
 her father's home, and to whom to relate her reminis- 
 cences of the babyhood and boyhood of her son ; and 
 of this subject Lingsam never seemed to tire, nor 
 could the stories be repeated often enough to please 
 her. It was pleasant to agree with Lingsam when 
 she praised her husband and said how good and noble 
 and handsome he was ; and though she used to scold 
 the little flatterer when very often she ended with 
 her favourite remark, " He says it is all due to you ; 
 you have been such a good mother to him," yet she 
 loved to hear her make the little speech all the same. 
 And if ever it was necessary to correct Lingsam, she 
 was dutiful and submissive at once ; for would not 
 Chang be sorry if she was naughty ? and her whole 
 desire in life was to please him she loved. 
 
 Lingsam was sitting at Nancho's feet when Chang 
 entered the room. 
 
 " Chang," she exclaimed, rising, as custom dictated. 
 " mother and I have been talking of you." 
 
 " What have you been saying ? anything bad ? " he 
 responded. 
 
HOME. 97 
 
 " We have come to the conclusion that you are the 
 very best man in all Sin-tau," she answered naively. 
 
 " Do you ever come to any other conclusion ? " he 
 asked. 
 
 " But you see it is the right one, so we cannot help 
 coming to it," she said argumentatively. 
 
 " How do you know that ? How many men do 
 you know in the city ? My cousin Lao would not 
 agree with you at all ; he considers himself far su- 
 perior to me." 
 
 " Horrid man ! " said Lingsam ; " I am sure he is 
 not." 
 
 " I do not like what I hear about Lao," said 
 Nancho anxiously. " Do not be intimate with him, 
 Chang." 
 
 " No fear, mother. I do not care for him myself, 
 though he is amusing to talk to ; but we have an art 
 of vexing each other somehow. I certainly shall not 
 seek his society. — See what is in this parcel," said he, 
 turning to Lingsam. 
 
 " Oh how lovely ! " she exclaimed, as on opening it 
 a bracelet of beautiful silver workmanship made its 
 appearance. " But have you not got something for 
 mother also ? " she added. 
 
 " What a hurry you are always in ! " answered 
 Chang, as he placed a small finely-carved fan in his 
 mother's hand. 
 
 (175) 7 
 
98 HOME. 
 
 " My boy, you will ruin yourself buying presents 
 for us both," she said; but she was very pleased 
 nevertheless to be remembered. No one likes being- 
 left out in the cold. 
 
 " No fear, mother," he replied as he left them, to 
 go to his own apartments. 
 
 Later on in the evening Chang sat very contentedly 
 sipping his tea and talking to his mother ; Lingsam 
 near by as usual, and watching every movement of 
 her husband with loving devotion. Chang not having 
 any brothers or male relatives in the house, was 
 naturally thrown more than most men on the society 
 of his womenkind. 
 
 " Lingsam," he said, suddenly addressing her, " how 
 would you like to travel in a carriage drawn by a 
 horse that puffs and blows " (" What a funny horse ! " 
 interposed Lingsam), " and goes so fast you cannot see 
 anything as you rush by ? " 
 
 " I should be so frightened ; but you would go also, 
 would you not ? " 
 
 " Oh, I have no idea of going in one, or letting you 
 go in one either ; but Lao was telling me that they 
 have such things in England." 
 
 " I am very glad that I am not in England," said 
 Lingsam with decision. " Surely they must be always 
 having accidents with them. Just think, even with 
 our sedan-chairs we are always knocking up against 
 
HOME. 99 
 
 each other, and it must be more dangerous when they 
 go so fast. I hope my English lady has not been in 
 one and been killed." 
 
 " I expect only mandarins and grand people go in 
 them, and of course no ladies ; but I must find out 
 more about these things," said Chang, for he had felt 
 ashamed of his ignorance when Lao had appeared to 
 know so much. " I saw Mr. Graham to-day," he con- 
 tinued ; " he is the gentleman whom I saw with your 
 English lady the day after the fire." 
 
 " Is he that horrid man who laughed so and offered 
 to carry me ? " 
 
 " My dear ! " came from the horrified Nancho. 
 
 " But I would not let him," said Lingsam. " Of 
 course not, mother," remembering with pride how 
 courageous she had been. 
 
 " No, that was not Mr. Graham," said Chang ; " he 
 is dark-haired, and he lives here altogether." 
 
 " Why ? " asked Nancho. 
 
 " He has charge of the opium refuge opened a year 
 or two ago. He is called very devoted ; but Lao 
 says he believes he is well paid, else he would never 
 come here. But English people will do anything for 
 money." 
 
 " But, Chang," said Lingsam musingly, " my lady 
 cannot have two husbands ! " 
 
 " Oh no," answered Chang ; " I believe that she was 
 
100 HOME. 
 
 not married. I heard she was the niece of the con- 
 sul at Hankao, and lived with him generally." 
 
 " Alone ? " asked Nancho. 
 
 " Yes ; his wife died last year. He has gone home 
 now for good, I hear, and a new one has been ap- 
 pointed in his place." 
 
 " My lady not married ! " said Lingsam. " Fancy 
 his behaving like that to her and he not her husband, 
 and neither of them the least bit ashamed." 
 
 Surely it was a case of the pot calling the kettle 
 names. 
 
 " It was dreadful," said Nancho severely. " You 
 ought to be ashamed of referring to it." 
 
 Lino-Sam looked crestfallen, and Chang made a re- 
 mark on the first subject that entered into his head, 
 being unable to bring the weather, that unfailing 
 stop-gap for uncomfortable pauses in English homes, 
 to his aid. 
 
 But when they were alone Lingsam said to Chang 
 she did so long to know if her lady (for so she always 
 designated Evelyn) was married ; could he not find 
 out? 
 
 " 1 will try," Chang answered. " If ever I meet 
 Maurice Graham I will ask him. I may do so, for 
 he goes sometimes to Fan-tan's house. I fear," he 
 added solemnly, " that Fan-tan is getting imbued with 
 his strange doctrines." 
 
HOME. 101 
 
 " Are they very strange ? " asked Lingsam. 
 
 " Yes, indeed — most peculiar," answered Chang, who 
 knew nothing about them except from hearsay. 
 
 A few days after this conversation Maurice Graham 
 sat writing to his cousin Evelyn. 
 
 " You will be pleased to hear," he wrote, " that 
 Hsi Chang has married Francho's daughter, so your 
 Chinese love story has ended in the orthodox manner : 
 ' They married, and lived happily ever after ' — at least 
 I trust they may. The stars seem to have been in 
 their favour, for my informant added that the as- 
 trologers predicted an exceptionally happy union. As 
 to my work here," the letter continued, " in which 
 I know I have your sympathy, progress is slow, 
 and it seems like dragging one or two out of the 
 mire while hundreds are sinking deeper and deeper 
 into it ; but I must trust and be patient. I am my- 
 self very well, though the glare of the sun tries my 
 eyes ; which must be my excuse for such bad writing. 
 As regards your promised sketch, I should like to 
 have one very much ; and please let it be a soft, shady 
 scene, with lots of clouds about. Do write again ; 
 letters are such a treat when away from England, as 
 you know, and I have not many correspondents now. 
 You will have Tom back again before you get this. 
 What a glad home-coming it will be ! Tell him from 
 me that his beloved Celestials are dirtier than ever, 
 
102 HOME. 
 
 and still speak the same crack-jaw language. I often 
 wish I had not got a nose as I walk the streets here, 
 as you used to say when you were in this inodorous 
 country. I long for a sniff of an English hay-field. 
 Good-night, for it is getting very late. — Ever your 
 affectionate cousin, Maurice." 
 
 " Poor, old, fastidious Maurice ! " said Tom, who was 
 sitting, a month later, cosily in his easy-chair in the 
 tiny but artistic drawing-room of his pretty little 
 home, Evelyn sitting close beside him as she read 
 aloud this letter from her cousin. 
 
 " I must really paint him something," she said. 
 " He is not fit for the terrible strain of the life he is 
 leading, and that wretched climate ; I do not wonder 
 his sister frets about him. And he might have done 
 so well in England, and have made his name by this 
 time," she added. 
 
 " He is a noble fellow," said Tom warmly, " and his 
 work must tell in time; but it must be terribly against 
 the grain sometimes. God bless him in it ! " Tom 
 was serious enough now, for he admired Maurice 
 immensely. 
 
 " I remember," said Evelyn, " how, when we were 
 all children together at home, he would never do any- 
 thing he did not like ; he always left what he called 
 : dirty work ' to my brother Charles. But he is very 
 
HOME. 103 
 
 different from those old days." And as memory com- 
 pared the self-concentrated, conceited, proud Maurice 
 of that time with the earnest, unselfish worker she 
 had known and honoured in China, she felt that the 
 change was indeed wonderful. 
 
 " I am glad my pet romance," she continued, " has 
 ended so well. I had an inner conviction those two 
 would marry." 
 
 " I wonder how many more kisses he has had," said 
 Tom. 
 
 " That was all your fault, showing him the way," 
 said Evelyn coquettishly. 
 
 " I would show him again if he were here," giving 
 her a hearty smacking embrace. 
 
 " I think, Tom," said Evelyn roguishly, " that you 
 ought to leave off such bad habits now you are grow- 
 ing older. Some one is coming ; let me go," she added, 
 for he had his arm round her waist. The some one 
 was only the servant bringing in afternoon tea, and 
 who wisely appeared not to notice her mistress's 
 embarrassment. 
 
 "Here's to the health of Mr. and Mrs. Heathen 
 Chinee," said Tom, drinking off his cupful of tea at a 
 draught, and passing the cup back to be refilled. " I 
 wish him joy of his ugly wife," he added. 
 
 " May they be as happy as we are," said Evelyn, as 
 she took up the tea-pot. " They could not be happier." 
 
104 HOME. 
 
 " Hear, hear ! " cried Tom, so loudly that the large 
 dog lying on the hearthrug was roused from sleep, 
 and, hearing his master's voice, bethought himself of 
 showing his satisfaction by wagging his great tail, 
 adding thereby to the uproar. 
 
 Evelyn's wish was fulfilled for her Chinese lovers. 
 Lingsam was indeed a happy little woman ; for did 
 not Chang love her dearly, and had she not the 
 kindest of mothers-in-law ? She almost adored Chang, 
 who was amused and pleased at her loving devotion 
 to him ; indeed he stood in danger of being spoilt in 
 his home, only having been accustomed from baby- 
 hood to the admiration of his womenkind, it came 
 naturally to him, and he took it all gladly indeed, but 
 without thinking much about it. 
 
 He was also a great favourite in the city, and was 
 very prosperous, for many who knew his father and 
 uncle took much interest in the fatherless youth ; and 
 as prosperity ever begets friends, as adversity in most 
 cases winnows them, he came to be much sought 
 after, and was, as Lao — who was still in the city, his 
 schemes never having developed into substantialities — 
 used to remark, " a very fortunate young man." 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Bal^. 
 
 "Better fifty years in Europe 
 Than a cycle in Cathay. " 
 
 Tennyson. 
 
 ANOTHER year has passed by, as years have a 
 habit of doing. Whether the days be bright 
 and sunny, filled with happiness and love, or whether 
 they are loaded with sorrow and heavy with grief 
 and pain, they come and go, morning after night, 
 morrow after morrow, with unrelenting regularity, 
 until the earth has made the circle of the sun, and 
 the three hundred and sixty-five days have passed 
 away, and men and women are a whole year older, 
 whether they acknowledge it or not. 
 
 Lingsam is happier even than last year ; for another 
 blessing has been added to her abundant store, and on 
 the happily cared-for daughter-in-law and beloved 
 wife has been bestowed the crowning joy of mother- 
 hood, and she now holds in her arms — what fitter 
 burden could they bear ?— a bonny baby boy. Very 
 
106 BABY. 
 
 sweet is the expression on her young face — at least so 
 Chang thinks as he watches the mother and child one 
 morning, lingering to gaze on his new treasure before 
 going out into the noisy street. 
 
 Lingsam looks older and more serious — as indeed 
 she feels, for the little life which has been intrusted 
 to her has opened up thoughts and feelings in her 
 mind that she had never wist of before the delightful 
 but solemn duties of motherhood had come to her. 
 
 No English matron bending over her babe's cot, 
 dreaming of the fame which he should some day 
 attain, the noble work he should accomplish — (if all 
 the infants whose mothers prophesied during their 
 cradle days that they would be Lord Chancellor had 
 risen to that august if sleepy dignity, there would 
 never have been enough cloth in the kingdom to dress 
 the woolsacks with) — could have rivalled Lingsam's 
 day-dreams, which had begun again, but now only on 
 behalf of her beautiful boy. 
 
 " What are you thinking of so gravely ? " asked 
 Chang, coming up close behind her. 
 
 " Of baby's future, and I was wondering if I should 
 live to be very old and see his son's sons. I hope I 
 shall. Is he not a fine boy ? " she added, looking 
 proudly at the child and then up into her husband's 
 face. 
 
 " Hush ! you must not say that, for fear of the evil 
 
BABY. 107 
 
 spirits, you know," said Chang. " They might hear 
 you." 
 
 Lingsam held her child closer, shuddering. 
 
 " I hope," she said impulsively, " that he may grow 
 up to be just like you." (Surely the sweetest words 
 a wife can say to the father of her child). " I thought 
 you were gone out," she added. 
 
 " The chair is at the door, but I had to return for 
 a final peep of you and baby. Take care of the boy," 
 and he was gone, really gone, this time. 
 
 Lingsam's mother-in-law soon rejoined her, and the 
 hours passed quickly by. There was baby to be 
 looked after and played with, though he was a very 
 solemn child compared with English babies. Then 
 there were the things from the bazaars to be examined, 
 and new dresses to be discussed. There was not much 
 variety in these though, when they were all made 
 in the same pattern — loose, skirt-like garments — and 
 practically confined to the two usual women's colours, 
 pink and green. There were also her pretty orna- 
 ments, of which she had many, to be taken out and 
 admired. 
 
 Then there was her almost daily airing in the gar- 
 den to be taken. That said garden was " a thing of 
 beauty and a joy for ever," filled as it was with sweet- 
 smelling shrubs and trees — sometimes left to nature's 
 tender guidance, but ofttimes quaintly transformed 
 
108 BABY. 
 
 into peculiar shapes by the art of man — lovely quiet 
 nooks and tiny arbours hidden away, and artificial 
 water crossed by a queer pointed bridge, similar to 
 the one portrayed on the blue willow-pattern plates 
 of yore, and beds of gorgeous flowers, an unfailing 
 source of interest to Lingsam, who was an ardent 
 botanist, as was also Chang. 
 
 And every day was there not a new charm to be 
 found in her darling baby, and most days some slight 
 excitement, some accident, or some servile misde- 
 meanour, to break the monotony of the long hours ? 
 Occasionally, too, did she not — these were always red- 
 letter days — go out in a sedan-chair to one of the 
 temples to worship ? And then last, but not least, was 
 there not always that serious question to be decided, 
 "What should Chang have for dinner ?" Then Ling- 
 sam was a clever little embroideress ; and what more 
 could she want than to sit and work and think about 
 Chang ? 
 
 So little Lingsam was very happy as honoured wife 
 and loving mother, although an English young lady 
 would have voted her life " unutterably dull !" 
 
 " What, not one meeting ! " cries one ; " not a single 
 class to take, nor a new preacher to hear, nor any 
 society of which to become secretary ! Unbearable !" 
 
 " Never," exclaims another, " to go to a ball or a 
 dance, or play tennis all afternoon, or look through a 
 
BABY. 109 
 
 new novel, or, above all, to have a jolly ride across 
 country after the hounds ! Too, too awful !" 
 
 " What," says number three, " no scientific lecture, 
 no essay club, no antiquarian excursion — whoever 
 looks at the ruins though ? — on half -holidays ! No 
 argument as to Shakespeare versus Bacon ; and no 
 hope, however far in the future, of visiting the lands 
 of romantic Italy or classic Greece ! Poor thing ! not 
 two thoughts in her head. How I pity her !" 
 
 No need to do so, though, for Lingsam has never 
 tasted of your streams of bliss, Miss Energy, Miss 
 Lively, Miss Clever, so knows not her loss, and is 
 quite happy and contented. 
 
 Nancho was much delighted at her promotion to the 
 rank of grandmother, and very devoted to the " little 
 stranger," though she would never allow he was so 
 fine a child as his father had been ; and Lingsam was 
 quite ready to yield this point, both as she had never 
 beheld that most remarkable of babies, and also 
 because she thought that from what Chang had 
 grown up to be he must have been quite an " extra 
 special" one. 
 
 That same morning Maurice Graham received the 
 promised sketch from Evelyn, with apologies for not 
 having sent it before ; and she wrote, " I have been, 
 as I daresay you have heard, very ill ; but I am quite 
 well now, and so happy, for Tom is with me again." 
 
110 BABY. 
 
 Enclosed in his parcel was a small packet for Ling- 
 sam, which Maurice sent at once to Chang, with a 
 civil little note explaining how it had come from 
 England under cover to him. 
 
 "Lingsam," said Chang to his little wife as he 
 entered the room with the packet in his hand, " the 
 English lady has not forgotten you." 
 
 "Has she sent me a present?" cried Lingsam ex- 
 citedly. 
 
 " Yes. I opened it to see what was in it." (Never 
 doubted he for a minute his right of so doing.) " See," 
 he continued, " she has sent you a picture of herself, 
 a pair of steel scissors in a case, a funny-looking 
 mouse, and a book for me about England." 
 
 "How delightful! what perfect treasures!" Lingsam 
 cried as she examined the scissors ; but her enchant- 
 ment knew no bounds when Chang, who had been 
 practising winding it up in his own room, set the 
 little toy mouse in motion. " How nicely he runs ! I 
 love the dear little thing. — Come and look, mother," 
 as Nancho entered the room. 
 
 " Is it alive ?" asked she, much startled, for she had 
 not, like Lingsam, seen it before it was set in motion. 
 
 " No," said Chang. " Is it not wonderful ? I can't 
 make it out." 
 
 Nancho shook her head doubtfully, as if she thought 
 it was bewitched. 
 
BABY. Ill 
 
 " Take care, Chang," said she. 
 
 Altogether Tom would have been delighted had he 
 witnessed the sensation the toy made, for he had 
 insisted on sending it. 
 
 "Such stupid trumpery to send to a married 
 woman," Evelyn had expostulated. 
 
 " Nonsense !" he had replied ; " she is but a child, 
 and it will amuse her. I will put it in," little realiz- 
 ing that it would astonish older folk as well. 
 
 There were also a few kind words in Chinese from 
 Evelyn, saying that she hoped the little gifts she 
 enclosed would be acceptable, telling her that she had 
 heard of her marriage, and that she hoped she was 
 happy. " I also," she added, " have been married to 
 the gentleman who was with me the night of the 
 fire." 
 
 " Oh, I am so glad to know that," said Lingsam ; 
 " and I think she is very kind to remember me. — 
 Mother, look ! this is just like her. I wonder how she 
 got on the paper." 
 
 " How dreadfully shocking !" exclaimed Nancho, for 
 Evelyn had inadvertently sent a photograph of her- 
 self taken in a low evening dress. It was Tom's 
 favourite one of her ; and Evelyn, who had very 
 beautifully shaped neck and arms, was very partial 
 to it also. 
 
 " You must remember she is a foreigner," remarked 
 
112 BABY. 
 
 Chang in excuse, for he felt grateful to Evelyn for 
 remembering him and his little wife. 
 
 But poor Nancho was too much horrified to be 
 easily appeased. 
 
 " Dreadful !" she murmured. " Surely she was never 
 dressed like that when you saw her." 
 
 " Oh- no," was the answer ; but Chang thought to 
 himself that his mother would have been more scan- 
 dalized still had she seen Evelyn in the tight-fitting 
 bodice she had worn that evening, and which had 
 made a deep impression on his mind. 
 
 Lingsam now turned to the book. 
 
 " Look, it is mostly pictures," she said ; " and what 
 funny ones, quite different from ours ! They go smaller 
 and smaller away into the distance. What are these 
 animals ?" 
 
 " Horses," said Chang; " and here are cats and pigs." 
 
 " Look, Chang," she continued, as she turned over 
 the pages, " this must be the iron horse you once told 
 us about." 
 
 Chang looked with much interest. 
 
 " Yes, that must be an engine," he remarked. " Does 
 it not look a great awkward thing ? And those are 
 the carriages it drags after it. — See, mother," he 
 added, turning to Nancho, " this is what they want to 
 introduce into China. They go ever so quickly — ten 
 miles an hour, I believe." 
 
BABY. 113 
 
 " What should we want to go so fast for ?" said 
 Nancho, as she came to look, at her son's summons. 
 
 " They say," continued Chang, for he had read a 
 good deal about railways since his conversation with 
 Lao, and was rather glad to air his knowledge, " that 
 the English have dug right down under the earth, like 
 moles do, and that they go under their city of London 
 in those things." 
 
 " How frightened I should be !" said Lingsam. 
 
 " Really, Chang," said Nancho quite severely, as she 
 obeyed the call of a servant to go to her mother's 
 room, " I wonder you could for one moment believe 
 such a ridiculous thing. I gave you credit for more 
 sense." 
 
 Chang felt and " looked small," as schoolboys phrase 
 it, especially as in truth he had doubted the fact him- 
 self ; and how could he know that Tom Towers at 
 that very moment was smoking a cigar and reading 
 a newspaper in a first-class carriage on the Metro- 
 politan Railway? 
 
 " It may be true," said little Lingsam, wishing to 
 cheer her husband. " Foreigners are such queer people 
 that perhaps they prefer being under the ground to 
 walking above it as we do. I wonder," she continued, 
 " if my lady " — looking again at the photograph — 
 " has a baby like I have." 
 
 For one short month Evelyn had held just such a 
 
 (175) 8 
 
114 BABY. 
 
 beloved child in her arms ; but He who gave had re- 
 called the tiny life, and her stainless flower, "just 
 given, baptized, and gone," had passed into higher 
 keeping, and in the childless mother's heart was left 
 a great void as she mourned her baby girl. 
 
 Evelyn had in her letter asked Lingsam if she 
 could procure her a pair of tiny shoes such as she 
 herself wore ; and Lingsam, delighted to do something 
 in return for her kindness, insisted on Chang sending 
 her very best pair off at once, and took an immense 
 interest in the packing up and directing of them. 
 Hardly, however, was she able to persuade herself to 
 believe that they would reach their destination safely, 
 especially when Chang told her that they would be 
 four or five weeks on the ocean. 
 
 " Suppose," she said, " that a very heavy storm came 
 on. They would go down to the bottom of the sea, 
 and then they could not reach her." Which patent 
 fact was unanswerable. 
 
 But, spite of Lingsam's fears, Evelyn did receive 
 them in due time, and they found a snug home in the 
 cabinet Maurice had given her, save when they were 
 exhibited to point a lecture on " tight boots," or to 
 give Tom an opportunity of delivering his opinion as 
 to this " asinine " (that was his expression) custom of 
 Chinese women. 
 
 " Never," he would always conclude, " may I have 
 
BABY. 115 
 
 to walk behind one again. I would far rather walk 
 behind a tortoise, I declare." 
 
 Lingsam received several visits after this event, not 
 so much paid to her as to the presents, for this little 
 affair caused quite an excitement among her relatives, 
 glad of any change. The little mouse came in for 
 quite an ovation, and many envied Lingsam this work 
 of art. 
 
 Nancho's mind was, however, much upset by the 
 whole affair. She feared the possibility of anything 
 bringing to light the fact that Lingsam and Chang 
 had met and spoken before their marriage ; but she 
 need not have done so, for even gay little Lingsam had 
 her share of prudence, and who would have thought 
 of such a thing ? 
 
 Nancho also was sorry that what she thought would 
 have been much better forgotten had been brought 
 again vividly before her children's minds ; and this 
 feeling caused her to dislike the English more than 
 ever, and made her prejudice against them stronger 
 still. 
 
 Some months afterwards Chang one afternoon told 
 his little wife the, to her, heartrending piece of news 
 that he would be obliged to go away for two or three 
 days on a journey, as he had an important commission 
 to fulfil at Twa-tou. 
 
 " Oh, don't go," she sobbed bitterly. He had never 
 
116 BABY. 
 
 been away from her since their marriage, and to the 
 stay-at-home Chinese ideas this little trip seemed quite 
 an undertaking ; so Lingsam, unaccustomed to a hus- 
 band who turns up and is off again like a meteor flash, 
 thought of a journey as a most perilous proceeding, 
 and was accordingly unnerved. 
 
 " You must not fret," said Chang tenderly. " You 
 will have mother and the baby. Do stop crying." 
 
 "Is it a very dreadful journey ?" she asked. 
 
 " No. Nearly all the way is by water, and quite 
 easy." 
 
 " You won't get drowned, will you ? Where are 
 you going to ?" 
 
 " Twa-tou. It is a pretty little town, I hear, but I 
 have never been there." 
 
 " Twa-tou ! Why, that is where my sister lives," 
 she said, looking up with sudden interest. " Will you 
 20 and see her ?" 
 
 " I will call on her husband most certainly." 
 
 " We used to be so fond of each other before she 
 married and went away. I remember how we cried 
 when we knew she was going to live so far off. You 
 know she was betrothed when quite a tiny child, and 
 before her husband's family left Sin-tau. I wish I 
 could see her again." 
 
 Lingsam had almost forgotten her sister in the 
 absorbing joys of her life, until the familiar name had 
 
BABY. 117 
 
 recalled her vividly to her mind. With the thought of 
 Wang-fu, Lingsam remembered also her father and 
 mother ; and then memory recalled years long ago 
 when she and Wang-fu had been children together. 
 The consequences of these reminiscences caused her 
 next remark to seem to Chang rather inconsequent ; 
 for even the dearest and most intimate souls cannot 
 know what is passing in that wonderful hiding-place 
 the heart of man, buried, like the springs of earth, 
 out of sight, and only to be judged by the streams 
 which flow therefrom. 
 
 " Chang," she said, " to think that you and I were 
 a little boy and girl in this city and did not know 
 anything about each other. Is it not a pity we do 
 not know what is going to happen to us, and what is 
 now happening to others ? It is so stupid wondering 
 only. I wish, oh, I wish I had a little magic-glass, 
 that when I looked into it I might see just what I 
 wanted to know. If only I had one, I would say," 
 and Lingsam laughed at her odd fancy, " Let me see 
 first Wang-fu ; and then she would appear, doing just 
 what she is doing, most likely nursing her boy, only 
 he must be a big child now." 
 
 "Would you not want them to speak also?" said 
 Chang, who could not help smiling at her wild idea. 
 
 " No," answered Lingsam ; " I should be quite 
 satisfied with seeing. Let us pretend we have got 
 
118 BABY. 
 
 such a glass, and guess what we should see in it. I 
 should ask to see my parents next. They are not 
 generally together, so I must have two peeps at them, 
 mother perhaps scolding Ning-pu — she used to scold 
 Ning-pu dreadfully — and father having a grand dinner 
 somewhere, and enjoying himself. Then I should ask 
 to see what my English lady is doing, and to have a 
 peep at England at the same time. It would be lovely. 
 Then I should like also to be able to look into the 
 future, and see what will be happening to me next 
 year, and what will happen to-morrow, and whether 
 you will come back safely from your journey. Oh 
 dear, I wish you were not going," her present griev- 
 ance returning with full force ; " but would it not be 
 nice," she continued, " to have such a glass ? " 
 
 " I doubt," said Chang, " if it would make you any 
 happier," judging from his greater knowledge of the 
 world, and thinking that perhaps the scenes in such a 
 glass might prove but sad ones after all ; and he was 
 right. Wang-fu was weeping bitterly beneath the 
 taunts of her harsh mother-in-law ; Francho, instead of 
 being at dinner, was sitting with a very frowning face 
 over some large business books, and making the unplea- 
 sant discovery that his cousin's son had been trying 
 to cheat him ; and Evelyn was sitting at the head of 
 her uncle's late- dinner table in a large old-fashioned 
 London house, and though she smiled bravely her 
 
BABY. 119 
 
 heart was very sad, for she had that morning bidden 
 Tom farewell before he started on another long voy- 
 age. One guess, however, was pretty correct. Her 
 mother was scolding Ning-pu, who stood before her 
 mistress very cross and sullen. 
 
 The entrance of Nancho put a stop to the conversa- 
 tion. " What have you two been talking about ?" she 
 asked. 
 
 " Oh, Lingsam has been talking a great deal of 
 nonsense ; but I must say she has some funny fancies, 
 and also it seems," he added a little satirically, but 
 Lino-sam did not understand satire, " a great thirst for 
 knowledge." 
 
 " Have you heard his news ?" said Lingsam sorrow- 
 fully. 
 
 " Yes, dear. How we shall miss him ! " 
 
 " Do not fret too much. I do not want to find 
 two corpses on my return," said Chang. " Mother, 
 Lingsam's sister lives at Twa-tou. I am going to 
 make inquiries about her." 
 
 " Are you going all alone ?" asked Lingsam. 
 
 " Yes. Would you not like to come with me ?" 
 
 " Oh, do take me," said Lingsam in a fever of 
 delight. " I should so like to see sister again." 
 
 " My dear son, what a mad idea !" said Nancho. 
 
 " I don't see that," returned Chang, who had not 
 really meant it when he first spoke, but who, on seeing 
 
120 BABY. 
 
 Lingsam's enraptured little face, determined to carry 
 out his audacious scheme if possible. " I shall be 
 very lonely by myself. The journey is a very easy 
 one ; and then Lingsam would see her sister." 
 
 " But such a proceeding is most unusual and against 
 all custom." 
 
 " I do so wish it, mother," said he, unable to refute 
 her words, but determined for once to defy custom ; 
 " and she can have one or two servants with her as 
 well, and she has not seen her sister for years." 
 
 " mother, do let me go," pleaded Lingsam. 
 
 "Very well, if Chang wishes it; but people will talk 
 if young folk will do extraordinary things, so you 
 must prepare yourselves for that," said Nancho, who 
 saw a very obstinate look on her son's face, and gave 
 way, for she never could bear to vex him. 
 
 " You are not afraid of being drowned ? " he asked, 
 turning to Lino-sam. 
 
 " Not if we are drowned together," she replied in 
 true lover-like style. 
 
 " You must leave baby behind," said Chang. 
 
 " I should like sister to see him ; but we ought to 
 leave him with mother, for she will miss us terribly." 
 
 " You evidently have a good opinion of yourself, 
 Lingsam," Nancho replied ; " but I shall be quite at a 
 loss without either of my children." 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 temptation, 
 
 " Whoso did receive of them 
 And taste, to him the gushing of the wave, 
 Far, far away, did seem to mourn and wail 
 On alien shores ; and if his fellow spake, 
 His voice was thin as voices from the grave ; 
 And deep asleep he seemed, yet all awake, 
 And music in his ears his beating heart did make." 
 
 Tennyson. 
 
 * T AM going to visit my uncle Maachi, mother," 
 X said Chang the next morning. "I want to 
 talk to him about some business he asked me to 
 inquire into for him while I go to Twa-tou. Do not 
 expect me back very soon, for he is a terrible old 
 gossip ; but it is as well to keep the right side of the 
 old fellow." 
 
 His mother smiled assent, and with a parting glance 
 at Lingsam, who stood beside Nancho, after having 
 rescued his toddling baby from an undesirecl acquaint- 
 ance with the floor, he departed. 
 
 In a fine house at the other end of the city lived 
 Yeh Maachi, an old man, much respected by his fellow- 
 
122 TEMPTATION. 
 
 citizens, not only on account of his venerable age, but 
 because he was also very learned and wealthy. For 
 wealth receives the same respectful admiration in Sin- 
 tau as it does in London. 
 
 Outstripping Chang, let the reader act the part 
 of the proverbial little mouse, and listen to a con- 
 versation that is taking place between Yeh Maachi 
 and his nephew Lao. If the said little mouse had 
 wished to use his eyes as well as his ears, and had 
 chosen to peep out of his hole and make observations, 
 he would have beheld the old gentleman seated on a 
 very high-backed, richly-carved chair, his long pigtail 
 fastened up comfortably to keep it out of the way. 
 He had every appearance of being — to use a mili- 
 tary term — at ease, in spite of the uprightness of his 
 chair. In his hand he held a tiny cup of tea, which 
 he sipped slowly with great relish. On his forehead, 
 however, a little puckered frown might be seen, and 
 any intelligent mouse, of whatever country, would 
 have gathered therefrom the fact that something was 
 annoying him. As it was evidently not bodily suf- 
 fering, it must be caused by mental worry — so would 
 have argued Mr. Mousie, had he been a Solon among 
 mice — and seeing how it deepened as Lao spoke, 
 would have decided, even if he had only known the 
 twice table in arithmetic, that therefore it was Lao 
 who was the cause paramount of the said worry. 
 
TEMPTATION. 123 
 
 Lao had given his uncle an infinity of trouble 
 ever since he had returned empty-handed from Can- 
 ton. Indeed, as Maachi was inclined to allow to him- 
 self, though never to others — for he was very proud 
 of him, in spite of everything — his clever, ne'er-do- 
 well nephew had nearly bothered him (please excuse 
 the slang) into his grave. 
 
 Lao was sitting forward, explaining and illustrating 
 a new scheme with energy. 
 
 " See, uncle," he said, " this tea-cup" — and he pointed 
 to the tiny vessel in his hand — " is Australia." 
 
 '•' I have heard it is rather a big island," said Maachi. 
 " I certainly am sure there would not be room there 
 for any one if it is no bigger than that cup." And 
 Maachi smiled at his little joke. 
 
 Lao glanced at him angrily, but managed to call 
 up a slight smile in answer. 
 
 "Honoured uncle," he said respectfully, "you are 
 always amusing; but I know you understand me. 
 Now, Melbourne is at the south side of the island. 
 The climate is good, and there are many Chinese 
 there, some of them doing very well. I have heard 
 of one fellow there, a friend of a friend of mine, who 
 has made quite a fortune, and has married an English 
 wife." 
 
 " The more fool he," said Maachi. " Do you want 
 to 20 and do likewise ?" 
 
124 TEMPTATION. 
 
 " I could do without the wife, if only I had the 
 fortune," said Lao dryly. 
 
 " You are as bad as the English — always money, 
 money with you. I have heard say that they wor- 
 ship a golden god." 
 
 " I think that is about true ; but they cut up their 
 god into little pieces first," said sharp Lao, with his 
 most cynical air. Then, seeing an opportunity of 
 bringing to the front the subject that was weighing 
 on his mind, he continued : " After all, there is great 
 truth in the English saying, c Money is power.' What 
 can one do without cash ? Just think now, all this 
 grand scheme of mine," he added, " which I am sure 
 would soon realize a fortune, cannot be executed just 
 because of the want of a little ready money. Will 
 you not help me, uncle ?" he asked very humbly, 
 thinking he observed a relenting look on his uncle's 
 face. 
 
 And, indeed, Maachi was just then thinking that 
 this present plan was really not so very unfeasible, 
 after all, and that if Lao were in a new country he 
 might do better. "At any rate, I should have a 
 little more peace." So his cogitations concluded. 
 
 Just at this very moment Chang, whom his uncle 
 was expecting, having been apprised of his intended 
 visit, was announced by the servant, and Maachi rose 
 to greet his guest. 
 
TEMPTATION. 125 
 
 " Just my luck," thought Lao, grinding his teeth, and 
 feeling mad with his cousin for his innocent interrup- 
 tion. But he greeted Chang cordially enough to 
 bring a cynical smile to his uncle's face ; for Lao 
 believed in being good friends with all men, and his 
 cousin might some day be useful to him. 
 
 Chang was in most excellent spirits, both with him- 
 self and with all the world. He had thoroughly en- 
 joyed his late trip, and was delighted at the success 
 of the mission intrusted to him by his uncle. 
 
 "When do you start on your visit to Twa-tou ?" 
 asked Maachi, when at last all the formalities of the 
 greeting were over, and Chang had finally taken the 
 seat he had so often politely refused, and had been 
 presented with tea by the assiduous servant. 
 
 " On the first lucky clay," answered Chang. 
 
 " Report says you take your wife with you. Of 
 course you can do as you like, but I had rather be 
 excused." 
 
 " So would I," said Lao, sotto voce. 
 
 " It is my own wish," said Chang in a very humble 
 tone ; " her sister lives there, and she wants to see 
 her again." 
 
 " A case of devoted husband. But if you take the 
 advice of an old man, it is better not to do eccentric 
 things. You are over-young, poor boy, to be at the 
 head of a household." 
 
126 TEMPTATION. 
 
 " It is very lonely at times," said Chang with a 
 siffh, thinking of his dead uncle and cousin. 
 
 " And you are more thrown with your womenkind 
 than is good for you," said Maachi calmly. 
 
 " I called to-day to ask you — " said Chang, anxious 
 to change the subject. 
 
 " Yes, yes, I know — presently," answered the old 
 man, glancing at Lao, who soon left the room and 
 the house, wearing an aggrieved air. 
 
 " Why should that wretched Chang always be 
 trusted and treated as so much better than I, just be- 
 cause he has money ?" he growled to himself as he 
 walked along the road. 
 
 Just then his thoughts were agreeably turned by 
 his meeting an acquaintance he had lately made, and 
 together they entered a tea-shop to have a chat. 
 
 He, however, seemed fated to be haunted by his 
 cousin Chang that afternoon ; for they had not long 
 been seated before Chang entered the same shop, and 
 seeing his cousin, and being anxious to prove that he 
 had nothing to do with Maachi's rudeness, walked 
 deliberately up to him to express a hope that he had 
 not interrupted his conversation with his uncle. 
 
 Lao's answer was a polite fib. He then intro- 
 duced him to his friend, and Chang joined them at 
 their little table. 
 
 A very animated conversation ensued, and Chang 
 
TEMPTATION. 127 
 
 became deeply interested in hearing Lao's new friend's 
 brilliant and clever description of life in Australia, 
 for he it was who had put Lao's " grand " scheme into 
 his head. 
 
 Long before Chang desired it, and at the most in- 
 teresting part of the conversation, however, Machu — 
 for such was his name — suddenly, after whispering 
 something to Lao, made a move. 
 
 " Where are you going ?" asked Chang ; " I wanted 
 to hear more. I know of one who is desirous of in- 
 vesting his money in a new and lucrative enterprise, 
 and perhaps — " 
 
 " O Chang, I know just the thing !" cried Lao, en- 
 chanted, as he saw a chance of profit to himself — " a 
 fortune to be made easily," he continued. 
 
 "And with safety?" asked thoughtful Chang. 
 
 " Walk with us and I will tell you, as we go, more 
 about Australia and the fortunes daily made there," 
 said Machu, lonoin^ to continue the conversation and 
 
 ' CD O 
 
 persuade Chang, but longing still more for his favour- 
 ite drug, for he was a confirmed opium-smoker, and 
 had been on his way to the saloon when he had met 
 Lao. 
 
 Chang, therefore, dismissed his sedan-chair, on 
 which said chair many envious glances were thrown 
 by his two companions, as they beheld it on coming 
 out of the tea-shop. 
 
128 TEMPTATION. 
 
 " Rich," thought Machu ; " what a Feng-shui he must 
 have ! " 
 
 " Lucky dog !" thought Lao, turning quite green 
 with jealousy. 
 
 Very soon, talking eagerly, they came to the door 
 of the saloon. 
 
 "Are you not coming in to have a smoke ?" asked 
 Machu, as Chang was about to say good-bye. 
 
 " I never smoke opium ; it is a bad, pernicious 
 habit," said Chang, rather loftily. 
 
 " But who wishes you to make a habit of it ? I 
 only smoke occasionally myself," said Machu, whose 
 occasionally meant whenever he had enough money 
 to indulge in a pipe. 
 
 " You might as well come into the place ; it won't 
 bite. But there ; you are too young to know any- 
 thing about such a wicked place, sweet innocent," 
 said Lao. 
 
 This speech touched Chang's two weakest points — 
 strong curiosity, and a dislike at being considered 
 young and childish, when he felt such a man. 
 
 He stood hesitating, and without more ado Machu, 
 yearning all the more for his beloved pipe now it was, 
 so to speak, within his reach, seized his arm and drew 
 him into the passage ; Lao following with a grin of 
 satisfaction on his face, not that he so much wished 
 his cousin harm, as that he desired that the young 
 
TEMPTATION. 129 
 
 fellow, always held up to him as an example, should 
 be a little less white. 
 
 " I will just look around only and see what it is 
 like," thought Chang, " and soon slip out." 
 
 A very low long passage led into a large room at 
 the back of the house. Passing through this room, 
 crowded with the poor thus fruitlessly spending 
 money badly needed for the necessities of life, they 
 came to another and smaller apartment. 
 
 Lao and Machu, both familiar with the place, soon 
 procured lounges, Lao gently pushing Chang on to 
 the one next to his. It was very soft and comfort- 
 able, and Chang sank upon it with delight, for he was 
 very tired. It was still early, and the room was not 
 at all full. 
 
 A sweet, sickly odour filled the room from the 
 fumes of the opium, and a cloud of smoke prevented 
 his seeing at first ; but as his eyes grew accustomed 
 to the surroundings, he recognized several acquaint- 
 ances, some of whom he would of all people least have 
 expected to meet there. The room was gorgeously 
 decorated, and a fine Chinese lantern hung from the 
 ceiling. 
 
 Very handsome pipes, and bowls containing English 
 opium, were placed before them; for Machu and Lao 
 were doing it this afternoon in style. 
 
 Chang spoke to one of his acquaintances, but got 
 
 (175) 9 
 
130 TEMPTATION. 
 
 no answer but an unconscious stare, which proved 
 that the senses were benumbed. 
 
 Meanwhile the attendant had placed pipes before 
 them all three before Chang was aware of it. 
 
 "Are you going to smoke?" asked Lao, as he 
 quietly held his pipe over the tiny lamp. 
 
 " No," answered Chang. " The man made a mis- 
 take. I think it is a most degrading habit." 
 
 " Why should one pipe lead to acquiring the habit ?" 
 asked Lao indignantly. 
 
 He then took a puff or two in silence, and with 
 apparently great satisfaction, whilst Chang chatted on 
 to him until he noticed his cousin was not listening, 
 but was fast succumbing to the influence of the opium 
 fumes. He glanced at Machu, only to find him quite 
 unconscious. 
 
 " I must be going," he thought. " What a disagree- 
 able odour the smoke has ; it makes my head ache. 
 What fools these men are to be smoking the filthy 
 stuff! I am sure I could never do it." 
 
 Well had it been for Chang if he had carried out 
 his intention. But the very air of the room made 
 him sleepy and disinclined to move. So he sat on, 
 vaguely wondering, and intending to go every 
 minute. 
 
 " How happy they all look ! " he thought ; " yet I 
 know that Yang yonder has just lost all his money, 
 
TEMPTATION. 131 
 
 and Machu only a few minutes ago told me he was 
 miserable." 
 
 Even Lao's face had lost its usual bitter, satirical 
 expression, that hard look that Chang had always so 
 much disliked. 
 
 " It must be indeed a potent drug, and have a won- 
 derful effect," he thought. 
 
 Just then an attendant passing by looked with con- 
 tempt and disgust at Chang's still full bowl, and then 
 turned his eyes, with a scornful expression in them, on 
 the young fellow himself. 
 
 " Fool ! to have a bowl of opium " (his idea of Ely- 
 sium) " before him, and not smoke it," he thought. 
 
 Chang was quickly influenced by the actions and 
 thoughts of others, as the reader will remember. He 
 had entered the opium den with the fixed determina- 
 tion not to smoke. Indeed, had any one suggested 
 such an idea to him as the chance of his being tempted 
 to alter his resolution, and counselled him to keep 
 away from temptation, he would have replied, " I can 
 trust myself." For poor Chang, like a good many 
 other Chinese, and English also for that matter, fancied 
 his weakest point of character his strongest, and would 
 have said of himself that he was a very firm, nay 
 obstinate man. 
 
 Besides, had he not hitherto despised the very idea, 
 and often, being young and enthusiastic, discoursed 
 
132 TEMPTATION. 
 
 logically on the folly of opium-smoking, with its dan- 
 gerous results ? 
 
 But the room in which he was now sitting, full of 
 the nauseous fumes of the drug, was not the best place 
 for drawing logical conclusions. A languiclness was 
 creeping over him which would have made anj^ reason- 
 ing difficult ; and strong upon him came the desire, 
 that strange desire, more or less in the heart of all 
 men, to do as others around, whether wisely or not, are 
 doin£ — that unreasonable instinct, one mio'ht almost 
 call it, to copy, to follow. It is this strange fallacy 
 that makes the comparison of men to sheep so true ; 
 for will not sheep always follow blindly on ? It is said 
 a whole flock was once destroyed just because of one 
 having fallen over a high cliff and been killed ; for, alas ! 
 the others would go and do the same clever deed, even 
 though it was to their hurt. Do not men in England 
 wear high hats, and ladies bustles, just because other 
 people do ? 
 
 Thus Chang, having without difficulty resisted 
 Machu's example and Lao's retorts, yielded to the 
 scornful look of the attendant. 
 
 Almost mechanically he picked up the pipe and 
 put it to his lips, a sort of dreamy idea, it could not 
 be called active thought, floating in his mind that 
 whether he smoked or not, anyway that fellow should 
 think he did so. The man passed on, and copying 
 
TEMPTATION. 133 
 
 Lao, Chang drew in with a long breath the noxious 
 fumes. Again and once again he really must put it 
 down and go home ; but no action followed on the 
 half-formed resolution, for the sensation the drug in- 
 spired him with was novel and fascinating, and he felt 
 that strange "joy," shall we call it, for want of any 
 better expression, experienced in doing what is wrong, 
 and which is aptly illustrated in the English proverb, 
 " Stolen waters are sweet." 
 
 Still his better nature bade him be a man, and make 
 an effort to give up this dangerous experiment. Even 
 now he might have conquered but for the subtle in- 
 fluence of the drug, which every minute crept over 
 him more and more, making the power of thought 
 more and more impossible. He was like the little 
 bird which, though it would fly away, is held bound 
 by the glittering eye of the cruel serpent within the 
 fascinating gaze of which it has unwittingly flown. 
 
 Gradually he became unconscious as the opium 
 fumes obtained more and still more power over him. 
 
 He dreamed he was wandering with Lingsam (who, 
 meanwhile, poor little woman, was wondering where 
 Chang could be) in a delicious garden, a soft breeze 
 blowing on their faces, surrounded vaguely with lovely 
 sights and sounds, the ground beneath their feet seem- 
 ingly carpeted with fair flowers ; and Lingsam his be- 
 loved was more beautiful than ever. Above all, there 
 
134 TEMPTATION. 
 
 was over all a sense of restfulness, soft, indescribable 
 restfulness. Then the scene changed : he was in his 
 friend's house, the same friend of whom he had been 
 speaking to Lao and Machu, and before them were 
 piled up heaps of gold, and his friend was embracing 
 him, and was telling him that it was through him, all 
 through him, he had made his fortune ; and all the time 
 the same feeling of perfect restfulness was upon him. 
 Again, he was out at sea with his little boy, of whom 
 he was so passionately fond ; but the ocean seemed to 
 have been hushed to rest, and rocked only the gentlest 
 of lullabies. He felt so far, so very far from trouble 
 and care, it did not distress his chained senses ; and 
 then baby and sea, and every other sensation, sank 
 into a restful oblivion. 
 
 When he at last again became conscious and opened 
 his eyes, he beheld the same attendant carrying away 
 his pipe. He felt very ill, and wearily dragged him- 
 self up, and paying the cash asked by the man looked 
 round for Lao. He was gone. Next he looked for 
 Machu, and found he was still unconscious, or rather 
 drugged. 
 
 " I suppose I must go home," he thought wearily. 
 " How ill I feel ! " and he rose from his couch and made 
 his way to the door and out into the open air, which 
 somewhat revived him, for it was getting late and 
 there was a cool breeze blowing. But he still felt 
 
TEMPTATION. 135 
 
 very faint and ill, for opium sometimes serves its novices 
 as tobacco does the sad youngster who has just tried 
 to copy his father and be a man and smoke. 
 
 Just outside he met Lao, who had been in reality 
 lingering about waiting for him, very fearful lest he 
 should forget his promise of seeing his friend about 
 his investment. 
 
 "I am glad you had a try," he said. "Delicious 
 sensation, is it not ? " 
 
 "Yes," answered Chang, longing to be back under the 
 influence of the opium, all the more so as he now felt 
 so wretched and depressed, which made the contrast 
 seem more delightful than ever. 
 
 " Machu is still there," he remarked. 
 
 " Yes," answered Lao ; " he will stay some time yet. 
 He is a regular slave to opium, and always on the 
 smoke either at his own home or at the saloon. He 
 won't live many months if he goes on like that." 
 
 " How dreadful ! " said Chang ; but he did not feel 
 much inclined for conversation, and the two walked 
 on in silence till they reached Chang's house. 
 
 " You will not forget to-morrow," said Lao as they 
 parted. 
 
 " What about to-morrow ?" asked Chang, passing his 
 hand over his aching brow. 
 
 " Why, your promised visit to your friend Pu-tao. 
 Shall I go with you ?" 
 
136 TEMPTATION. 
 
 " Oh, I remember now," said Chang wearily. " No, 
 I had better go alone ; but I will see you later and let 
 you know the result. But I shall not be able to in- 
 quire much into the matter till after my return from 
 Twa-tou." 
 
 And Chang entered his own house looking so wretch- 
 edly depressed and cross that his cousin ejaculated to 
 himself, " That little wife of his will catch it," — a fact 
 which caused him apparently genuine satisfaction ; not 
 that he had any reason for disliking Lingsam, save 
 that he was envious of Chang's pretty little wife and 
 happy home. He was like the mischievous school-boy 
 who will tease a dumb animal, not from any feeling 
 of bitterness towards the poor creature, but from a 
 perverse pleasure in giving pain to others. 
 
 Women's eyes are quick. Nancho knew immedi- 
 ately she saw her son that something was wrong. 
 
 " You are late," she said ; " your uncle must have 
 detained you some time. Here has Lingsam been 
 imagining you were drowned at least." 
 
 " You should not be so silly. Of course I was all 
 right," said Chang crossly, as he flung himself into 
 a chair, vexed to think his lateness had been noticed. 
 
 " Don't you want something to eat ? " asked 
 Nancho. 
 
 " No ; I am not hungry," and he lay back feeling as 
 though he loathed the very thought of food. 
 
TEMPTATION. 137 
 
 A little smothered sob from Lingsam broke the 
 silence that ensued. 
 
 " What is the matter, Lingsam ? " he asked, starting 
 up. The question brought the tears thick and fast. 
 She was not, as has been stated, accustomed to self- 
 control, and her husband's words — the first cross 
 words he had ever spoken to her — seemed to her very 
 hard to bear. She looked a very disconsolate little 
 bundle of clothes ; for it was winter-time, and she was 
 warmly clad. 
 
 Chang had as great a horror of woman's "most 
 effective weapon " as any Englishman, and was full of 
 consternation at the effect of his peevish little speech. 
 
 " I did not mean to be silly, but you were late ; and 
 I did not exactly think you had fallen into the river, 
 but still you know it might have been so," explained 
 Lingsam lucidly through her tears. 
 
 " Why, I thought at least baby was dying," said he. 
 " I am sure I never meant to vex you." 
 
 " I suppose I was rather silly," said Lingsam, true 
 to her old theory that whatever Chang did or said 
 was right. 
 
 " It was more your manner than your words that 
 frightened her," said his mother gravely. " What is 
 the matter with you ? " 
 
 "I have got a headache," said Chang, without 
 assigning any reason for it. 
 
138 TEMPTATION. 
 
 Mother and wife were ready instantly with sym- 
 pathy and nursing, the former going in search of some 
 particular scent she said always did her head good, 
 while Lingsam sat by his side and gently stroked the 
 offending member. 
 
 That night Chang lay wretched and wakeful, too 
 conscience-stricken to sleep, tossing on his hard bed. 
 He had fallen in his own estimation, and he knew 
 also how terribly grieved, if ever his afternoon's es- 
 capade came to her ears, his mother would be. He 
 wished most heartily he had never entered the smoking 
 saloon. Should he confess to his mother ? Better he 
 should tell her than any one else. He would in the 
 morning. Had he not once before told her the whole 
 story, and been helped and guided by her ? Had he 
 not then promised never to keep anything back from 
 her? 
 
 Yet strong upon him all the time lay the subtle 
 influence of the drug which had thrown around him 
 all its most fascinating power, and seemed to be call- 
 ing him like the lovely but baneful siren of the old 
 legend of the Rhine who with sweet music lured her 
 victims to destruction. Surely the beautiful Lorelei 
 is but an apt type of the dangerous, fascinating, fatal 
 power of opium-smoking. " Oh," he sighed, " for one 
 moment of that blissful restfulness which I experienced 
 this afternoon ! " He forgot that it was that short 
 
TEMPTATION. 139 
 
 delirium which was accountable for the misery he was 
 then enduring. 
 
 But in the morning confession did not seem so easy 
 as by night, and Chang decided to keep his own 
 counsel, telling himself that it was only for once, only 
 this once. He would never, never so fall again. 
 Chang forgot or did not know the old saying, " Once 
 is once too often." 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 Gbe Sisters, 
 
 " Knowledge by sorrow entereth, 
 And life is perfected by death." 
 
 E. B. Browning. 
 
 1INGSAM was burning incense on the family altar, 
 _/ but her busy thoughts were far away ; for 
 to-day, after repeated postponements so as to be sure 
 of travelling on a lucky one, she and Chang were at 
 last to start on their journey. 
 
 Indeed time pressed ; the chair which was to convey 
 her to the boat (Chang was to follow later) was ready, 
 and the good-byes must be said. Lingsam's heart 
 failed her at the last moment. Had she but been able 
 to keep Chang at home, the chances are she would 
 have given up the much-longed-for trip, for it seemed 
 to her well-nigh impossible to leave her baby boy. 
 But at last the final hug was given, and with a rather 
 smothered " I know you will take good care of my 
 precious one, mother," she allowed herself to be placed 
 in her chair, and with her servant was borne off to 
 
THE SISTERS. 141 
 
 the boat. Arrived there, she was safely deposited in 
 a very comfortable little corner, where she could see 
 without being herself much noticed, the servant-maid 
 taking her stand beside her. 
 
 She looked about her with interest, the strange 
 new scenes enthralling her attention, though she was 
 rather alarmed at the noises made by the men. 
 
 Chang stood talking to some fellow-merchants until 
 the last moment, and her little heart throbbed with joy 
 as she noticed how much they seemed to respect 
 him. 
 
 " How are you getting on ? " asked Chang, coming 
 to her as soon as they were well out of sight of the 
 port. 
 
 He felt rather shy, and was glad to see that the 
 crew were too busy to pay much attention to him. 
 
 The boat was about thirty feet long and five broad, 
 and had a covered house amidships, just within which 
 Lingsam was seated. At the stern sat the helmsman 
 and master, while the boat was propelled by two 
 dirty -looking, half -naked men standing face to the 
 bow. A small sail had also been hoisted, as the wind 
 was in their favour. 
 
 " It is very pleasant," answered Lingsam to her 
 husband's question ; " but I cannot help wondering 
 what baby is doing without me. What a number of 
 boats there are ! Oh, I hope we shall not go down." 
 
142 THE SISTERS. 
 
 she added as the frail craft shivered, and she began to 
 feel as if she had been rather too venturesome. 
 
 But the boat journey was accomplished without 
 any mishap or the ducking little Lingsam feared ; 
 and Chang, having got over his first feeling of doing 
 something wrong, enjoyed her company, and con- 
 gratulated himself on having broken away from the 
 old trodden paths of custom. 
 
 The village of Ma-ow, where they left the boat, and 
 from which place they were to perform the rest of 
 the journey on chairs, was a fairly large place. It 
 boasted, however, of only one inn, whither Lingsam 
 was escorted by her maid. Chang lingered about 
 outside, trying to look as if he had never seen her 
 before, until the position struck him, even though a 
 Chinaman, as rather absurd, and reflecting on the 
 fact that no one would know him there, he too en- 
 tered and partook of a hearty meal, for he was very 
 hungry ; but he delayed thereby Lingsam's dinner, 
 for for her to eat with him never occurred to either 
 of them. 
 
 But while she was eating he continued by her side 
 talking, amused by her quick questions, but thinking 
 all the while that he " would never have heard the 
 end of it " had Lao been there to see. 
 
 " Look at that foreign gentleman ; does he not look 
 funny ? " whispered Lingsam as a new arrival entered 
 
THE SISTERS. 143 
 
 the inn ; and looking through the door of the inner 
 apartment in which they were sitting, Chang beheld 
 Maurice Graham. He had never seen him since the 
 day Maurice had laughed at Lao's speech in the tea- 
 shop, though he had received, as the reader knows, 
 Evelyn's gifts through his agency. Both instinctively 
 started as their eyes met. 
 
 " Who is he ? " said Lingsam, seeing her husband 
 recognize the new-comer. 
 
 " The Englishman who lives at the opium refuge in 
 our city." 
 
 " The same who sent my English lady's presents to 
 me?" 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " Will you not speak to him and ask him how she 
 is ? I should like to know." 
 
 " It would not be etiquette," said he. 
 
 " It does not matter," said Lingsam with a little 
 pout. " He is a foreigner, and will not know better. 
 Besides, it is not as if it were in the city. Please, 
 do ! " 
 
 One thing leads on to another, and Chang actually 
 consented, though rather scandalized at himself for 
 so doing ; but he found Maurice most eager to accept 
 his advances. 
 
 After a good deal of preliminary politeness Chang 
 came out with his question. 
 
144 THE SISTERS. 
 
 " We were much obliged to you for sending the 
 letter from your — friend," the last word with a slight 
 hesitation. " Is she well ? " 
 
 " My cousin is well now. She has been very ill, or 
 else she would have written before to you, immediately 
 on hearing of your marriage." 
 
 " Has she got a baby ? I have." 
 
 This little speech caused both men to turn round, 
 and there, in the doorway, partly hidden by the loose 
 curtains, they beheld Lingsam. 
 
 " So this is Evelyn's little friend. What an ani- 
 mated face ! " thought Maurice as he answered, — 
 
 " My cousin's little baby girl is dead." 
 
 " Oh, I am sorry ; but still it was only a girl. 
 I have a boy." This latter information was given 
 with the utmost pride. 
 
 " Did you tell her about our marriage ? " asked 
 Chang, signing frantically to Lingsam to retire. 
 
 " Yes ; she asked me to let her know if ever I heard 
 of it." 
 
 " How did she guess we two would marry ? " said 
 Lingsam excitedly, forgetting every sense of decorum. 
 
 " She knew," said Maurice, looking at Chang, " that 
 you had tried to save her life." This was said with 
 ready tact, not alluding to the garden scene. 
 
 " He is very brave, and very good, and very hand- 
 some," said Lingsam, pointing to Chang, and added, 
 
THE SISTERS. 145 
 
 " Do you not think so ? " Rather a hard question for 
 Maurice to answer. 
 
 " You are very happy ? " asked he, looking at her 
 and putting a question in his turn. 
 
 " Oh yes ; I have the kindest of husbands, a good 
 mother-in-law, and a baby. Did my lady marry that 
 ugly man who laughed ? " she continued. 
 
 Maurice kept his countenance with difficulty as he 
 wondered what Evelyn's feelings would have been 
 could she have heard Lingsam's innocent description 
 of her beloved Tom, but his tone was slightly bitter 
 as he said laconically, " Yes," for he felt a jealous 
 pang as he listened to little Lingsam's words. 
 
 " Is she your sister ? " asked Lingsam. 
 
 " No ; but I know her very well," he answered. 
 
 Meanwhile Chang, thinking it would be the quickest 
 way of putting a stop to the undesirable conversation, 
 had gone in pursuit of the chairs, which had not yet 
 made their appearance, though they had been ordered 
 some time before. He was very much scandalized at 
 Lingsam's behaviour, though, as we ever do with those 
 we love, he tried to frame excuses for her. 
 
 " She does not know better," he thought. " It is 
 my fault for bringing her away from mother. I must 
 not be so self-willed another time. I am only so 
 grateful there is no one I know here to tell of her 
 conduct at Sin-tau. It would disgrace me fearfully." 
 
 0-75) 10 
 
146 THE SISTERS. 
 
 Little Lingsam, however, though conscious that she 
 was naughty and that mother would be horrified, yet 
 felt a wilful determination to know more about Evelyn. 
 She was not naturally shy, and Maurice's manner was 
 not such as to make her so. 
 
 "It was a pity her baby died," said Lingsam to 
 Maurice, again referring to the subject on her mind. 
 " Still it was only a girl. I did hope she had a little 
 boy." 
 
 " We think as much of the girl babies as of the 
 boys," said Maurice. 
 
 " Oh, yours is a very strange country, and a very 
 bad one too, mother says. I should not like to live 
 in it. All the people living under ground," — "and 
 wearing such funny dresses," she thought, but decided 
 it would be rude to say that. 
 
 " But I like my own country best," said Maurice 
 quietly. 
 
 " Then why do you live in China ? " answered Ling- 
 sam quickly. " But of course you get a lot of money 
 for living here." 
 
 " That is not true," responded Maurice. 
 
 " But why, otherwise, do you live in our country if 
 you like England better ? " 
 
 " Come ; the chairs are ready," said Chang, appear- 
 ing with the servant, who looked astonished at seeing 
 her young mistress engaged in conversation with a 
 
THE SISTERS. 147 
 
 foreigner, and who afterwards gave to her fellow- 
 servants a long story with only this simple fact for 
 a foundation. 
 
 " Please thank Mrs. Towers for her presents again," 
 said Chang. — "And especially for my dear little 
 mouse," added incorrigible Lingsam as she was borne 
 off to her chair; and after many bowings and " fistings," 
 as Tom always called the " chin-chin " manner of 
 acknowledging an equal, Chang followed her, and the 
 small procession moved forward. Chang's chair was a 
 long way ahead of Lingsam's as they marched along, 
 and then last of all came her servant. They had, 
 therefore, no opportunity of talking. Lingsam, alone 
 as it were with her thoughts, began to realize how 
 improper her conduct had been, and to wonder what 
 mother would have said had she seen her. But the 
 strange sights and sounds she saw and heard soon 
 made her forget Maurice. 
 
 '• We must stand aside," said the men one to another 
 as they were passing along the principal street, " for 
 a grand funeral is coming by." As the men pushed 
 for places to stand in, Chang and Lingsam's chairs 
 came so close together that Chang could speak to her. 
 The funeral was indeed a very grand affair. The 
 mourners wore white instead of crape ; the men being 
 dressed in a rough sort of blouse of sackcloth with a 
 white sash of silk round the waist. First came the 
 
148 THE SISTERS. 
 
 bearers of large white paper lanterns, always pic- 
 turesque objects ; then followed a band of musicians, 
 making a horribly discordant noise with drums and 
 gongs to drive away the evil spirits ; and then other 
 men carrying trays of cakes and other good things 
 for the funeral feast. They were followed by more 
 musicians, apparently trying to drown the noise of the 
 first instalment. They wore clothes of the common blue 
 colour with a white band. After them were coolies 
 bearing pigs roasted whole (shade of Charles Lamb 
 appear !), kids, and various other savoury meats ; and 
 then appeared a grand sedan-chair, in which was placed 
 '• the tablet " of the deceased, with long tapers burning 
 before it. Behind the chair followed a group of men 
 dressed in red and holding aloft a large red flag, with 
 an inscription thereon in gold characters telling of the 
 virtues of the dead ; and then lastly came the coffin, 
 very handsome and solid, and formed of four large 
 boards rounded at the upper side, and about four 
 inches thick. A brave array it was as it marched 
 past under the glittering heaven and took up the street 
 and the time of the passers-by for upwards of a quart 
 d'heure; and even then our friends had to "wait a 
 bit " for the dense crowd to become somewhat lessened 
 before proceeding. 
 
 " What is going on there ? " asked Lingsam, as look- 
 ing round she saw a blind beggar take up a position 
 
THE SISTERS. 149 
 
 a little way off and prepare to read out of a big 
 book. 
 
 " I will go and see," said Chang, and he descended 
 from his chair and made his w T ay — no easy matter, for 
 there w r as already quite a crowd around — towards the 
 centre of attraction. 
 
 The wind was favourable for Lingsam to hear, and 
 the beggar's voice was loud, and thus distinctly on her 
 ears fell the words, — 
 
 " Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy 
 laden, and I will give you rest." 
 
 " Only a beggar reading," said Chang, returning to 
 his chair. 
 
 " How did he learn ? " 
 
 " An Englishman taught him, they say." 
 
 " But he is blind ; how could they teach him to 
 read ? " 
 
 " I don't know ; the English are able to do nearly 
 anything, I think." 
 
 " It looks like magic," said Lingsam superstitiously. 
 
 " Yes it does. He was reading a Chinese trans- 
 lation of the English book which they say is from the 
 gods direct." 
 
 " Who said that about rest ? It sounds nice, but it is 
 not for me, for I am neither weary nor heavy laden, but 
 a very happy little woman," said Lingsam contentedly. 
 
 "We must be getting on again now," remarked 
 
150 THE SISTERS. 
 
 Chang, and the chair-bearers started again at the word 
 of command. 
 
 Meanwhile Maurice Graham, having had something 
 to eat, wandered out into the streets until the boat he 
 had ordered was ready. He felt in a strangely discon- 
 tented mood. The conversation with Chang and Ling- 
 sam had reawakened painful thoughts, and Lingsam's 
 last speech had annoyed him much. It was hard to 
 be wrongly judged and accused of money-grubbing, 
 when, by his own act in coming to China, he had re- 
 nounced the bait of fame and riches which had hung 
 in all its dazzling temptation before his eyes. 
 
 But how could Lingsam know his real reason ? how 
 could she understand that, following the example of 
 his Master, love towards her fellow-countrymen and 
 deep compassion for them had made him forsake his 
 own land and come to hers to " spend and be spent" for 
 them ? She had never heard, none had ever come and 
 told her those three little words, the first text that 
 children lisp, but the key of the evangelistic message, 
 the deepest of gospel truths — " God is love." 
 
 But Maurice felt ruffled ; he was but human, and 
 though he had rejoiced to see Lingsam so joyously 
 happy, an uncommon sight enough in down-trodden 
 China, a pang of envy lay deep down in his heart. 
 
 He was froino- back home, as he ever called the 
 opium refuge in his mind ; but there would be no sweet 
 
THE SISTERS. 151 
 
 face to welcome him, no little ones to climb upon his 
 knee. He felt strangely lonely this afternoon, and 
 longed for sympathy, for help ; but like the Saviour, 
 who when of old he sought for comfort from his 
 chosen three in his hour of trial found them asleep, 
 no human friend was near. The busy crowd around 
 hurried by, seeming to say, in the words of the poet, 
 
 " Go ; thou art naught to us nor we to thee— away," 
 
 or stared at him painfully ; while the little street boys 
 called out, " Look at the foreign devil." 
 
 But Maurice was pretty well inured to being 
 stared at, and bore it calmly enough, and anyway the 
 streets were preferable to the dirty inn. And as he 
 walked listlessly along he came upon a group of people. 
 Curiosity caused him to pause and go nearer, but 
 being rather short he could not manage to see any- 
 thing. But on his ears fell like sweetest music the 
 words, " Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end 
 of the world." 
 
 The blind reader closed the book and rose to seek a 
 new corner ; the people began to disperse ; and Maurice 
 pursued his onward way rejoicing, for the short message 
 had entered his soul, all the more forcibly maybe be- 
 cause it came to him in the Chinese language, and the 
 earthy clouds of faithlessness and depression were 
 dispelled. 
 
152 THE SISTERS. 
 
 Early the next morning he arrived at Sin-tau, and 
 very soon he was as deep as ever in his labours of 
 love. Nevertheless he found time to send Evelyn a 
 few lines to tell her of his strange meeting with her 
 little friend. 
 
 Very interesting to bright little Lingsam were the 
 wonders that surrounded her on her journey, and she 
 thoroughly enjoyed the strange world on which she 
 had entered. On leaving Ma-ow the road followed 
 the course of the river — the same river, as Chang told 
 her, that wound slowly through their own city, but 
 which was here a rushing stream, tumbling and rolling 
 along: and making a great deal more fuss than when 
 later it bears many a junk on its broad bosom. 
 
 " What is that noise ? " asked Lingsam, but at the 
 same moment discovered for herself as they came in 
 view of a pretty cascade. Lingsam was as charmed 
 with the sight as if nature had provided it especially 
 for her entertainment. 
 
 " Is it not glorious ! " she cried in awestruck tones ; 
 " but rather dreadful." 
 
 Could she, however, have compared it to that giant 
 of the New World which Yankees boast could soon 
 extinguish the fire of Vesuvius, or to the rolling waters 
 of the Rhine at Schaffhausen, or even to the " Geiss- 
 bach of England," beautiful Ara Force, with its 
 dark fierce background of rocks, almost meeting; arch 
 
THE SISTERS. 153 
 
 overhead, and the noble sheer descent of the water, she 
 must have owned it to be but a very little one. 
 
 Shortly afterwards the path turned off from the 
 river, and they began to ascend the steep hill-side. 
 Lingsam was surprised to find that the higher they 
 got the higher the mountains seemed to grow, new 
 peaks arising where she would never have dreamt of 
 looking for them. 
 
 So is it on the journey of life, an uphill journey 
 enough to most. As we ascend, the way opens out, 
 and where the mountains seem most impenetrable a 
 path is found through some narrow cleft, and often- 
 times where the road seems most clear some hidden 
 peaks arise to arrest the traveller. 
 
 On either hand, on the hill-side terraces, were fields 
 of bright poppies, golden, purple, reel, which latter 
 would have recalled to Maurice (had he been there to 
 see) the corn-fields of his native land. Fair were 
 they to the sight, but beneath their drooping heads, 
 which hung as if burdened with a sense of shame, 
 lay hidden the seductive poison for which, alas ! they 
 were cultivated. 
 
 "Poor mother!" said Chang; "that sight would make 
 her sad." 
 
 They were giving the bearers a rest, and Chang had 
 come to the chair in which Lingsam still sat to ask 
 whether she was all right, when he made this remark. 
 
154 THE SISTERS. 
 
 " Why ? " said Lingsam in answer. 
 
 " It used to be against the laws of our land to grow 
 opium, but now it is much cultivated. I cannot see 
 why it should not be either, or why the foreigners 
 only should profit by the baneful drug which is the 
 curse of China. The land might be used to better 
 purpose by growing rice or corn, but the opium pays 
 better." 
 
 Just then a terrible sound fell on Lingsam's ear, and 
 she clutched at the nearest bit of Chang she could find, 
 which proved to be his pig-tail. 
 
 " Whatever is it ? " she cried. 
 
 " Why, only a donkey," answered Chang, rescuing 
 his unfortunate plait. 
 
 " Then it should not make all that noise," answered 
 she crossly, angry with herself for being frightened, 
 and seeing that Chang thought her very silly to be 
 such a coward. 
 
 Soon after they were again on the march, and in 
 a little while found themselves on the main road. 
 They had hitherto been taking, for the shortening of 
 the journey, by-paths across the hills, under the direc- 
 tion of a guide. 
 
 Even pleasure is fatiguing, and Lingsam grew very 
 tired. The road became dustier and dustier ; it was 
 getting late also, and the wind proved very cold ; so that 
 it was a real joy to her when at last, after a quick turn 
 
THE SISTERS. 155 
 
 in the road, Twa-tou became visible through the dust 
 and gloom. A few minutes after they had passed 
 the gates, and were standing at the door of the house 
 where they were to stay during their short visit to 
 the little town, and which belonged to a relative of 
 Chang's. 
 
 Lingsam was delighted with the little mountain city 
 in which her sister dwelt, and was very eager to be off 
 to see Wang-fu early the next morning ; but Chang said 
 that he must first call on her husband, so Lingsam had 
 to restrain her impatience for awhile. At last, how- 
 ever, much later in the day, she and her chair arrived 
 at the door of her sister's home. 
 
 Wan^-fu's husband met her and conducted her in 
 silence across a long passage and into a large room, 
 where sat a sour-looking elderly woman, to whom he 
 presented her, saying that it was his mother. 
 
 Lingsam bowed herself with becoming reverence, 
 almost touching the floor with her head, and then 
 looked eagerly round for her sister, but she was no- 
 where to be seen. Only two girls, younger than 
 Lino-sam, were in the room, and a woman many years 
 her senior, the wife of the eldest son, Wang-fu's 
 brother-in-law. 
 
 " Where is Wang-fu ? " asked Lingsam, feeling very 
 shy and awkward. 
 
 " I have sent for her," was the answer. 
 
156 THE SISTERS. 
 
 Just then there entered a pale, hollow-eyed woman 
 with a slow, weary step. 
 
 Could this be Wang-fu ? 
 
 But if Lingsam did not recognize this weary, sad- 
 looking creature as her sister of old, Wang-fu instantly 
 knew little Lingsam, who looked the same as in those 
 happy days of long ago, only more womanly, more 
 beautiful. 
 
 The tears rose to her eyes as she threw herself into 
 her little sister's arms. 
 
 " What a fuss ! Dear me, Wang-fu is delighted," 
 whispered one of the sisters to the other ; and the 
 mother-in-law said hastily, — 
 
 " That is not the way to welcome your sister ; you 
 forget yourself ; " and then again bade Lingsam in a 
 peremptory tone to be seated. 
 
 Lingsam obeyed meekly, and was at once over- 
 whelmed with a torrent of questions as to her journey, 
 life in Sin-tau, etc., which she answered to the best of 
 her ability, feeling very cross the while at not being- 
 able to talk to her sister, who stood by dejected and 
 silent, while the mother and daughters admired Ling- 
 sam's clothes and jewels. 
 
 " You have lovely ornaments," said the mother ; "but 
 I think your husband must be rather a strange man." 
 
 " Why ? " asked Lingsam, burning with indignation. 
 
 '''■ Whoever heard of so mad a thing as bringing you 
 
THE SISTERS. 157 
 
 on a journey like this ? Of course, if you had been 
 going to settle here it would have been very different ; 
 but as it is, it is a most outrageous proceeding. I 
 wonder your mother-in-law permitted it." 
 
 Lingsam felt very angry, but she began to think as 
 she listened that Nancho had been right after all, 
 and she was miserable at the idea that any one should 
 blame Chang because of his over-kindness to her. 
 
 " Have you a son ? " demanded her interrogator. 
 
 " Yes, a baby boy." 
 
 " I wonder you could leave him." 
 
 " Mother is taking care of him," she answered, the 
 tears rising to her eyes at the thought of her child, for 
 it seemed so long ago since she had seen him. 
 
 " Have you any children ? " asked she of her sister, 
 looking up at her the while. 
 
 " Go and fetch Chi," her mother-in-law demanded 
 of Wang-fu, who disappeared thereupon, to return anon 
 with a little girl of three years old in her arms. 
 
 " She has no boys," said one of the young girls in a 
 tone of utter scorn, and Wang-fu sighed and looked 
 miserably guilty. 
 
 " I am very sorry," said little Lingsam, as she de- 
 lighted the child by giving her some sugar-cane ; and 
 then, after she had shyly begged the mother-in-law's 
 acceptance of a small jade ornament, presented to her 
 sister the really valuable presents she had had so much 
 
158 THE SISTERS. 
 
 pleasure in choosing for her with Nancho's help before 
 she left home. 
 
 " Wang-fu ought indeed to be gratified," said her 
 mother-in-law scornfully, pointing to an embroidered 
 dress. 
 
 " And bangles too ! She will be too grand for us 
 poor folk," said one of the sisters with a titter. 
 
 " It was kind of you to think of me," said Wang-fu 
 in a low voice. " But mother is right : these things 
 are much too fine for me." And her mother-in-law 
 remarking that Lingsam must need some refreshment, 
 Wang-fu left the room, and Lingsam had to undergo 
 another course of questioning, until presently Wang-fu 
 returned with a servant, who carried some dainty food, 
 which Lingsam forced herself to eat, beino- afraid to 
 refuse, though she felt very choky. 
 
 Just then an attendant ushered in with great 
 ceremony the master of the house, his son (Wang-fu's 
 husband), and Chang ; whereupon the mother signed 
 immediately to her daughters to retire, which they 
 reluctantly did. Chang was duly presented first to 
 the mother and then to Wang-fu, who received a scowl- 
 ing glance from her husband, who was comparing her 
 with her pretty sister, and the comparison did not please 
 him. Poor Wang-fu stood trembling with downcast 
 eyes as Chang kindly asked her if she liked Lingsam's 
 presents, and if she thought they would be useful. 
 
THE SISTERS. 159 
 
 " Yes," she answered in a low voice, which caused 
 her husband's wrath to descend upon her devoted 
 head. 
 
 " Cannot you speak ? " he growled. 
 
 Lingsam was very glad to see Chang, though she 
 could not forget what had been said of him, and felt 
 very shy. He saw his little wife's downcast face, and 
 pretty well divined the cause, so was not very much 
 surprised when on his return home late that evening 
 he found Lingsam in tears. 
 
 But he very soon brought back her smiles when he 
 told her that, as he thought she had not seen much of 
 her sister that day, he had asked Wang-fu's husband 
 to consent to her paying a return visit alone the 
 following afternoon. 
 
 " I had some difficulty in persuading him, but he is 
 very anxious for the use of my name in an affair in 
 Sin-tau, so consented in the end. You see, little one, 
 it is a good thing to have an influential husband." 
 
 " You are the very best of husbands, and so 
 thoughtful," answered Lingsam. " Oh dear, what 
 should I have done if I had married a horrid old 
 man ! " And she went to bed having come to the con- 
 clusion that her Chang was just " a darling pet," — at 
 least that is how an enthusiastic young English lady 
 would have translated her thoughts. 
 
 When the next afternoon came round it brought 
 
160 THE SISTERS. 
 
 with it Wang-fu, closely veiled, and looking very ner- 
 vous. But Lingsam's bright welcome soon reassured 
 her. Her loving little sister made her sit down and 
 rest, and having called to the servant to bring some 
 tea, settled herself at her feet just, as she remarked, 
 like old times. 
 
 They had much to talk about, these two sisters, 
 and Wang-fu rejoiced as she heard from Lingsam's 
 eager lips the story of her happy love ; for Lingsam, 
 in the fulness of her heart, poured it all out, led on 
 by the eager questioning of her elder sister. 
 
 " He must be very good," said Wang-fu. " I thought 
 him very handsome." 
 
 " Is he not ? " answered Lingsam ; but added, lower- 
 ing her voice, " I fear I am very selfish. Tell me, 
 dear, about yourself." 
 
 " I think I must have been married on the most 
 unlucky clay of all that year," sighed Wang-fu. " But 
 I like to hear about you and your home, dear sister ; 
 your story is most interesting." 
 
 " I do not like your mother-in-law at all," said 
 Lingsam. 
 
 " She is very unkind," replied Wang-fu ; and drawn 
 on by her sister's loving sympathy, she told of her 
 petty daily vexations and the spite of her mother and 
 sisters-in-law, which made her life one long misery. 
 
 " She hates me," she said. 
 
THE SISTERS. 101 
 
 " Why do you not tell your husband?" said innocent 
 Lingsam. 
 
 " Tell him ! He is cruel, cruel. He despises me 
 because I have no boys, and he is so passionate. It 
 is quite impossible to please him," she added. There 
 was a dull despair in her attitude as she leant back 
 wearily which was sadder than tears ; but Lingsam 
 could not understand her sister's apparent calmness. 
 
 " Do you not care ? " she asked. 
 
 " Oh yes ; but I am getting accustomed to it all." 
 
 Happy little Lingsam could not even guess half the 
 bitter meaning of that last sentence, but her heart 
 ached for her sister. 
 
 " How I wish," she answered, " that you had a baby 
 boy like mine." 
 
 " So do I," sighed Wang-fu longingly ; " then I 
 should not be so despised." 
 
 " Have you had no other children ? " 
 
 " One little girl ; but he and his mother decided 
 they could not afford to bring it up." 
 
 " What did they do with it ? " 
 
 " Left it in the streets." 
 
 "I could not have borne that," said Lingsam, her 
 mother instinct on fire. 
 
 " Every one does it ; and it was best for the poor 
 little thing," said Wang-fu indifferently. 
 
 " I shall pray that you may have a baby boy just 
 
 (175) 11 
 
162 THE SISTERS. 
 
 like mine, and offer offerings for your sake at the 
 temple of Kum-fa," said Lingsam. " How I wish you 
 could see my treasure ! " 
 
 " The chair has come/"' announced the servant ; and 
 Wang-fu rose. 
 
 " But you have not seen Chang." 
 
 " I dare not stay," was the reply. 
 
 " Good-bye then," sobbed Lingsam. " I do wish 
 you were happier." 
 
 " It is fate," said Wang-fu resignedly ; " but, my 
 sister, it gives me great joy to know you are so 
 blessed." And unselfish Wang-fu went away feeling 
 happier than she had done for many a long day ; 
 while Lingsam, throwing herself on the now vacant 
 divan, argued the question in her own mind as to 
 whether she could ever get used to such a life as her 
 sister led, and her rebellious little spirit answered 
 a determined " No, never." 
 
 Next day Chang and she left for their return 
 journey, and were soon home; and Lingsam greeted 
 Nancho with extra warmth as she felt how good, how 
 kind she always was to her. 
 
 And so ended Lingsam's first journey, from which 
 she learned that increased knowledge does not mean 
 always increased happiness, and was more than ever 
 confirmed in her opinion that she had the loveliest 
 boy and the best husband in all China. 
 
THE SISTERS. 163 
 
 But although she knew it not, a terrible shadow 
 hung above her unconscious head. Alas ! Chang 
 could now no longer hug to himself the comforting 
 thought " only once," for he had yet again tasted the 
 poisonous sweetness of the opium-pipe. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Sbe IRoao to IRuin. 
 
 " Let us alone ! what pleasure can we have 
 To war with evil ? Is there any peace 
 In ever climbing up the climbing wave ? " 
 
 Tennyson. 
 
 " Children ! there is nothing upon earth 
 More miserable than she that has a son 
 And sees him err." Tennyson. 
 
 CHANG did not forget his promise to see Pu- 
 tao, and talk to him about the investment 
 Lao and his friend had spoken to him of as so lucra- 
 tive and full of promise. 
 
 The result was that one day, a week or so after his 
 return from Twa-tou, he made his appearance at the 
 door of the office where Lao generally was in daily 
 attendance ; for he was supposed to help his uncle in 
 his business, though for all he really did his services 
 could easily have been dispensed with. 
 
 Chang, after the usual number of " chin-chin-ings," 
 entered at once into the business, and was soon deep 
 in conversation, for he was anxious to get every infor- 
 
THE ROAD TO RUIN. 165 
 
 mation, and had come armed by Pu-tao with a whole 
 phalanx of questions. 
 
 Lao found himself utterly nonplussed, and being 
 shrewd enough to know that the, to him, delightful 
 game of invention was not a safe one to play in 
 this instance, for once owned himself ignorant, and 
 proposed an adjournment to Machu's house. 
 
 " Why ever does he live here ? " said fastidious 
 Chang as they stopped at a very small house in a 
 poor neighbourhood. 
 
 " Poor as can be, and burdened with a wife and 
 children," answered Lao, with a shrug of his shoulders 
 which was most expressive. " I am glad my be- 
 trothed died," he continued. 
 
 " Fortunate for her also," thought Chang. 
 
 A weak-looking, miserable woman, her eyes red 
 with weeping, stood in the court holding in her arms 
 a thin little baby. 
 
 But that she had the insignia of rank in China, even 
 the atrocious little lily feet, Chang would never have 
 believed his ears when he heard his cousin ask her if 
 her husband was in the house, and a wave of pity surged 
 over him as he thought of another mother and child. 
 
 " He is in there," she answered, pointing to a cur- 
 tain on the left, and gazing intently on Chang as he 
 followed Lao, who disappeared immediately through 
 the opening. 
 
166 THE ROAD TO RUIN. 
 
 The room, which was most meagre and filthy in 
 appearance, filled Chang with utter disgust. On a 
 hard couch in the centre lay Machu, armed with his 
 beloved pipe and a newly-prepared bowl. 
 
 " Just in the nick of time," thought Lao; a thought 
 Machu did not echo, but he was terribly " hard up," 
 and knew this was his last chance of winning back 
 some of his lost fortune, and one not to be thrown 
 awa} T even for his favourite indulgence. So with a 
 sigh he resigned himself to the inevitable, and though 
 suffering both bodily and mentally from the depriva- 
 tion he was obliged to undergo, yet threw himself with 
 as much heartiness as he could muster into the discus- 
 sion that arose, though his heart's desire was with the 
 pipe that lay so temptingly on the table before him. 
 
 Chang, as he drew forth answers one by one to his 
 many questions, began to think that the project was 
 not likely to be so brilliant a success as he had at first 
 imagined. He therefore, anxious to be sure of his 
 ground before advising his friend further, outwitted 
 Lao by remaining on when that gentleman, seeing 
 matters were not particularly favourable towards his 
 cause, pleaded an appointment as an excuse, and pro- 
 posed concluding the interview. 
 
 But Lao was not the only one disgusted by Chang's 
 resolution. Machu was beginning to feel that he had 
 borne his present tantalizing position long enough. 
 
TEE ROAD TO RUIN. 107 
 
 He had offered both Lao and Chang opium -pipes on 
 their arrival, but they had refused. 
 
 When, however, the presence of Lao, of whom 
 Machu stood in much awe, was removed, he deter- 
 mined on a bold game, and again offered Chang a 
 pipe, not expecting him to accept, but hoping thus to 
 make an excuse for smoking his own. 
 
 To his surprise, however, Chang accepted his offer, 
 and his so-called friend rose to prepare a pipe for him, 
 getting quite excited as he explained that he had 
 some particularly beautiful and delicate opium sent 
 him by a friend from Hong-kong. 
 
 Chang, alas ! all through the conversation, inter- 
 ested though he had been in it, had felt an innate 
 drawing towards that impish-looking pipe, and a 
 passionate longing to taste again the fascinating drug, 
 though he had not intended to succumb to his evil in- 
 clination ; but when Machu framed his sudden, unex- 
 pected question, his lips, ere he had time to pause and 
 consider, in an affirmative answer expressed the desires 
 of the mind. 
 
 Even now he knew it was not too late ; he could 
 still refuse and fly from the house and temptation. 
 
 Far away he seemed to hear a soft low voice be- 
 seeching him not to throw away his happiness and 
 peace of mind by indulging in the untrue excitement, 
 in the strange shadowy bliss, for which his soul craved. 
 
168 THE ROAD TO RUIN. 
 
 But would not Machu think him rude if he now 
 refused, after having first accepted his kind offer ? It 
 was only for once, and so on through all the one hun- 
 dred and one excuses man can always frame for doing 
 what he desires. Excuses ! are they not even the most 
 dangerous of all forms of self-deception ? Ere the list 
 was finished the pipe was ready and in his hand, and 
 the next downward step taken on the " road to ruin." 
 
 Ah ! how very easy always proves that downward 
 path ; of it indeed is the French proverb true, Ce 
 n'est que le premier pas qui coute. Is aught more 
 difficult than to stay the course of the stone that is 
 rolling down the mountain-side, or to help the man 
 habitually overcome by any one besetting sin, what- 
 ever it may be ? Well it is for the sons of men that 
 the God who ruleth in the heavens is He with whom 
 nothing is impossible ; otherwise who would not oft be 
 tempted to despair both of himself and of those he 
 loves. 
 
 As on the mountain-side the easy, rapid descent 
 is ever followed by hard, laborious climbing ere the 
 unwary traveller regains the former heights or ascends 
 still loftier ones, so is it with the upward path of virtue. 
 But by the great law of compensation which governs 
 the world, the weary climber is rewarded by a wider 
 view and a purer air ; whereas during the easy descent 
 into the valley every step lower the air is less bracing, 
 
THE ROAD TO RUIN. 169 
 
 the heights are less visible, and soon the mists of the 
 vale encompass and envelop their victims. 
 
 When, an hour or so later, Chang returned to his 
 house, the fascinating poison had again worked its 
 will, unresisted, and had left him weaker both in 
 body and in mind than before to conquer the deadly 
 appetite which was threatening to overpower his 
 manhood. He had now no desire to confess to his 
 mother of his visit to the opium saloon ; for he knew 
 that confession meant renunciation. He therefore re- 
 ceived without a word of explanation the solicitations 
 of Nancho and his young wife, even allowing to pass 
 by in silence a sad little remark of anxious Lingsam's 
 that she hoped he was not going to have a fever and 
 die, for she was sure she could never live without him. 
 Thus, as usual, one sin succeeded another, and Chang 
 concealed the' truth, trusting that to his women in 
 their secluded lives might come no whisper of his new 
 and sad passion. 
 
 Of course he said to himself (like the child who, 
 having gone as near the edge of the river as possible, 
 yet remarks, " I did not mean to fall in "), " I do not 
 mean to become an opium-smoker like Machu, but I 
 like it, and I mean most certainly to have an occa- 
 sional pipe as Lao does." But Lao had a constitution 
 like iron, and was in every way very unlike his 
 passionate, noble, eager young cousin. 
 
170 THE ROAD TO RUIN. 
 
 Next day Chang again called on Machu, because, 
 so he deceived himself, it was necessary to hear once 
 more one or two of his arguments. His friend Pu- 
 tao was not very eager about the new investment ; 
 indeed it was not until after several visits and much 
 consultation that the question was finally settled to 
 the satisfaction of Machu and Lao, but rather against 
 the better judgment of Pu-tao, who, however, found 
 relief in the reflection that Chang was a much cleverer 
 man of business than he was, and that his judgment 
 was surely to be trusted. 
 
 By the time Lao and Machu started for Australia, the 
 latter leaving behind him his broken-hearted wife and 
 young children, Chang had, from " an occasional pipe," 
 grown to be an ardent devotee of the god of opium, 
 though not smoking so much at the opium den as at 
 Machu's house. 
 
 Machu had willingly procured him the opium for 
 his most welcome ready cash ; he had not scrupled 
 also to charge enormously for commission, and would 
 chuckle to himself as the " gulled " Chang paid him, 
 without questioning, exactly what he asked. 
 
 Perhaps — who can tell ? — Chang, when his so-called 
 friends had left the city, might have conquered his 
 new temptation even then, but for an unfortunate 
 discovery made by poor little Lingsam on the morn- 
 ing following their departure. 
 
THE ROAD TO RUIN. 171 
 
 Machu had made what he called his last bargain 
 for Chang, and obtained for him some more of the 
 extra good opium of which he was always boasting. 
 Some of this precious drug — precious certainly as re- 
 garded money — Chang had carelessly left on a little 
 slab, and Lingsam, with the usual wifely curiosity, a 
 characteristic of wives not confined to Chinese ladies, 
 rinding the small parcel, opened it. 
 
 " Whatever is this ? " she asked. 
 
 Guilty Chang looked round. " Put that down," he 
 said sharply. 
 
 " Why ? " answered she, her bright innocent face 
 raised to his. 
 
 Quick as lightning he took in the emergency. 
 
 " Listen to me," said he, taking advantage of her 
 ignorance and simplicity. " Can you keep a secret ? " 
 
 " Of course," answered Lingsam, looking pleased 
 and important. 
 
 " Promise me not to tell mother then, and I will 
 tell you something, little woman." 
 
 " Yes ; but why must I not tell mother ? You 
 always tell her everything, you know." 
 
 Chang winced under the innocent little remark. 
 " But she must not know this, Lingsam. Promise 
 me," he said. " It would make her so unhappy." 
 
 " I promise," said Lingsam, secure in her faith that 
 Chang could not do anything wrong. 
 
172 THE ROAD TO RUIN. 
 
 " I am not very strong," he began. 
 
 " I thought you were quite well." 
 
 Chang paid no attention to her answer. " I am 
 taking this as medicine, dear," he continued ; " it does 
 me so much good. I am in pain, and I am miserable, 
 Lingsam, without it, and you would not like me to be 
 miserable, would you ? " 
 
 " Oh no ; but why must not mother know ? and 
 what is the name of the medicine?" she asked, looking 
 at the opium in her hand. 
 
 " Mother would be so anxious about me, and I do 
 not wish her to be worried ; and the name, little one, 
 would be too long for you to pronounce." 
 
 And thus Chang deceived his young wife, and laid 
 upon her tender heart the weight of a heavy secret, 
 and with her unsuspecting help he continued still to 
 indulge his wild passion, and even taught Lingsam to 
 fill his pipe, she never doubting, in her trustful love, 
 but that all was well. But she often wished, nay, 
 even pleaded with Chang from time to time, for per- 
 mission to tell Nancho ; yet, true as steel, she never 
 betrayed his secret. 
 
 Thus weeks passed on, and Chang became daily 
 more and more a slave to his unfortunate habit. He 
 was rapidly changing from the bright, interesting, 
 popular youth, into a miserable, moody, deceitful 
 man. 
 
THE ROAD TO RUIN. 173 
 
 Both Lino'sam and Nancho noticed the alteration 
 
 o 
 
 in his countenance and manner. The former attributed 
 it to his new illness, and longed all the more that his 
 mother knew all about it ; while that loving mother, 
 unable to account for the change in her beloved son, 
 fretted sorely about him. He was still as loving and 
 tender and gentle to her and Lingsam as ever, if 
 possible more so, yet already the shadow of his sin 
 had spread itself over the once happy household. 
 
 So things continued, until one day some one (is 
 there not always some one ready, especially if the 
 news to be related be bad ?) first hinted and then 
 told Nancho how " people " were talking about Chang 
 and his most unfortunate addiction to opium. She 
 denied it indignantly, and so did Lingsam. But when 
 the gossip had gone, Nancho sat still with set face 
 and clasped hands. An awful thought, a terrible 
 dread was upon her. Could it be possible that her 
 own son had become a victim to the one vice she 
 most hated and loathed ? 
 
 Before evening the storm burst, metaphorically 
 speaking. 
 
 Chang came in, tired, ill, cross, for he had not 
 smoked his beloved pipe once that day, and imme- 
 diately went to his own room to indulge in the much- 
 desired narcotic. 
 
 Then his mother did what she had never done 
 
174 THE ROAD TO RUIN. 
 
 before, for she had her suspicions. Leaving her own 
 apartments, she, taking little Lingsam with her, crossed 
 the long, winding passage between them and her son's 
 part of the house, and suddenly entering the room 
 where he was, after a sharp, quick knock, caught him, 
 red-handed, as it were. Nothing could have hurt her 
 more. 
 
 Nancho's temper was quick and very high when 
 roused, and bitter indeed were the words she poured 
 out on her startled son that afternoon — sharp words, 
 true in a certain sense, stinging and caustic in their 
 power, but not those most calculated to win him from 
 his passion. He could hardly believe his own ears. 
 His mother to speak like that to him ! But astonish- 
 ment soon gave way to resentment. 
 
 His filial respect kept him silent as, rising abruptly, 
 he left the room and house. 
 
 " What right had she to come into my part of the 
 house ? " he thought angrily ; and Xancho had indeed 
 broken through the usual Chinese etiquette in so doing. 
 
 Yet deep down in his heart lay a feeling of bitter 
 shame, not so much for the sin of opium-smoking 
 itself as that his mother had discovered his addic- 
 tion to it. " I wish I had never had that first pipe," 
 he sighed, and looking up he found himself just out- 
 side the entrance of that same opium den where he 
 had first yielded to the subtle influence which had 
 
THE ROAD TO RUIN. 175 
 
 now obtained such tremendous power over him. He 
 had been walking hurriedly, not heeding whither he 
 went. A terrible temptation seized on him to go in 
 and have a smoke in peace. It seemed irresistible. 
 The physical exhaustion which now attacked him 
 after any long abstinence from the drug was upon 
 him. After but a minute's indecision spent in listen- 
 ing to the voice of conscience, he deliberately disobeyed 
 the little monitor which bade him refrain from evil, 
 and entered quickly. He was weaker to resist his 
 desires than when first he crossed that dangerous 
 threshold, weaker both bodily and morally ; and also 
 the remembrance of his mother's anger only frightened 
 and irritated him, but did not draw his heart towards 
 her or make him desire to please her. Ashamed of 
 himself, miserable as he thought on her words — those 
 dreadful, bitter words which had fallen from those lips 
 from which before he had never heard one word of 
 reproach — he in his wretchedness longed but to drown 
 her voice in the Lethe of the soothing though poison- 
 ous drug. Thus Chang sank further still into the 
 mire of sin, and this day, which might have proved a 
 turning-point in his downward career, passed by and 
 left him oblivious of his own sin and of the bitter 
 sorrow and pain of those dear to him, his senses en- 
 thralled beneath the baneful influence of the alluring 
 narcotic colled from the beautiful poppy. 
 
176 THE ROAD TO RUIN. 
 
 Meanwhile his mother, the vehemence of her passion 
 having subsided, yearned for the son who, until that 
 miserable day, had ever seemed to her the very em- 
 bodiment of her fulfilled wishes, and whom yet she 
 loved with all a mother's love for her only child, 
 though she knew, and the knowledge was bitterest 
 agony, that the perfect confidence she had until now 
 placed in her son was gone for ever ; for had he not 
 deceived her, and disobeyed her very strictest com- 
 mand ? 
 
 " He knew," she thought in hard displeasure, " my 
 horror of opium-smoking and the opium trade. Ah, 
 my poor husband ! he always said it would prove the 
 bane of our country ; but that his own son should 
 have become an opium-smoker ! Our Feng-shui must 
 indeed be against us," and she sighed the weary sigh 
 of one whose brightest hopes are crushed. 
 
 And what of little Lingsam ? Poor child — for 
 indeed she was hardly more than a child in years 
 even now, though with the troubles of the wife and 
 mother on her young shoulders — she could not grasp 
 like her mother the dreadful tenacity of the sin and 
 the fatal consequences ofttimes of it; but her little 
 heart was oppressed with the thought that her beloved 
 husband had done wrong, and what he himself (and 
 this was a puzzle to simple Lingsam) had always con- 
 demned in others. And then, had he not deceived her ? 
 
THE ROAD TO RUIN. 177 
 
 Could it be indeed true, she thought, that what he 
 called medicine had been after all opium — the dreadful 
 drug she had always heard so much spoken against ? 
 Perhaps mother was mistaken, and after all it was 
 good for him to take it, with his illness. Mother 
 knew nothing about the illness. But could she have 
 been deceived in this also ? she asked herself. Was 
 this said illness after all a fictitious one ? No, she 
 could not believe it. Her sweet, child-like faith in 
 him she loved was not broken, though so rudely 
 shaken. And therefore of those three, little Lin«\sam 
 was by far the happiest, for love still sheltered her, 
 and in her ignorance she could hope where Nancho, 
 with wider knowledge, could only despair. 
 
 Indeed the heaviest weight on Lingsam's mind was 
 the dread of what Nancho would say if ever she dis- 
 covered her secret and knew how she had often pre- 
 pared that very pipe of his with her deft little fingers 
 in her ignorance. How angry she would be, she 
 thought ; and though Lingsam knew that she would 
 not deserve that anger, still she trembled violently, for 
 had she not only that very afternoon seen Nancho in 
 a storm of passion ? The tender little heart had been 
 almost overwhelmed with horror as she had stood a 
 silent witness of that terrible scene between mother 
 and son. 
 
 Thus beofan a new era in little Lingsam's home-life. 
 
 (175) 12 
 
178 THE ROAD TO RUIN. 
 
 Many and many were the long discussions between 
 Nancho and Chang, ending ofttimes in tears and woe. 
 In weary fluctuations of hope and then despair the 
 days dragged slowly on, as Chang, in answer to his 
 mother's prayers and entreaties, made many faint 
 struggles, coupled with real desires, to conquer his 
 terrible craving for the opium. But, alas ! it was like 
 the famous crab's walk, one step on and two back- 
 ward, or like the sad floundering of the captive fish. 
 Not that he was deaf to his mother's entreaties, but 
 a subtle temptation had taken fearful hold on him, 
 and he seemed completely overcome by it. 
 
 Ofttimes he felt that he would give much to be his 
 old self again, free and contented as of yore ; but as 
 day by day and week by week passed on, he desired 
 it less and less, as the fatal influence of the drug more 
 and more enthralled him, and he gradually became 
 more dead to higher and nobler thoughts. 
 
 And then came another turning-point to Chang, 
 another place where the two roads met, and he might 
 choose either the steep path which alone could save 
 him, or follow still the " road to ruin " to the bitter 
 end. 
 
 One afternoon, returning from the opium saloon, 
 now his daily resort, he met his friend Pu-tao, and 
 walking with him Maurice Graham. 
 
 Maurice's face saddened as he beheld Chang, for 
 
THE ROAD TO RUIN. 179 
 
 his practised eye soon saw that he had been smoking 
 opium ; but he did not speak, only bowed gravely as 
 Pu-tao introduced him. 
 
 " I am glad to see you, Chang," cried Pu-tao. " I 
 want to speak to you. I never can find you at home 
 or at your business." 
 
 " You are engaged, are you not ?" said Chang rather 
 sulkily. 
 
 " Not so much so that I cannot speak to you. Mr. 
 Graham will excuse me," and he turned to Maurice 
 with profuse apologies which were courteously acknow- 
 ledged. 
 
 Then they all, Chang very reluctantly, made their 
 way to Pu-tao's house, which was close by, Pu-tao 
 grasping his arm, determined not to lose sight of him 
 now he had at last met him, for he was most anxious 
 to know if Chang had heard from his cousin Lao lately. 
 " I will fetch those papers for you, Mr. Graham/' 
 he remarked when they were all seated. 
 
 " Thank you," answered Maurice, and watched the 
 fussy little merchant bustle off. 
 
 He soon returned with the desired documents, and 
 Maurice, seeing his room was wanted more than his 
 company, rose immediately he had swallowed the cup 
 of tea brought by the servant. (He had quite got over 
 his old English preference for milk and sugar.) A 
 short but decisive struggle had been taking place in 
 
180 THE ROAD TO RUIN. 
 
 his mind as he sipped the choice beverage, as to 
 whether or not he should offer his help to Chang. 
 " I could cure him if he would let me," he thought. 
 " Ought I not to tell him so, and plead with him to 
 come to the Refuge, if only for the sake of his little 
 wife? But what is the use of doing so? It will 
 only bring on me an uncivil refusal most likely," and 
 Maurice's proud spirit hated refusals. He therefore 
 compromised. 
 
 "Will you not come up and see my Hospital and 
 Refuge some day?" he asked pleasantly. "We have 
 just added some new beds. It is really worth a visit, 
 and I can promise to give you some tea." 
 
 " Thank you," said Chang warmly. " I should like 
 to do so very much." 
 
 "But not a pipe, Chang," put in Pu-tao. "Mr. 
 Graham professes to cure men of all such evil pro- 
 pensities. He is the man for you." 
 
 Chang looked very annoyed at this remark, and 
 Pu-tao continued, — 
 
 " You are a strange people, you foreigners. Your 
 Government makes a fortune by selling opium to us 
 Chinamen, and you and others spend your life in 
 trying to cure the victims of it. Surely it would be 
 much better if you stayed in England and stopped 
 it from being sent to us, for we Chinamen would be 
 glad to do without both the disease and the remedy." 
 
THE 110 AD TO RUIN. 181 
 
 And Pu-tao stopped, quite out of breath, for this was 
 a long speech for a slow John Chinaman. 
 
 " Do come, if you can," said Maurice, still speaking 
 to Chang and apparently ignoring Pu-tao's long speech, 
 for he knew not how to answer it. But there was 
 no response from Chang this time. At last the polite 
 bowings which make the simple parting of acquaint- 
 ances in China, where no one ever is or certainly ever 
 ought to be in a hurry take as long a time as it 
 takes an ordinary Englishman to catch the train he 
 has sighted, were over, and Maurice was on his way 
 home. 
 
 Very disheartened he felt, angry with himself that 
 he had not been braver, had not tried to press more 
 strongly upon Chang the necessity of striving to 
 overcome the curse of opium-smoking, and wondering 
 if he should ever get accustomed to speeches like that 
 so lately made by Pu-tao, speeches he heard nearly 
 every day. " I do not believe that I ever shall be," 
 he thought, even though the old proverb says, " Eels 
 get accustomed to skinning." 
 
 Half an hour later Chang left the same house in 
 an equally ruffled state of mind ; for he had annoyed 
 Pu-tao by his nonchalance, and the latter had not 
 scrupled to tell him some home truths not pleasant to 
 hear. As he returned to his own home, remembering 
 happier days, when he had been able to face the 
 
182 THE ROM) TO RUIN. 
 
 world without thought of shame, and was honoured 
 by all his fellow-citizens, he almost decided on going 
 to see Maurice Graham, who, he knew, might succeed 
 in curing him of his pernicious habit. 
 
 Later that same evening Chang visited his mother 
 and wife in their apartments, but no glad exclamation 
 greeted his entrance. 
 
 " Chang, have you been to the saloon to-day ? " 
 asked Nancho. 
 
 " Yes, mother.'" 
 
 " After your promise of yesterday ? " 
 
 And then ensued an uncomfortable pause, broken 
 by a long sigh from Nancho. 
 
 Meanwhile Lingsam crept softly to Chang's side — 
 for did she not still love him dearly ? — but a hot tear 
 dropped on the hand she had tremblingly taken, and 
 Chang knew it was because of his folly that it had 
 fallen. 
 
 "I will try to conquer this opium-craving," he 
 thought, with a more resolute feeling in his heart 
 than he had ever felt before, then said aloud, — 
 
 "Mother, I am going to see Mr. Graham at the 
 Refuge. I met him to-day." 
 
 A still longer pause followed his words, and then 
 Nancho answered, — 
 
 "You know how I dislike foreigners. I believe 
 you w r ish to go just to annoy me. At one time you 
 
THE ROAD TO RUIN. 183 
 
 used always to obey my wishes like a dutiful son. I 
 forbid you to go there." 
 
 " I will not go if you do not desire it," answered 
 Chang willingly enough, for he was already repenting 
 his resolution and dreading the consequences — never 
 another pipe. " And perhaps I might not be able to 
 be cured after all. Mr. Graham never said I could 
 be, and I should vex mother for nothing," he thought. 
 
 Thus, whether owing to Maurice's pride, or to 
 Nancho's prejudice, or to his own weakness, Chang 
 still continued his headlong course of sin and folly, — 
 down, down, down ; and what shall save him ? 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 England anb Cbina. 
 
 " Man's inhumanity to man 
 Makes countless thousands mourn. ' 
 
 BUENS. 
 
 IITTLE Lingsam was wandering slowly about in 
 _> the beautiful garden belonging to her home, 
 her hands filled with freshly-gathered blossoms white 
 as snow, which reminded her of Evelyn ; for had she 
 not worn those same beautiful flowers in her peculiar 
 dress that eventful night ? 
 
 " I wonder," thought Lingsam sadly, as she recalled 
 that evening, " if her husband ever smokes opium ; " 
 and then she heaved a little weary sigh. For, alas ! 
 during the last few months the young wife had been 
 serving an apprenticeship to sorrow, and her heart 
 was very heavy as she thought on her husband's mad 
 devotion to the opium-pipe. 
 
 Little Lingsam still, in spite of everything, loved 
 Chang dearly; and with whomsoever else he was ir- 
 ritable, he was ever gentle and kind towards her. 
 
ENGLAND AND CHINA. 185 
 
 Nancho could hardly understand the love these two 
 bore towards each other, or realize the tender affection 
 awakened in those kindred souls when they had met 
 but to be separated : or how to each of them the 
 remembrance of the other had been as a bright star 
 on a dark night, until kind Fate had brought them 
 together once again, to be reunited by the holiest of 
 bonds. In China a husband is not supposed to love 
 his wife. At any rate, it is not quite comme il faut 
 there to own to doing such a foolish thing ; but hearts 
 are not easily kept in order, and men and women 
 will " fall in love," if they get a chance, whether it 
 be the custom of their country or not. Affection is 
 not always to be controlled by the laws of men, and 
 "love" is the most self-willed of virtues, and will 
 " e'en " have its own way if it can. 
 
 But it was not only the sight of her fragrant 
 bouquet which had caused Lingsam's thoughts to 
 recur to Evelyn and Tom Towers. That very day 
 Chang had brought her a little clay figure, not very 
 well proportioned and but roughly executed. It was 
 the figure of an Englishman, holding in one hand a 
 ball of opium, in the other a large umbrella. This 
 work of art(?) he had purchased of a man in the 
 street for a few pence, who had had no intention of 
 caricaturing when he had thus modelled his clay, 
 but had only endeavoured to convey his idea of an 
 
186 ENGLAND AND CHINA. 
 
 Englishman, and his idea is that of most of his 
 countrymen. 
 
 " See, wife," Chang had said, placing it before her, 
 " do you recognize your laughing friend ? " 
 
 " It is not unlike," said Lingsam, pleased as a child 
 with a new toy. "But what is he holding in his 
 hand ? " she continued. 
 
 " A ball of opium, of course," Chang had answered. 
 " You know they send us opium in exchange for our 
 tea and silk, and I think they get the best of the 
 bargain." 
 
 "Your father used to say," put in Nancho, who 
 was standing by, " that they wanted to destroy all us 
 Chinese. During the war they killed thousands with 
 their dreadful weapons, and then they would continue 
 to send us opium to kill off the rest." 
 
 " mother, surely that is an exaggeration ! " said 
 Chang ; but Nancho still retained her opinion, held, 
 alas ! by others besides herself. 
 
 " I cannot think," said Lingsam, " why our Govern- 
 ment does not stop the English people from sending 
 us any more opium." 
 
 " Simply because it would bring about another war. 
 You know that was the reason of our former wars 
 with England — sad wars surely for us. And then 
 we had to indemnify the English, and repay them for 
 all the opium destroyed by Lin." 
 
ENGLAND AND CHINA. 187 
 
 " He was an excellent man," said Nancho. 
 
 " Rather too impetuous," returned her son ; " but 
 he went the right way to work to stop the opium- 
 smoking. And I believe he would have succeeded 
 also, but for the English protection of the trade and 
 the war that arose therefrom. A very good thing for 
 ' the great kingdom ' [China] it would have been had 
 he and the Emperor Tai-pung been able to work their 
 will," — " and for myself also," he added sotto voce ; for 
 Chano- never denied that the habit he had contracted 
 was an evil one. 
 
 " Heaven will never bless the English nation. The 
 way in which they have behaved to us is shameful ! " 
 said Nancho ; and then the subject dropped. 
 
 It was this conversation that little Lingsam was 
 pondering upon while wandering in the fair garden ; 
 the result of her cogitations being such a very grave 
 little face that Nancho inquired, on joining her, 
 " What is the matter ?" 
 
 " I was only thinking about the English," she re- 
 sponded. " I wonder if they know what mischief the 
 opium is doing to our people ? " 
 
 " Of course they do," responded Nancho. " They 
 are bad people — outer barbarians. Very, very differ- 
 ent from us ; " and she tossed her head with conscious 
 pride of race. 
 
 " That must be our excuse for them," said gentle 
 
188 ENGLAND AND CHINA. 
 
 Lingsam, " if they are not so enlightened as we are. 
 I suppose they have never had good wise sages like 
 Confucius and Mencius to teach them the right." 
 
 " Curse them!" murmured Nancho. " White ghosts ! 
 white devils ! But come indoors now and finish your 
 embroidery," she continued crossly. 
 
 Lingsam obeyed, although she longed to linger in 
 the bright garden ; for she had read that very morn- 
 ing how Heaven ever blessed the patient and dutiful 
 daughter-in-law, and therefore with reluctant steps 
 she turned towards the house. 
 
 The " opium war," as Mr. Justin M'Carthy calls it, 
 and the other war with China, which was in reality 
 but a sequel of the same, are nowadays but matters of 
 history. Mea culpa, however, should surely be the 
 cry of the English nation with regard to the cause of 
 those wars, even though they have led to the " opening 
 up " of that huge country of China to the " foreign 
 white devils " — the polite term applied by Chinamen 
 to the pale-faced Europeans. And now, whether for 
 good or evil, Western inventions, Western progress, 
 Western civilization, are being gradually introduced 
 into that ancient kingdom which, when our forefathers 
 pursued the chase in the wild forests of Britain, was 
 the same as it is to-day, with the same parental 
 government, wielding as now its wonderful force 
 throughout that whole populous nation, and teaching 
 
ENGLAND AND CHINA. 189 
 
 the same lofty philosophy of the sages of old, and 
 with then as now the same mighty aristocracy of 
 learning. 
 
 But though the past is gone never to return, and 
 the "old order changeth, giving place to new," yet 
 still the opium trade, legalized by treaties signed 
 under protest for fear of the cannon's roar, is carried 
 on with China, not even by English traders, but by 
 England herself, the nation that boasts so proudly of 
 her equity, her noble laws, and her free subjects. Yet 
 yearly the revenue of her great Indian dependency is 
 augmented by taking advantage of the weakness of 
 a people she despises as unequal to her in power, in 
 knowledge, and in understanding.* 
 
 " I suppose my son is out," said Nancho to the ser- 
 vant, on her return to the house. 
 
 " Yes, madam," answered she, bowing herself to the 
 ground before her mistress. 
 
 All the same Chang was not out, but in his own 
 apartments. In his hand he held a letter, and his 
 face wore a troubled expression as he read it; for it 
 was from Lao, and contained many disagreeable facts. 
 Lao had not been successful in his present any more 
 than in his previous enterprises. Thus he wrote, and 
 added that " he feared in a month or two at most he 
 
 *For further information on this subject write to the Secretary, 
 S.S.O.T., Broadway Chambers, Westminster, S.W. 
 
190 ENGLAND AND CHINA. 
 
 must throw up the whole business — that was, unless 
 he could have large additional funds. But it hap- 
 pened," he continued, " that he had a chance of selling 
 the whole affair, at a loss certainly, but that would be 
 far better surely than the alternative. However, he 
 could not proceed with the sale until he had had a 
 letter from Pu-tao. Would Chang go at once and see 
 him, for he must know by the next mail, or it would 
 be too late to effect the sale ? 
 
 " I was a fool to trust Lao and Machu. I expect 
 the latter is dead, as my cousin predicted, as he does 
 not mention him." (Which said surmise was the 
 truth.) "What a long time this letter has taken 
 coming ! " Chang thought, looking at the date. " I 
 must go and see Pu-tao as soon as possible, for he 
 must write to-night, or the letter will not arrive in 
 time." 
 
 He was on the point of rising to go and pay his 
 intended visit to Pu-tao, when his eye fell on his 
 opium-pipe, always in a prominent position nowadays, 
 and the never-satisfied craving for the drug came over 
 him. He hesitated. He knew he ougtfit to £0 at 
 once to his friend and thus make the best reparation 
 in his power for the harm he had clone him ; but 
 he disliked and dreaded the visit, and it seemed to 
 him some demon, whom he did not seem to have 
 power to resist, drew him onward, onward, until the 
 
ENGLAND AND CHINA. 191 
 
 pipe was in his hand, and he himself lulled into bliss- 
 ful, mad dreamland, while his manhood, his conscience, 
 his whole nature, were being undermined by the deadly 
 fumes of the poppy poison. Again he had yielded to 
 the fearful temptation, which he was becoming every 
 day less and less able to resist, as he succumbed more 
 and more to the deadly influence, until it became 
 almost a necessity to him. 
 
 But his conscience was not yet destroyed ; and when 
 the debauch was over, and he sat sipping some coffee 
 he had ordered, he awoke to the fact that he was 
 now too late, and that Pu-tao was a ruined man. His 
 remorse and contrition were extreme. Never had he 
 so fully realized how fatal to his own interests, how 
 demoralizing in its effects, was the course which he 
 was pursuing ; how fatally strong were the chains he 
 had been forging for himself by indulging in this one 
 sinful, foolish habit, and succumbing to the poisonous 
 fumes, which, however slowly, were equally surely de- 
 stroying and ruining him both physically and men- 
 tally, body and soul. 
 
 " Oh that I could give it up ! " he groaned in his 
 bitter agony of remorse ; and then he remembered the 
 opium refuge and Maurice Graham's invitation. 
 
 He longed to see Maurice, but was shy about 
 making the first advances, and also felt ashamed to 
 own himself as being an opium-smoker. 
 
192 EXGLAXD AXD CHINA. 
 
 And thus matters stood, when one day Ting-Chang 
 received a letter from Maurice Graham, stating that 
 his cousins were staying with him in Sin-tan, and 
 were most anxious to renew his acquaintance ; and 
 that, if he would consent, Mrs. Towers would like to 
 see his wife again. Chang did not know of such a 
 word as " providential," or maybe he would have used 
 it to express his feelings on the receipt of this note. 
 
 Evelyn had been spending some months in America 
 and Japan, as the English doctors had recommended 
 her to have a thorough change of air and scene, and 
 had proposed foreign travel. She was now on her 
 way home with Tom, who had obtained three months' 
 leave; but before returning to Europe, she had per- 
 suaded him to bring her to China to visit some great 
 friends. And then they had proposed to Maurice to 
 spend a few days with him on their way back to 
 Hong-kong, where they were to take the steamer for 
 England — a proposal gratefully accepted by Maurice. 
 
 At first Nancho was horrified at the very idea of a 
 visit from the English lady ; but afterwards, whether 
 from curiosity, or whether from a laudable desire to 
 please her children, she reluctantly consented. 
 
 " She has come, mother ! " cried Lingsam, as the 
 sounds of an arrival reached even the secluded part of 
 the house where the women's apartments were situated. 
 
 Lingsam's black eyes glistened with excitement and 
 
ENGLAND AND CHINA. 193 
 
 her heart beat high with pleasure as she and her 
 mother-in-law sat in the largest of the apartments, 
 waiting to receive their guest. 
 
 Nancho's face, however, bore a dissatisfied expres- 
 sion, which caused Lingsam to add sadly, — 
 
 " I am afraid you are sorry, after all." 
 
 " I hate foreigners," replied Nancho. " I was foolish 
 to let you and my son overpersuade me. Besides, 
 these English send us opium." 
 
 " I know that," said Lingsam, thinking to herself 
 that her mother had told her so hundreds of times at 
 least. 
 
 " I believe she will bring a curse with her, and our 
 Feng-shui are already offended. Chang has, however, 
 given me money to offer to-morrow to the god of 
 riches at the temple, and also some for the collection 
 of printed paper." 
 
 " Oh, may I go with you to the temple to-morrow?" 
 asked Lingsam eagerly. 
 
 " Yes. Hush ! they are coming." 
 
 An instant after, Evelyn, who had been accom- 
 panied by Tom and Maurice, and had been first re- 
 ceived in the guest-hall, was ushered in by Chang, 
 who, after he had presented her in due rotation to his 
 grandmother, mother, and wife, retired, leaving the 
 ladies alone. 
 
 " You must excuse my mother rising," said Nancho. 
 
 (175) -| o 
 
194 ENGLAND AXD CHINA. 
 
 " She is ill, and has lost all power in her legs. She 
 is deaf also." 
 
 " I am sorry," said Evelyn slowly, as she glanced 
 pityingly at the miserable invalid. " How old is 
 she?" 
 
 " Sixty-five," said Nancho. 
 
 " Sixty-seven," interrupted the elder lady. . 
 
 " Oh, that is quite young," remarked Evelyn 
 thoughtlessly, and then saw, by the expression on 
 the faces around her, that she had made a faux pas. 
 
 "How stupid of me!" she thought. "I had for- 
 gotten the Chinese eccentricity of liking to be thought 
 old." 
 
 " Do you remember me ? " she asked Lingsam, after 
 a pause. 
 
 " Yes," was the shy answer. 
 
 " We were so glad to hear you had married your 
 husband ; " and then Evelyn felt she had made rather 
 a silly speech. " Have you any children ?" she asked 
 next. 
 
 " Yes ; a son. Would you like to see him ? " 
 
 " Very much. I love children." 
 
 " May I send for him, mother ? " asked Lingsam ; 
 and as Nancho signed an affirmative, Lingsam clapped 
 her hands, and on an attendant coming at the call, 
 she bade her fetch the child. Then looking at Evelyn 
 she inquired, — 
 
ENGLAND AND CHINA. 195 
 
 " Why do you dress so peculiarly, and not like we 
 do?" 
 
 Eva's dress was a dark-blue serge, trimmed with 
 braid, and tailor-made. Certainly it was a striking 
 contrast to Lingsam's loose garments. Both she and 
 Nancho were dressed in their gayest and best. As 
 it was winter, and the day was chilly, they were en- 
 veloped in clothes ; for " piling on the agony " in 
 clothing is the only idea the Chinese have of warmth ; 
 and little Lingsam, shorter even than most Chinese 
 ladies, looked nearly as broad as she was high. Over 
 all was a very bright pink silk robe, trimmed with 
 pale blue, her long loose sleeves lined with the same 
 colour. Her trousers, not unlike the divided skirts 
 certain ladies advocate, were of the brightest crimson, 
 and richly embroidered. 
 
 Her dark hair, dressed in a remarkably stiff style, 
 was ornamented with pins and jewels ; her arms were 
 bedecked with handsome bangles ; and her ears were 
 dragged down by very heavy ear-rings. Nancho 
 was equally gorgeously attired, only her vest was of 
 brilliant carnation and beautifully embroidered, while 
 her grass-green silk trousers, braided with silver, con- 
 trasted vividly therewith. 
 
 " Why do I dress so ? " replied Evetyn to little 
 Lingsam's question ; " because it is the fashion in 
 England." 
 
196 ENGLAND AND CHINA. 
 
 " What big 'boats' of feet you have!" said Nancho, 
 speaking suddenly. " Your mother must be bad never 
 to have bound your feet as a child." 
 
 Evelyn looked down at her feet, of which she was 
 inclined to be very proud, as they were small and 
 shapely. She rather resented the remark. 
 
 " The women of England never bind their feet. 
 Why, they would not be able to walk." 
 
 " Why should they want to walk ? " said Nancho 
 with a sniff, as if she thought the people of England 
 exceedingly foolish. 
 
 " You were not married when I saw you ? " asked 
 Lingsam ; while Nancho frowned at her for referring 
 to that night. 
 
 " No ; we married on our return to England." 
 
 " So you knew your husband before your marriage, 
 and talked to him, and — " But here Lingsam hesi- 
 tated, catching sight of Nancho's frowning counte- 
 nance. 
 
 " Oh yes," said Evelyn smiling, for she guessed 
 what Lingsam was going to say. " Every one does 
 in England. Why, Tom asked me himself if I would 
 marry him." 
 
 " And you ? " gasped Lingsam. 
 
 " Said yes," replied Evelyn. ' ; My parents had very 
 little to do with the matter, I assure you." 
 
 " Why did you say yes ? ' ; 
 
ENGLAND AND CHINA. 197 
 
 " Because I loved him." 
 
 "A child's first duty is to its parents," remarked 
 Nancho. " How did you meet him first ? " 
 
 " At a party out of doors, where a lot of people 
 get together, and eat and talk." And then she felt 
 she had not lucidly described a picnic. At all events, 
 she utterly failed to make either Nancho or Lingsam 
 understand her. 
 
 " Are all the English married people happy ? " asked 
 Lingsam ; and Evelyn replied in the negative, whilst 
 Nancho shook her head sagely, thinking how much 
 better they managed things in China. 
 
 " Here is baby ! " cried Lingsam. Her exclamation 
 was caused by the child's appearance in his attendant's 
 arms. 
 
 " Will he come to me ? " asked Evelyn, as Lingsam 
 lovingly took the little boy and held him up to be 
 admired. 
 
 " I think he will be frightened," was the answer. 
 
 But baby proved not to be at all shy, and willingly 
 went to the stranger. Evelyn's eyes filled as she 
 gazed on the quaint wee morsel looking up at her so 
 solemnly with its bright black eyes. 
 
 " I like my little mouse so much, and the pretty 
 picture of you. How did you get on to paper ? " said 
 Lingsam. 
 
 " By the aid of the sun," laughed Evelyn. 
 
198 ENGLAND AND CHINA. 
 
 " What ! does the sun come down and walk about 
 with you ? " 
 
 " No," said Evelyn ; and then feeling quite unequal 
 to the task of explaining the science of photography 
 in her imperfect Chinese, she sought refuge in silence. 
 
 " AVhy did you undress first ? " inquired Lingsam 
 innocently. 
 
 " Undress ! " exclaimed Evelyn in surprise. " Oh, 
 I remember now ; I sent you the one taken in my 
 ball-dress — for dancing." 
 
 " What is dancing ? " 
 
 Another puzzler. " Some people play music, and 
 then the gentlemen put their arms around the ladies' 
 waists, and they go round and round in time to the 
 music." 
 
 " An awfully tame description," thought Evelyn. 
 " How difficult it is to explain things ! " But she had 
 effectually startled her listeners. 
 
 " I suppose the gentlemen are the ladies' husbands. 
 It sounds very strange." 
 
 " Oh no," cried Evelyn ; " that would be ridiculous." 
 
 There was a pause of horror. Nancho's opinion of 
 the " English devils " was not rising. 
 
 Fortunately tea came in just then, which was for- 
 mally offered to Evelyn, who accepted the tiny cup ; 
 while Nancho took the opportunity to gain possession 
 of her little grandson. 
 
ENGLAND AND CHINA. 199 
 
 * We drink milk and sugar in our tea in England." 
 said Evelyn, who thought that they would be a wel- 
 come addition to the beverage she held in her hand. 
 
 " How nasty ! " cried Lingsam. 
 
 Evelyn, as she silently sipped her tea, began to 
 ponder philosophically on how custom makes natural 
 and right to many millions that which seems most 
 horrifying and scandalizing to many millions more of 
 other people, differing from them by education, by 
 customs, by manners. And yet, thought she, how 
 prone are we all to judge each other, and to consider 
 that we, and we only, must be, can be, right, refusing 
 to recognize the fact that right is not so much in the 
 what as in the why, and that motive ofttimes justifies 
 action. The knowledge should keep men humble, that 
 what they are doing, in all innocency and uprightness 
 of heart, may, in the eyes of others educated differently, 
 be revolting and ridiculous and wrong. 
 
 Immediately Evelyn had finished her tea, Nancho 
 pressed her with sweets and cakes, until in despera- 
 tion she had to call out " Stop." Then Nancho and 
 Lingsam brought their " treasures " and all their bright 
 jewels to show Evelyn, and she gratified the young 
 wife by stating that she thought Chang must be very 
 good and kind to give her so many pretty things. 
 
 " You are indeed fortunate to have such a good 
 husband" — "and darling baby," she longed to add; but 
 
200 ENGLAND AXD CHINA. 
 
 she remembered just in time how distressed Chinese 
 parents are when their children are admired, for fear 
 the evil spirits will come and take the child away. 
 
 " Does your husband smoke opium ? " 
 
 " Opium ! no, only tobacco," said Evelyn. 
 
 " I smoke tobacco ; don't you ? " 
 
 " No, English ladies never do," replied Evelyn. " No 
 one smokes opium in England," she volunteered. " It 
 is very difficult to get, and it is generally marked 
 c poison ' in big letters, to prevent one from taking it." 
 
 "Then," cried Nancho, "it is true!" 
 
 " What is true ? " said Evelyn. 
 
 " That you want to poison the whole Chinese 
 nation," and she looked triumphantly at Lingsam. 
 
 " Want to poison the Chinese ! What do you 
 mean ? " asked Evelyn, wondering. 
 
 " We were so happy, but now Chang — " began 
 Lingsam. 
 
 " Will you come with us to look over our rooms ? " 
 interrupted Nancho, who was determined Evelyn 
 should not know of her son's disgrace. She felt very 
 angry with Lingsam for what she considered her 
 forwardness with the stranger, as she walked with 
 the oscillating step caused by the deformed lily feet 
 through the women's apartments, Evelyn following, 
 and knowing what was expected of her, pausing often 
 to examine and admire. 
 
ENGLAND AND CHINA. 201 
 
 " Now we had better go into the garden," said 
 Nancho, and then she called one of her attendants 
 and mounted on her back. 
 
 Evelyn quite enjoyed her walk in the beautiful 
 garden, and she and Lingsam found at last a point 
 of agreement in their mutual love of flowers. 
 
 " Have you a large garden in England ? " asked 
 Lingsam, as they returned to the house. 
 
 " No ; not since we gave up our home and came 
 to live in London with my uncle," said Evelyn. 
 
 " What is London ? " 
 
 " A city much larger than Sin-tan." 
 
 " Oh, but what do you do if you have no garden ? " 
 
 " I sro out in the streets," was the answer. 
 
 " Alone ! Are you not frightened ? " 
 
 " I am accustomed to it ; and the streets are much 
 wider than yours." 
 
 Then Evelyn determined to introduce a subject 
 which had been on her mind during all the visit, so 
 she put a question in her turn. 
 
 " Can you read ? " she asked. 
 
 "Yes" answered Lino-sam, easier to dilate on a 
 knowledge of which she was very proud. " I read 
 to mother often. This morning I read about a vir- 
 tuous wife, who was so good and obedient to her 
 mother-in-law, although she was very cruel to her. 
 Can you read ? " 
 
202 ENGLAND AND CHINA. 
 
 " Of course. Every one, even the poor little boys 
 and girls, learns to read in England." 
 
 " What do yon read about in your books ? " 
 
 Lingsam's question was repeated ere Eva found an 
 answer ; for she was racking her brains to think on 
 the sudden what the many books she read were about, 
 feeling sure only of one thing, that they were not 
 about being good and obedient to mothers-in-law. 
 
 " About murders generally," stammered Evelyn at 
 last, feeling that at the moment she could not truth- 
 fully say aught else, yet realizing that this speech was 
 hardly to the credit of the vast educated portion of 
 the British nation. 
 
 " I do not understand," said Nancho, for Eva had 
 unwittingly used the wrong word in Chinese, which 
 made her sentence only a string of nonsense. 
 
 " Murders — killing people," she explained desper- 
 ately. 
 
 " I do not see what particular advantage it can be 
 for your poor boys and girls to learn to read," re- 
 marked Nancho, when she had at last grasped the 
 meaning of Evelyn's speech. 
 
 " Why did you wash your hair and face so 
 pale ? " asked Lingsam suddenly. " They are quite 
 white." 
 
 "I was born so," answered Evelyn a little im- 
 patiently. " See, Lingsam, I have got a present for 
 
ENGLAND AND CHINA. 203 
 
 you," she added. " It is a good, true book, all about 
 the great God." 
 
 " Your God ? " asked Lingsam. 
 
 " Yes," whispered Evelyn softly, as she produced 
 a small Bible, nicely printed in Chinese, and gave it 
 to Lingsam. " You will read it, will you not ? " 
 
 Just then a slight cry arose from Nancho ; for the 
 book had been wrapped up in a loose sheet of one of 
 the daily papers, and as Evelyn uncovered it, the paper 
 had fallen to the ground, and Eva had accidentally 
 nearly put her foot on it. 
 
 Lingsam, on seeing what had happened, bent hur- 
 riedly and picked it up, winning thereby her mother's 
 approval. 
 
 " This is printed paper," she said solemnly. 
 
 c: It is no good. Why, in England I should give 
 it to the butcher to wrap his meat in," said Evelyn 
 rather mischievously. 
 
 Nancho looked the picture of consternation at the 
 very idea ; and just then Evelyn was summoned to 
 go to the gentlemen, who were waiting for her. 
 
 " Well, wine, how have you got on ? " 
 
 " I hardly know. I feel quite confused, and as if 
 I was one bior note of interrogation. It is the first 
 genuine Chinese home I have ever seen , for the 
 people I learned my Chinese from had been in New 
 York some time, and were very American." 
 
204 ENGLAND AND CHINA. 
 
 " What can Maurice be talking about to Ting- 
 Chang ? How altered the Chinese fellow is ! " said 
 Tom. 
 
 " Yes ; and looks ill — his eyes all sunken." 
 
 " Then the day after to-morrow," said Maurice to 
 Chang in Chinese, as he came forward and helped 
 Evelyn into her chair. 
 
 " Maurice, she can read, and I gave her the Bible," 
 whispered Eva. 
 
 " I am so glad, dear," he replied with a bright smile. 
 
 " I wish she was a Chinese lady, Chang," little 
 Lingsam told her husband ; " I cannot help liking 
 her. But just fancy — English ladies go out all alone, 
 and allow gentlemen to put their arms around their 
 waists ; and they live in tall houses, and have no gar- 
 dens ; and they throw away printed paper ; and they 
 read about killing people ! " 
 
 "And they do want to destroy this nation with 
 their wretched opium," announced Nancho. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 H Cruel Ikintmees. 
 
 " A sadder and a wiser man 
 He rose the morrow morn. ' 
 
 Coleridge. 
 
 " Myself am hell ; 
 And, in the lowest deep, a lower deep, 
 Still threat'ning to devour me, opens wide, 
 To which the hell I suffer seems a heaven.' 1 
 
 Milton. 
 
 UP to the excursion which we have planned for 
 to-day ?" asked Maurice Graham, as he and 
 his cousins sat together at breakfast one morning, two 
 or three days after the events recorded in the last 
 chapter. 
 
 " Oh, I'm as right as a trivet, and slept like a top 
 all night," answered Tom, as he helped himself cau- 
 tiously to a rather peculiar-looking dish offered him 
 by the pig-tailecl servant. "Good," he remarked, 
 after a gentle taste. "Tell him I want some more, 
 Evie." 
 
 " Maurice, how tired vou look ! Tom had better 
 
206 A CRUEL KINDNESS. 
 
 return your question/' said Evelyn, after she had 
 obeyed her lord's command. 
 
 " I am quite well," replied Maurice, who was, how- 
 ever, looking very pale. " I have had a regular doc- 
 tor's night of it, and broken rest always knocks me 
 up. I feel as though I need the little trip, but I 
 hardly like to leave my work." 
 
 " I shall take no excuse," said Tom. " You know 
 that ' all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy/ 
 You ought to think of yourself a little." , 
 
 " Chairee comee," announced the servant, causing 
 Tom to exclaim, — 
 
 " How fond those fools are of the letter e !" 
 
 " Mrs. Elliston is determined to have a long day 
 with you, Eva ; she has sent betimes," said Maurice, 
 smiling. 
 
 "We are going to enjoy ourselves, I assure you," 
 laughed Evelyn, as she went to get ready. 
 
 Eva had not cared to undertake the fatigue of the 
 expedition the gentlemen had planned, and had there- 
 fore arranged to spend the day with Mrs. Elliston, 
 the pretty young wife of the only other missionary in 
 Sin-tau, who was delighted at the thought of having- 
 a long chat with her old friend, for she and Evelyn 
 had been at the same school as girls together. Surely 
 there is, as both felt, an unique pleasure in the renew- 
 ing of such an acquaintance, and the happy recalling 
 
A CRUEL KINDNESS. 207 
 
 of little scenes, little memories, aglow with the tender 
 light of other days — of hearing also of those with 
 whom we once walked side by side, but from whom 
 we have long been separated by the flowing river of 
 Time. 
 
 " It is a piW, Maurice, Elliston and his wife live so 
 far from here," said Tom, as they stood watching the 
 sedan-chair safely out of sight. 
 
 " Yes ; I wish they were nearer," answered Maurice, 
 as they turned to go indoors. " Come into the study 
 and wait for me. I must go and see to my patients. 
 If they are doing well, I shall be ready to start in 
 about half an hour's time, I hope." 
 
 Maurice always called this room the study, in re- 
 membrance of the dear old room he and his friends 
 had shared at school, and where they had not only 
 studied, but sung, laughed, and cooked even, in those 
 days now gone by for ever, when the great future of 
 their lives lay before them — that future which was 
 now being rapidly transformed into the present and 
 past tenses. It was a very un-English-looking apart- 
 ment, though, for all its English title ; but Tom had 
 a sailor's knack of making himself at home anywhere 
 and everywhere, and when Maurice next made his 
 way to the room, he found him looking extremely 
 comfortable, smoking away like any chimney, and 
 with a novel in his hand. 
 
208 A CRUEL KINDNESS. 
 
 "I am so sorry! 1 ' began Maurice. "I am afraid 
 you will be terribly vexed. But I have been sent for 
 to a very important case. It is some little distance 
 from here, so I fear I shall not be able to accompany 
 you to-day to see the temple ; but to-morrow — " 
 
 " Well, it is a bore ; but we'll hope it is only a 
 pleasure deferred. Don't worry about me ; I have my 
 pipe and my book." 
 
 " I fear it will be awfully dull for you without 
 either Eva or my humble self. But I expect to be 
 back in an hour or so at most, and we will have a 
 jolly bachelor's afternoon together, old man." 
 
 "I'm game!" called out Tom; but Maurice was 
 already gone and out of hearing. 
 
 Tom returned to his novel, and read on contentedly. 
 But all books, whether short or long, must come to an 
 end at last, and this one proved no exception ; and 
 having first gazed fixedly at the Finis on the last page 
 for ten minutes at least, he awoke to the fact that it 
 was uncommonly " slow." 
 
 " Maurice ought to be back soon, surely," he thought, 
 as he took a tour of the little room, making minute 
 examination of every article, as if he was preparing 
 an inventory. " I know I am jolly tired of my own 
 company. I would go down and join Evelyn, but 
 it is such a long way ; and, besides, the ladies will 
 prefer to continue their chat uninterrupted. I wish 
 
A CRUEL KINDNESS. 209 
 
 Maurice had some decent books," he added aloud. 
 The small collection of volumes in the room did not 
 suit Tom's taste. "All goody-goody and dull," he 
 decided. 
 
 He then strolled outside, and tried to hold a con- 
 versation with the Chinese servant, but failed utterly. 
 Then he had another pipe, and strolled into the garden. 
 There an idea seized him, and he quickly made his 
 way across to the other side, where was the hospital — 
 in reality, one side of the house. 
 
 He had an indefinite feeling that perhaps Maurice 
 might be there. Any way, he was very tired of his 
 own company, and Kai, Maurice's Chinese assistant, 
 could talk a little English, he remembered. In .the 
 first apartment of the low long building were eight 
 beds, all occupied by patients. 
 
 There is no need to describe the hospital — illness 
 and suffering are alike everywhere ; and few among 
 my readers will there be who have not some time or 
 other visited some of our large London or provincial 
 hospitals, and can picture the scene for themselves. 
 They know how the aching head lies so still on the 
 pillow, and the sad face is drawn into deep lines of 
 pain, whilst the heavy eyes watch languidly and 
 feebly the actions of the visitor. But the cleanliness 
 and brightness and airiness which cheer the spirit in 
 the English Hotel-Dieux are wanting here, for, do 
 
 (175) 14 
 
210 A CRUEL KINDNESS. 
 
 what Maurice may, he cannot change the habits of 
 the people. But the want of these was a continual 
 misery to him, and caused the thought of work in 
 the hospitals at home to seem as Paradise compared 
 to his. 
 
 Tom Towers crossed the long narrow room w T ith 
 many a sympathetic glance at the miserable occupants 
 of the low beds, and then, passing along a short pas- 
 sage, he entered another similar apartment, only 
 smaller, in which were four beds. 
 
 Here he discovered the object of his search, for in 
 the centre of the room stood young Kai, busy prepar- 
 ing some bandages. 
 
 "When do you think my cousin will be back?" 
 asked Tom, by way of opening the conversation. 
 
 " I guessee soon," answered Kai stolidly. He had 
 been once for three months in America, and spoke 
 with a regular Yankee twano\ 
 
 " What do you mean by soon ? " 
 
 " He should have been back before this ; something 
 must have detained him," answered Kai. " I wish he 
 would come." 
 
 "Why?" asked Tom. "Let me help you to roll 
 those ; I like to be doing something," he continued. 
 
 Kai instantly gave up his work to Tom, and folded 
 his arms quietly. 
 
 " Like to be doing something ! they must be mad, 
 
A CRUEL KINDNESS. 211 
 
 these foreigners," he thought, his idea of bliss being 
 to sit with folded arms gazing into vacancy. 
 
 Tom repeated his yet unanswered query. 
 
 " Bad cases," said Kai ; " two. One there," pointing 
 to one of the beds, " and one there," indicating the 
 farther room. " Very bad there — dying." 
 
 " You take it pretty coolly," thought Tom Towers, 
 shuddering. 
 
 " What terrible pain he is in !" said Tom, advancing 
 towards the bed to which Kai had pointed, on which 
 lay a Chinaman tossing and moaning, evidently in the 
 greatest suffering. " Poor wretch ! can you not give 
 him anything to relieve him ? Is he dying ?" 
 
 " No, no ; he be much worser first ; but dyee some- 
 times. Pain bad," remarked Kai. 
 
 "What is the matter with him?" inquired Tom. 
 But Kai did not hear him speak, being engaged in 
 giving a drink to the patient. 
 
 " Why, it is Hsi Ting-Chang !" cried Tom in sur- 
 prise, as the eyes slowly opened. 
 
 Chang looked up at the sound of his name, and it 
 was evident that the recognition was pain to him, for 
 he drew back instinctively. Perhaps he, as well as 
 Tom, was recalling the time when they had first met. 
 " Can it indeed be the same man, my specimen China- 
 man ?" thought Tom, as he gazed into the sallow, 
 drawn face, with great dark circles round the 'eyes, 
 
212 A CRUEL KINDNESS. 
 
 which were running with water. The long thin hand 
 was convulsed with pain ; but there was a touch of 
 querulous eagerness in the low voice as he pleaded 
 with Kai, who turned away with an emphatic " No," 
 uttered in a supercilious tone, which evidently raised 
 the other's ire. 
 
 " Confound that tower of Babel ! " muttered Tom, 
 as he placed one of his cool hands sympathetically on 
 Chang's burning fingers. " I wish I knew what they 
 are saying." 
 
 After a short pause Tom again ejaculated, " How I 
 wish Maurice was here ! " 
 
 " So do I," echoed Kai, who was talking to a small 
 lad in Chinese. " The boy says the other man really 
 dyee. I must go doee something," and Kai disappeared 
 after profuse bowings. 
 
 The miserable look on Kai's face at the bare thought 
 of " doee " almost upset Tom's risible faculties, though 
 he was in anything but a laughing mood, and besides 
 was disgusted at Kai's manner. 
 
 " Poor Maurice ! why ever does he keep such a 
 fellow ?" But, as Maurice afterwards explained to him, 
 helpers were not to be picked up for the asking at 
 Sin-tau, and Kai was better than none, and very useful 
 in his way. 
 
 Meanwhile Tom remained still beside Chang's bed- 
 side, carefully smoothing the tumbled quilt. 
 
A CRUEL KINDNESS. 213 
 
 Chang, still in the same pitiful condition, lay watch- 
 ing Tom's kindly face, and a sudden thought occurred 
 to him. It was a cruel temptation. He raised him- 
 self half up in an excited manner and pointed to a 
 small lamp Kai had accidentally left in the room. 
 After one or two frantic signs, Tom caught his mean- 
 ing and brought it to him. Chang next signed to 
 him to light it, which Tom, wondering still more, did ; 
 and then Chang, groaning the while by reason of the 
 pain of moving his aching limbs, dived under his hard 
 pillow and brought forth his opium-pipe, which he 
 had secreted there, not because he thought of using it, 
 but because he had such a distrust of the foreigners, 
 even though he had sought their help. He had 
 entered the hospital with the most earnest desire and 
 the most intense conviction that he would be cured of 
 opium-smoking, unaware of the difficulty of the cure 
 or the pain he must first endure. 
 
 The little lamp glimmered softly as Chang rapidly 
 placed the pipe in position. It was already filled, for 
 he had intended having one more indulgence in the 
 fascinating drug before giving it up for ever, as he 
 believed, but Maurice had dissuaded him from so doing. 
 
 Another instant and all Maurice's night's work will 
 have been in vain — all the agony endured by Chang 
 during those long hours will have been suffered for 
 naught, for he will have fallen yet again, conquered 
 
214 .1 CRUEL KINDNESS. 
 
 by his mighty foe ; while the glimpse of a happy 
 future, seen through the now broken telescope of what 
 might be, will fade into utter darkness. 
 
 During that instant there arose in his mind a sweet 
 vision of three dear faces — his noble mother's, his 
 sweet young wife's, and his beloved baby son's. For 
 their sakes surely he must conquer, so that life might 
 be again as it once had been. He longed ardently to 
 be as he once was — longed passionately to be able to 
 give up the vile habit he had contracted, and which he 
 now loathed even while he yielded. For he did yield. 
 The present ever overshadows the future, and his every 
 limb ached as if he was on the rack, and the craving 
 for the poisonous remedy came upon him with over- 
 whelming force as he held in his hand that impish- 
 looking pipe, knowing that it would give him im- 
 mediate relief and present ease. But at what a 
 price ! 
 
 Fellow-men, who know the power of temptation, 
 fierce temptation, having felt its force ; fellow-sinners, 
 who know by experience how prone is the heart of 
 man to evil, how maddening the irresistible desire ; 
 fellow-sufferers, who are aware how when in pain all 
 things sink into insignificance when compared to the 
 obtaining of relief — rest — ease, and how suffering 
 expels all other thoughts, pity rather than blame the 
 miserable man. 
 
A CRUEL KINDNESS. 215 
 
 Miserable ! yes, for instead of overcoming he has 
 been overcome. 
 
 But at present he realizes it not, but is only conscious 
 that he is fast losing the cruel pain he has been 
 enduring, as he becomes entranced instead in beautiful 
 sensations and finds the desired rest. 
 
 The very length of time he had been without the 
 drug seemed to give the narcotic a new power. 
 
 Tom was astonished as he stood watching the effects 
 of the charm he had put within Ting-Chang's reach, 
 and beheld the drawn face soften, the clenched hand 
 unclasp, and the patient fall apparently into a restless 
 slumber. 
 
 " Well, I have clone a kindness for once in my life. 
 I think I shall take out my diploma. I expect there 
 was opium in the pipe, or he would not have fallen 
 asleep so soon. Opium ! by-the-by," so his thoughts 
 ran, " Maurice has people here to cure them of opium- 
 smoking. Surely — " And then the colour mounted to 
 Tom's brow ; had he made a mistake after all ? 
 
 He turned from the bed and met a very dis- 
 approving look on the face of the Chinaman opposite. 
 He hurriedly left the hospital and made his way across 
 the garden back to the study, where everything was 
 exactly as he had left it. 
 
 He reseated himself in his own seat, having helped 
 himself to one of Maurice's books, and was so deep in 
 
216 A CRUEL KINDNESS. 
 
 the study of it when Maurice at last made his appear- 
 ance, that he did not hear him enter the room. 
 
 " Tom — just where I left you ! " he exclaimed in 
 surprise. " I hope you did not expect me sooner. I 
 have been terribly detained." 
 
 " I went over to the hospital side," said Tom ; 
 " there are some bad cases there." 
 
 " Kai wants you badly at the hospital ; can you 
 come at once ? " said a small boy who had just 
 knocked and entered. 
 
 " Say I am coming. — Here, Tom, help yourself," and 
 Maurice gulped down a cup of tea the servant had 
 just brought in ere he hurried off again. 
 
 " There is no rest for the wicked," quoted Tom, but 
 Maurice was in too much haste to answer. 
 
 Soon after, Evelyn returned, and Tom threw down 
 his book to listen to her account of her very happy 
 day's outing. 
 
 "You are a nice host certainly," called out Tom 
 when Maurice some hours later came in looking so ill 
 as to cause Evelyn to add, " You must be half dead." 
 
 " I have a headache," he answered. " I have been 
 so busy all day. Tao tells me you have had supper, so 
 I ordered him to bring me something to eat in here." 
 
 " I ought to beg your pardon," said Evelyn, " but 
 Tom was so hungry he vowed he would have to eat 
 me soon." 
 
A CRUEL K ISDN JESS. 217 
 
 " You would prove a tender morsel, Eva," laughed 
 Maurice. 
 
 " Maurice," asked Tom suddenly, " how is my friend 
 Chang ? " 
 
 " Gone home," answered Maurice shortly. 
 
 " He was in such pain." 
 
 " I know ; I was up with him a great part of the 
 night." 
 
 " Maurice," cried Tom, seeing more even by his 
 manner than his words that something was amiss, 
 " you are not vexed with me ? I wish you had been 
 in. I am very sorry if I did wrong in interfering. 
 I only did it out of kindness." 
 
 " I know that, Tom," said Maurice, rousing himself 
 and rising from his chair ; " but oh," and his voice 
 had a sad wail in it — " oh, it was a cruel kindness ! " 
 
 " What was the matter with him ? " asked Evelyn, 
 for Tom did not speak, and the silence grew oppressive. 
 
 " He is a confirmed opium-smoker. He came here 
 to try to be cured." 
 
 " And I," cried Tom — "then that was an opium-pipe." 
 
 " Yes, it seems — how I wish I had been at home ! " 
 said Maurice breaking off short, for he did not like to 
 say anything which might reflect on Tom. 
 
 " Why did he go home ? " asked Evelyn. 
 
 " He and Kai have had some words, I fancy. Any 
 way he was quite determined to go, and of course I 
 
218 A CRUEL KIXDXESS. 
 
 could not keep him against his will ; and he was not 
 in a fit state to be argued with, poor fellow." 
 
 " I am so sorry," burst out Tom again. 
 
 " So am I," said Maurice, " especially as I have al- 
 ways felt interested in Evelyn's lovers, as I always 
 call Chang and his little wife in my own mind." 
 
 " What did you do all day, Eva ? " he added, hoping 
 to change the conversation. 
 
 Whereupon Evelyn launched out into a description 
 of her day's experiences, while Tom solemnly puffed 
 away at his pipe, an energetic occupation in which 
 Maurice soon afterwards joined him. 
 
 Evelyn's sweet voice ceased, and it was so quiet in 
 the silent room that the clicking of her knitting-needles 
 as she busily worked was distinctly heard. Her 
 thoughts had sped far away to England and the 
 English home to which she was so soon returning, and 
 also back to the days of long ago, recalling old mem- 
 ories of happy times " when we were girls together." 
 Maurice lay back in his chair half-asleep, and Tom, 
 talkative Tom, was so deep in thought as for once to 
 have forgotten that lively little member the tongue. 
 
 Meanwhile Chang was eating his heart out with 
 remorse, blaming himself harshly and feeling over- 
 whelmed with despair at the knowledge that there had 
 been made for him a way of escape, and that he had 
 even started on the road, when he had closed the door 
 
A CRUEL KINDNESS. 219 
 
 against himself by indulging his deadly appetite for 
 opium. He had begun to climb, and kind, eager hands 
 had been held out to welcome him ; and now he himself 
 had loosened his own fingers and had fallen back, 
 back into darkness — darkness without one star of 
 hope. He was enshrouded in the chill mists of dull 
 despair, though had he only raised his eyes to the 
 scroll above his head he might have read thus, 
 " Nothing is impossible in this world ; only men's 
 minds are not firm enough to achieve it." * 
 
 Haunted by bitter thoughts and utterly wretched, 
 he felt he could not bear the solitude of his own room, 
 and sought the society of his wife and mother, only to 
 be reminded still more, as he beheld their sad faces 
 and heard his mother's heavy sigh, of what might 
 have been. 
 
 Chang had told neither of them of his going to the 
 opium hospital, knowing Nancho's prejudice to for- 
 eigners. It would be very different when he came 
 back cured, he told himself. 
 
 Of the other trio, Tom was, after all, the first to 
 speak. 
 
 " Maurice," he said in a very grave voice. 
 
 And Dr. Graham answered, yawning, " Yes ?" 
 
 " Do all your patients suffer as Ting-Chang did ? '" 
 continued Tom. 
 
 * Chinese proverb. 
 
220 A CRUEL KINDNESS. 
 
 " Lon^ abstinence from the druo- when once it has 
 become a habit always causes suffering, generally great 
 suffering, though it differs according to the patient, 
 some people are so much more sensitive to pain than 
 others. But this is wherein lies the most subtle danger 
 of the opium — namely, that the only real relief to be 
 obtained for the wretchedness and suffering which are 
 the after-effects of an opium debauch is to be found 
 in the opium-pipe." 
 
 " I believe he was dying," said Tom firmly. 
 
 " I think not," replied Maurice, " though I doubt 
 not that he suffered acutely. He was very bad all 
 night ; but the symptoms were all the usual ones — 
 the violent aching in the limbs, also dyspepsia, and 
 that feeling of utter dejection, besides the terrible 
 craving for the drug." 
 
 " What would you have done, Maurice, had you 
 been here ? " 
 
 " I should most likely have given him some medi- 
 cine, but I do not suppose it would have done him 
 much good ; he would have had to endure till he was 
 cured. We doctors have to learn to be very hard- 
 hearted," added Maurice, smiling as he saw Tom's 
 horrified face. 
 
 " Have you ever lost any opium patient ? " 
 
 " Yes, twice : the second one refused to take the 
 opium even to save his life, saying he would rather 
 
A CRUEL KINDNESS. 221 
 
 die. He had been addicted to the habit for ten 
 years." 
 
 " Surely, Maurice, the remedy is worse than the 
 disease," said Eva. 
 
 " Worse ! " cried Maurice ; " how little you know ! " 
 
 " What is the effect of the habit ? If, as you say, 
 it is poison, it must be a very slow poison indeed." 
 
 " Dying by inches. The smoker is never the same 
 man again ; his blood is vitiated and his health is 
 destroyed. Remember, I do not deny that there are 
 many men who can smoke it with comparative im- 
 punity ; but as the years pass on they find they too 
 have to pay the penalty. But to my mind the thing 
 which proves most vividly the evils of opium-smoking 
 is, that I have never heard a Chinaman defend it, or 
 one who does not say he would rather see his children 
 dead at his feet than that they should touch an opium- 
 pipe. You see for yourself how altered Hsi Ting- 
 Chang is," he continued. 
 
 " Oh ! " cried Tom, " it cannot be the result of opium- 
 smoking. He must be ill in other ways." 
 
 Maurice shook his head. 
 
 " The experienced eye can tell an opium-smoker 
 in a minute. The very look of the skin reveals the 
 fact. As to the moral effects, I could say much, but," 
 and he glanced at Evelyn, " there are things better 
 left unsaid. There have been anti-opium societies 
 
222 A CRUEL KINDNESS. 
 
 formed, that work well, but whose members do not 
 love the English." 
 
 " Nor did my little Chinese friend, and certainly not 
 the mother-in-law," said Evelyn. " It seems rather 
 hard, when we English are so generous and helpful 
 to all who are in distress. I wonder, Maurice," she 
 continued, " that a law prohibiting the use of opium, 
 like in Japan, has not been introduced into China. 
 It works very well there." 
 
 " Evelyn, surely you know why. If you know the 
 history of your own times, you must have heard about 
 the opium war and opium trade. It is a disgrace to 
 our nation. I must say it, Evelyn, although you do 
 frown so." 
 
 " They say that the evils of opium-smoking are 
 greatly exaggerated," she murmured. 
 
 " By us missionaries. I know. But, Evelyn, why 
 should we want to exaggerate this thing ? It is only 
 that we are brought more in connection with the 
 Chinese in our work than the other English in China, 
 and therefore know them more intimately, and thus 
 we hear these things. Also, with regard to some of 
 our Government officials, I would quote the old saying, 
 ' There is none so blind as those who won't see.' " 
 
 " Certainly if what I read in these papers to-day 
 is half true," said Tom, pointing to some Friends of 
 China, Medical Opinions, and other tracts referring 
 
A CRUEL KINDNESS. 223 
 
 to the subject, all of which Maurice had had bound 
 together into a neat book, " this opium-smoking is the 
 curse of China." 
 
 " Sent by England." 
 
 Here Maurice was summoned from the room ; when 
 he returned he was met with a question from Eva. 
 
 " But you do not really wish the Government of 
 India to give up the monopoly of opium ! It would 
 be worse still if it were made an ordinary trade specu- 
 lation," she said. 
 
 " Certainly ; but I contend that Government should 
 not use the monopoly as an article of revenue. China 
 also ought to be given the option of shutting her ports 
 if she will against all opium-vessels, which cannot be 
 as the treaties stand at present. In fact, we should 
 leave her perfectly free in the matter." 
 
 " I shall go to bed now," remarked Evelyn a few 
 minutes later ; " it is getting late. Good-night, Molly," 
 using his old pet name. " If England sends a curse 
 to China, she sends also blessings in you and those 
 like you." 
 
 For answer Maurice repeated Pu-tao's speech, 
 whereat Evelyn was highly indignant. " When you 
 have given up everything — home, country, honour, and 
 riches ; for every one says you would have won them 
 — to come and live in this wretched country." 
 
 " But, Eva," said Maurice, smiling at her warmth, 
 
224 A CRUEL KIXDXESS. 
 
 11 he considers China the only country in the whole 
 world. Judge the remark from his point of view, 
 dear." But Evelyn, like most of her sex, found that 
 an impossibility. 
 
 Long after she was in bed Maurice and Tom sat 
 talking in low tones, and as the young sailor listened 
 to terrible revelations as to the misery and vice to 
 which this opium-smoking leads only too often, and 
 heard his cousin's description, the vivid description of 
 an eye-witness, of the awful degradation of the opium 
 hells, as he appropriately called them, the colour left 
 Tom's bronzed, sunburnt face. 
 
 Then looking into the noble, sensitive countenance 
 of Maurice Graham, true index of a highly intellectual, 
 almost over-refined nature — " How can you bear to see 
 such sights, to face such horrors ?" he cried impulsively. 
 
 " It is my duty," said Maurice calmly. " But I 
 sometimes think," he added, " the most awful pain 
 Christ, the pure, the sinless one, had to endure must 
 have arisen from his contact with sin and sinners." 
 And by these words so quietly spoken Tom Towers 
 for one instant realized what must be the inner life of 
 such a man as Maurice Graham when living in such 
 a position as he occupied at Sin-tau. 
 
 " God help you, Maurice ! " he whispered as he gave 
 his hand a hearty shake ere saying good-night. 
 
 " To-morrow we will go for our postponed excursion. 
 
A CRUEL KINDNESS. 225 
 
 I wonder if Evelyn will accompany us after all. Do you 
 think it would be too tiring for her ? " said Maurice. 
 
 " Oh no ! But can you he spared ? " nodding 
 towards the hospital. 
 
 " Yes. I did not tell Eva, but the poor man is 
 dead. They called me to him, but I could do nothing 
 but watch him die." 
 
 "■■ What of ? " 
 
 " Dysentery." 
 
 " Did you try opium ? " said Tom, knowing its effi- 
 cacy in such cases. 
 
 " No good. The man was a confirmed opium - 
 smoker, so as medicine the drug had no effect." 
 
 " Oh," cried Tom, the word opium reminding him, 
 " I feel quite wretched about Hsi Chang." 
 
 " Don't take it to heart so, old man. Most likely, 
 had he been cured, he would have gone back a^ain to 
 the pipe ; nine out of every ten do." 
 
 " Cheering maybe for me, but not for you or for 
 the opium-smokers," said Tom, as they parted for the 
 night, 
 
 or---) 15 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Xingsam's Cr^ 
 
 " Man's love is of man's life, a thing apart — 
 
 'Tis woman's whole existence." 
 
 Byeon. 
 
 r^ IX months came and went, as months are in the 
 ^7 habit of doing, bringing many changes in their 
 train, even to the inhabitants of sleepy old Sin-tau 
 city. Maachi had been " gathered to his fathers," and 
 Lao had inherited his carefully-gathered store of gold, 
 the result of years of painful toil and care, and was 
 spending it as fast as he could in gambling and other 
 vices. 
 
 He had returned to his native city on the news of 
 his uncle's decease, and had found, like many others 
 before him, that there were many who, while they 
 would have nothing to do with him when wretched 
 and impoverished, were yet willing enough to welcome 
 the young heir, and assist him in acting the part cf 
 the fool who is soon parted from his money. Thus 
 for the present his star was in the ascendant. 
 
LINGSAM'S CRY. 221 
 
 But before his uncle's death and his subsequent 
 access of fortune, indeed only a month or two after 
 the events related in a preceding chapter, his un- 
 lucky enterprise in Australia came to an abrupt con- 
 clusion, resulting in the ruin of Pu-tao, the loss of a 
 large sum of money by Chang, and the total dis- 
 appearance of Lao, only to reappear like a jack-in- 
 the-box at his uncle's funeral. 
 
 Many and bitter were the reproaches that Pu-tao, 
 his friend of former days, heaped upon Chang, cursing 
 the stars he had ever sought his advice on that un- 
 lucky day. And Chang would shudder, having a 
 guilty knowledge of a certain letter unread by Pu- 
 tao ; for he, knowing it was too late for action, and 
 dreading the censure he so richly deserved, had never 
 told of its arrival, trusting that, as seemed very prob- 
 able at the time, Lao would never again be seen in 
 Sin- tan, and that his secret would therefore be safe. 
 Thus Chang was not one of those who welcomed Lao 
 gladly on his return to his native city. 
 
 Nor was he very particularly delighted when, a 
 few days after the uncle's funeral, Lao came to see 
 him. Ere this first interview between them was over 
 Chang had placed himself, by an unlucky slip of the 
 tongue, entirely in Lao's power. At first, however, so 
 soft was the glove worn, that he had hardly felt the 
 iron hand beneath ; but during the last few weeks Lao 
 
228 LINGS AM'S CRY. 
 
 had been tightening his grasp, seeing that his cousin 
 showed signs of revolting. 
 
 This afternoon they had quarrelled over a game of 
 chance, a quarrel that had ended in the complete 
 humiliation of Chang, and as he now wends his way 
 homeward, he is bitterly realizing the misery of being 
 under the power of this bad, unscrupulous, cruel man; 
 whilst Lao is gloating over the fact, plain enough that 
 afternoon, that Chang fears him, and experiencing the 
 same sensation of pleasure that a big spider must feel 
 when he sees a little fly caught in the meshes of his 
 cleverly-woven web. 
 
 What if Lao told ? Chang dreaded such a de- 
 nouement, for he still tried to keep up appearances 
 before his fellow-citizens, and was still holding the 
 post he had fairly won. Nor did he realize how 
 much men were talking about him already, and how 
 the greater part of his neighbours had before now 
 placed him in the category of confirmed opium- 
 smokers, only too willing to pass upon him the easily- 
 pronounced word of censure. But Chang knew not 
 of all this. For Sin-tau had no Truth, no World, 
 no Vanity Fair, nor yet any of their feeble penny 
 imitators, to publish to the world the frailties and 
 shortcomings of their neighbours, above all of those 
 on whom the fierce glow of publicity falls, and to 
 whisper to the delight of scandal-mongers, male and 
 
LINGS A IPS CRY. 229 
 
 female, their little secrets ; or just to mention one or 
 two " happy pairs " who have just sought the nuptial 
 altar, the marriage having been usually effected by the 
 parents of the couple, the bride oftentimes as obedient 
 a sacrifice as any of her Chinese sisters. But pause 
 an instant while a plea is offered for society papers. 
 The evil that they do has been often commented 
 upon with zealous truth, but now listen to a few 
 words on their behalf. Many an evil deed has never 
 been accomplished, many a wild longing has been re- 
 strained, many a reckless act stayed, by the thought, 
 " It will get into one of those society papers." None 
 would say that this is the best way : it is better far 
 to root out the thistle and be rid of it altogether, all 
 will agree; yet surely it is wiser to cut it down rather 
 than that it should sting the careless foot of the passer- 
 by. Men unwon by love are often restrained by fear 
 — better surely this constraining fear than the law- 
 lessness of sin — and thus, whether consciously or not, 
 whether willingly or not, the society papers exercise 
 ofttimes a power for good. But though paper pre- 
 served not, and it was not writ in black and white, 
 still the tongues of the inhabitants of Sin-tau wagged 
 as ardently as elsewhere, and men told each other all 
 about Chang ; the only difference being really that, 
 the censure not taking a form to be seen by the eye 
 of the culprit, he continued in blissful ignorance that 
 
230 LINGSAM'S CRY. 
 
 any one knew. As though people did not know as 
 much about one as one does oneself, and a little bit 
 more generally too. 
 
 Mais il faut que nous revenons a nos moutons, 
 as a Frenchman would say — Us moutons in this in- 
 stance being Chang himself, as he wends his way past 
 his old home, his no longer now, and lingers a 
 minute at the door of the house where he had been 
 so happy once with his pretty little wife and good 
 mother, his bitter comparison of past and present not 
 lessened by the sight of those old walls, every bit of 
 which seem dear to him. 
 
 He at last continued his moody way until he 
 reached the much smaller house at the other side of 
 the town which he had bought when he had been 
 obliged to give up the former handsome abode. For 
 Chang, what with his losses, which, though not so 
 ^reat as Pu-tao's, had been severe, in connection with 
 Lao's enterprise in Australia, and with other mone- 
 tary losses, partly caused by the depredations of his 
 employe's whilst he smoked his opium-pipe careless 
 of present care, was a comparatively poor man now. 
 
 Evelyn would never have recognized his haggard 
 countenance and emaciated frame as with slow, inert 
 step he walked wearily along. And this was all the 
 work of that insidious " opium fiend." 
 
 None of the little household felt the change of 
 
LIXGSA1PS CRY. 231 
 
 circumstances more than poor Nancho, who with her 
 mother-in-law was deprived now of many a little 
 luxury to which they had been accustomed all their 
 lives. 
 
 Bitter were the imprecations the older lady mur- 
 mured against her grandchild — imprecations which 
 grieved Chang much when he heard them, for his 
 reverence for his grandmother was great. But his 
 grief, though violent at times, was not strong enough 
 to encourage him to conquer this dreadful vice by 
 which he was held in bondage. 
 
 These low murmured curses were very bitter to 
 the aching heart of poor Nancho, who, in spite of her 
 anger and misery, still could love her child, and who 
 also had, like all Eastern women, a horror of a grand- 
 mother's curse. 
 
 Poor little Lingsam was very unhappy too. She 
 was now suffering often from a pain in her side ; but 
 she had one bright spot, one comfort, one great happi- 
 ness — her beautiful boy. Baby was the only thing 
 that had thriven during those sad months, and he had 
 grown a very fine child from a Chinese point of view. 
 He could now run alone, and was just at the age when 
 children may best be described as human magpies, 
 imitative and talkative. Whereas, however, at that 
 what nurses call "most interesting age,'' English babies 
 are usually supposed to talk. Chinese, Lingsam's boy. 
 
232 LINGSAM'S CRY. 
 
 out of perversity, maybe, instead of talking Chinese, 
 essayed Arabic or some dead tongue. Any way, 
 Lingsam could not understand him ; but I doubt if 
 she would have been more successful ■ had the " little 
 folk " in England tried to hold a telephonic conversa- 
 tion with her. To-day, Lingsam was greatly excited, 
 for baby had actually managed to say " mother " quite 
 distinctly. Therefore, when Nancho left her alone 
 late in the afternoon to visit her mother's room, Lino:- 
 sam, burning to tell her news, had struggled to make 
 her way to Chang's rooms (there were not now so 
 many servants at her beck and call as there used to 
 be), taking baby with her. Chang's old custom of 
 going at once on his return to the house to the 
 women's quarter, for a few words at least with his 
 mother and Lingsam, had been dropped, for he could 
 not bear the sad faces and reproving glances that met 
 him there. 
 
 Fortunately for Lingsam, Chang, under the solace 
 of his beloved pipe, which he had not long finished, 
 had recovered from the melancholy and detestation-of- 
 the-world mood in which he had entered the house, 
 and was in a very good humour ; otherwise she might 
 have got a lecture for transgressing custom by enter- 
 ing his apartments. 
 
 But looking up and seeing the gentle, graceful 
 little figure, so lovely still in his eyes, advancing 
 
LIXGSA1PS CRY. 233 
 
 towards him, his heart bounded with pride and ad- 
 miration. " Lao has not at least a treasure like this," 
 he thought, as he rose to meet her, and laid her on an 
 oblong divan, for the little walk had made her pause 
 for breath. He stood caressing her gently until she 
 was able to tell him her news, on hearing which he 
 looked pleased enough even to satisfy the exigeante 
 little mother. 
 
 As the boy, who, having escaped his mother's hand, 
 had been making a hurried tour of the room, came up 
 to his father and made a solemn tug at his skirt, he 
 took the little fellow prisoner, telling him he was a 
 very clever boy. 
 
 " Oh, hush ! you must not say so ; perhaps the gods 
 will hear and want him," said Lingsam. " Besides, you 
 will make him conceited." 
 
 But baby was not listening, being intent on trying 
 to catch his father's pigtail, which hung tantalizingly 
 beyond his tiny grasp. 
 
 Chang felt very happy for a few minutes with his 
 wife and child beside him — forgetful of Lao, forgetful 
 of money worries, forgetful for the nonce of himself. 
 All his old love, never dead, only drugged by the 
 opium fumes, revived in his heart as he smoothed his 
 wife's forehead and listened to her sweet voice as she 
 prattled about their baby. 
 
 And she forgot also — forgot her disappointments, 
 
234 LINGS AM' S CRY. 
 
 forgot her sorrow, forgot her fears, for those few 
 happy moments. 
 
 Thus did Nancho, who, frightened at finding no 
 Lingsam on her return, had gone in search of her, 
 behold them as she peeped through the thin curtains, 
 they all unconscious of her presence. Very bright, 
 very happy did they look ; Chang's sad altered face 
 softened by the smile of deep affection on it as he 
 gazed on his young wife, and she smiling back on him 
 and the child. 
 
 Nancho turned away with a sweet, sad smile, the 
 tears, often seen there now, in her deep -set eyes. 
 There had been a time when Chang would never 
 have been satisfied without her presence, and was 
 never so happy as when she made one of the group. 
 But now Chang feared her (sin is ever the pre- 
 cursor of fear), and was ill at ease in her society, and 
 between these two, once so united, a great distance 
 had arisen. It was not the love of another, fairer 
 and younger than she was, as she had feared, that 
 had separated them, but a more subtle influence still — 
 a sinful indulgence in a most pernicious vice, which 
 lowered her son in his own sight and in the sight of 
 the world at large. 
 
 Nancho knew Chang feared her — it was one of the 
 many sorrows which at this time oppressed her weary 
 soul — but she had never so realized it as now, as she 
 
LING SAM'S CRT. 235 
 
 turned away and entered the room she and Limrsam 
 usually occupied. But even now the old unselfish love 
 for her child reasserted itself. Might not Lingsam 
 succeed where she had failed ? Might not his girlish 
 wife persuade him, at her entreaty, to give up that 
 fatal course he was pursuing ? Surely, oh surely, for 
 Lingsam's sake, if not for hers, he would struggle, he 
 would conquer, he would overcome ! So she thought 
 and hoped, and determined to speak to her docile 
 little daughter-in-law, and get her to speak to her 
 husband really seriously, and to plead with him to 
 save himself from ruin and degradation. 
 
 Early next morning Lingsam and she were sitting 
 together, baby on her knee, for she loved the little 
 child devotedly. He was her one great comfort, her 
 only hope for a satisfactory burial. 
 
 The old mother-in-law, who was complaining in a 
 distressing tone over the loss of some small luxury 
 Nancho could not now afford to buy her, was very 
 deaf, and could not hear when Nancho took the 
 opportunity to speak to Lingsam, imploring her to 
 beseech Chang to give up his wretched opium-smoking. 
 
 " But, mother, if he would not do it for you, he 
 will not for me," she said in reply to her mother's 
 arguments. 
 
 " Ah ! but he loves you so much better than he 
 does me," said Nancho. 
 
236 LING SAM'S CRY. 
 
 The few words were agony for her to say ; but 
 little Lingsam's heart trembled with pleasure, not 
 because she was jealous of her mother-in-law, but 
 because it is ever as sweet music to the ear to be told 
 that the one you love loves you also, loves you dearly. 
 
 " I will do as you wish, mother," she said, and be- 
 gan to brave herself up for the interview, preparing 
 little set speeches she would make to him. Had 
 Lingsam had more knowledge of the world, she would 
 certainly have saved herself the trouble ; for who ever 
 made the speech prepared for the proper occasion ? 
 Certainly not such an impetuous little woman as 
 Lino'sam. Her heart beat high, and then seemed to 
 fade away, taking her breath with it, and on her pale 
 cheek arose a crimson flush, but both the pallor and 
 the flush were hidden beneath a thick layer of paint. 
 The time passed slowly on. " Surely Chang is late — 
 later than usual," thought poor excited little Lingsam. 
 But he came in at last, and having eaten his dinner, 
 which Lingsam superintended, he hurried at once to 
 his own apartments. 
 
 If Nancho and Lingsam had been noticing him, 
 they would have soon perceived that he was not in a 
 particularly sweet humour, and no wonder. He had 
 seen Lao again that very morning, and had foolishly 
 remarked in praise of his little wife, pitying him for 
 not beino- married. Lao had been most scornful, and 
 
LINGS AM' 8 CRY. 237 
 
 laughed at him for making such a fuss over that silly 
 little woman of his. " I hear," he said, " that you 
 spoil her ; every one says so." (You will remember, 
 Mr. or Mrs., Miss or Master Reader, whichever you 
 may be, that Lao was very fond of exaggerating.) 
 " If she was my wife," he had continued, " I should give 
 her the stick sometimes, just to show her what you 
 can do." — " Proud little woman," he thought, " I shall 
 never forget the look she gave me on her marriage 
 day." As for the baby, he was very glad he had no 
 squalling brats. Then seeing that Chang was thor- 
 oughly vexed, he thought it an excellent opportunity 
 for giving him a little gratuitous advice as to opium - 
 smoking, recommending him, in an irritating oft-hand 
 manner, to give up the habit altogether, as he was 
 making himself such a fool about it. He despised 
 men who could not have an occasional pipe without 
 going to extremes. All the time Lao was becoming 
 daily more and more a slave to the baneful drug. 
 
 The feeling of superiority Chang always felt when 
 with his cousin caused him to feel particularly mad 
 at his disagreeable manner and remarks; and then, as 
 he was leaving Lao's room, he heard announced 
 Pu-tao, Pu-tao, whose very name always caused him 
 to tremble. Would Lao tell on him, he wondered. 
 
 He felt ill, miserable, ruffled, unhappy, overstrung, 
 and it was a matter of extreme importance that he 
 
238 LINGS AlPS CRY. 
 
 should have a taste of his beloved nerve-soothing 
 though nerve-destroying drug without delay. 
 
 " I suppose I must have dinner first, or there will 
 be such a fuss," he thought, on hearing it was ready ; 
 " but I do not feel the least appetite for it." 
 
 Both Nancho and Lingsam, however, were too busy 
 with their own thoughts and plans to notice Chang as 
 much as usual, and Lingsam chose the sadly inoppor- 
 tune moment to enter his room just as he held the 
 longed-for tube between his fingers ready to use. 
 
 " What do you want, little wife ?" he asked ; " you 
 must not come in here at any time." Still he came 
 forward and led her to the divan. He was always 
 tender in his solicitude for her. " You must not stay 
 now," he continued, "for I am busy. But rest a 
 minute ; you seem so agitated. Baby is all right, I 
 see," he added, looking at the child, who had followed 
 his mother into the room. 
 
 " I wish to speak to you, Chang," she said with a 
 little gasp, feeling that now she had come she must 
 speak, whatever happened, though her heart beat so 
 painfully she could hardly articulate. 
 
 "What is the matter?" said Chang, glancing at 
 his beloved pipe. 
 
 " I want you to give up that thing, for my sake 
 and for the child's," she said, going straight to the 
 point. 
 
LINGS A3FS CRY. 239 
 
 " What thing ?" he asked, purposely misunderstand- 
 ing her, and looking annoyed. 
 
 " That horrid opium," she sobbed. " Chang, do you 
 love me ? " 
 
 " Yes, dear, of course I do. I have told you so 
 heaps of times," he said, patting her hand. 
 
 "Then, oh then, give it up, and we shall be happy 
 again like we were last year, when we went on our 
 trip together, and the Englishman said he was glad 
 we were so happy. He looked as if he envied us, do 
 you remember ? " 
 
 " Yes," answered Chang gloomily. He much dis- 
 liked to be reminded of Maurice, for his conscience 
 told him he ought to go to him and try again to be 
 cured of his fatal habit. " But why all these reminis- 
 cences, little woman ? and why are you so excited ? " 
 
 Lingsam was very indignant at his half -playful 
 tone, for she, poor girl, was thoroughly in earnest, 
 and felt as if she was fighting a battle for life or 
 death. 
 
 " Oh, do give it up," she pleaded, as she lifted her 
 sweet face to his, and seeing the love shining in his 
 eyes, continued eagerly : " Oh, we were so very happy 
 then; and if only you will give up this dreadful opium 
 we shall all be happy again, and mother will be so 
 glad." It was an unfortunate allusion to his mother, 
 for he then guessed that she had sent Lingsam to 
 
240 LWGSAM'S CRT. 
 
 plead thus with him, and felt annoyed accordingly. 
 Why might he not smoke his pipe in peace ? 
 
 " Be a good little woman and go away now, and I 
 will think about it," he said coaxingly, and looking 
 eagerly at his pipe. 
 
 Lingsam saw the look, and answered, " For you 
 to smoke that wretched pipe ? No, indeed. Do you 
 not understand ? I want you to give it up always. 
 Oh, it has made you so wretched, so different from 
 what you were before. Why, oh why did you ever 
 touch it ? " 
 
 " I wish I had never done so," said Chang with all 
 his heart. 
 
 " Those horrid Englishmen ! " said Lingsam. " If 
 they had only never pressed the trade on our country." 
 
 " Yes ; it is all the fault of the Englishmen," said 
 Chang, glad enough to be able to lift the blame from 
 his own shoulders. " They care for nothing but gold." 
 
 But Lino-sam saw that the conversation had drifted 
 away, and that she had not as yet obtained the desired 
 promise. She asked, therefore, rather inconsequently : 
 
 " Do you love me, Chang ? " 
 
 < ; Of course I do," said Chang, but rather crossly, 
 for at that moment he was heartily wishing for her 
 room, not her company. 
 
 c < Then you will give up that awful opium-smoking 
 for my sake." 
 
LING SAM'S CRY. 24 i 
 
 Chang was silent. 
 
 " Oh, you must ; I wish it so much. Just to 
 please me." 
 
 Chang glanced at the full pipe. " I can't/' he said. 
 " Do not be unreasonable and naughty." 
 
 " You don't love me, then." 
 
 " Yes, I do ; but I cannot give up my pipe," said he, 
 by this time nearly as much agitated as she was. 
 " You don't know what a hard thing you ask, child." 
 
 " But you will, my dear husband," she whispered. 
 
 " I cannot — it is impossible. Do not be trouble- 
 some, and remember your proper place." 
 
 " You will not, then ? " 
 
 " I cannot, I tell you." 
 
 Lingsam's high spirit was on fire at these oft- 
 repeated words. Rising to her feet, unmindful of 
 physical pain in her excitement, she stood between 
 her husband and the pipe he had put forth his hand 
 to take. 
 
 " Cannot ! " she cried, her voice sounding to her far, 
 far away as she spoke. " Only cowards say ' cannot.' 
 I despise you !" 
 
 Chang looked at her in horror. Was it Lingsam, 
 his own little Lingsam, who was speaking thus ? 
 Yes, it was — the same sweet face which he used to 
 love to see raised to his with that look of intense 
 admiration that had been so pleasing to his pride as 
 
 (175) 1G 
 
242 LING SAM'S CRY. 
 
 well as to his love. It was the same sweet, clear 
 voice — an uncommon voice for a Chinese woman — 
 that had so often lisped out, " Whatever Chang does is 
 riffht." Once he had won her love, her admiration ; 
 and now she stood before him like an avenging deity. 
 On that sweet face, which used to be full of ardent 
 admiration, was a look of bitter, bitter scorn ; and 
 that sweet voice he had loved to hear ever since he 
 had listened to that first shy word from her lips, 
 uttered that bitter sentence, " I despise you ! " Again 
 it fell with yet greater intensity — " I despise you ! " 
 
 And it was all his own fault, his own weakness ; 
 yes, he knew that, he told himself bitterly. But then 
 another thought came : Was it not his wife, his own 
 wife, who stood there and spoke thus ? What right 
 had she, had any wife, to speak so, to look thus at her 
 husband ? He would not endure it. A feeling of 
 very passionate anger arose in his heart, and Lao's 
 words of the morning came back to his mind. 
 
 In a moment, without giving himself time to think, 
 Chang had raised his hand and struck her with all 
 his force. 
 
 A sharp low cry rose from Lingsam as she staggered 
 and fell forward on to the couch — an awful cry, not 
 only a cry of physical suffering, but of the severer 
 agony of mental distress. 
 
 Chang as he heard it regretted instantly his mad 
 
LINGSAM'S CRY, 243 
 
 action, and bent forward to see if she was hurt ; but 
 she shrank from him with such uncontrollable aver- 
 sion that he drew back repelled and prepared to leave 
 the room. 
 
 As he did so, however, he cast a glance back at the 
 poor little trembling figure, quivering with suppressed 
 emotion. Should he return and try to comfort her ? 
 He took two steps towards her, and then the remem- 
 brance of Lao's words crossed his mind. " No, she 
 must learn her true place," he thought ; " I must not 
 continue to pet her so much. She will be all right 
 presently." So thinking, he went out into the sun- 
 shine; while Lingsam lay still and motionless, like one 
 stunned, save that ever and anon there broke from 
 her quivering lips that same low moaning cry. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 alone! 
 
 " O we live, O we live, 
 And this life we would retrieve 
 Is a faithful thing apart 
 Which we love in, heart to heart, 
 Until one heart fitteth twain. 
 
 Wilt thou be one with me ? 
 
 I will be one with thee. 
 
 Ha ! ha ! we love and live ; 
 
 Alas ! we love and die. 
 
 Shriek— who shall reply ? 
 For is it not loved in vain ? "— E. B. Browning. 
 
 "Nor Christians thirst for gold."— Pope. 
 
 THE emotions and tribulation in the heart of 
 little Lingsam are better imagined than de- 
 scribed. Chang — her Chang — had struck her! She 
 loved him still devotedly, though during the last few 
 months she had discovered (ah, the bitterness of that 
 discovery !) that her idol was not flawless. And he ! 
 he did not care for her ; she was nothing to him now 
 — he had tired of her. So she told herself ; or else 
 how could he have struck her that cruel blow ? She 
 had been leaning on a broken reed, poor child ! and it 
 
ALONE. Mb 
 
 had pierced her hand. The refuge she had considered 
 so safe had crumbled away, as human refuges ever do. 
 She had put his profession of love to the test, and 
 it had failed : what she had believed to be pure 
 gold had proved to be but alloy. Lingsam knew but 
 little of life, or perhaps she would have made excuses 
 and not have blamed so harshly ; but the young are 
 ever extreme both in their praise and censure. Her 
 idol was shattered, and she was left alone to weep 
 its ruins. 
 
 The very intensity of her love made more poignant 
 her grief. Better, far better surely, he had never 
 taught her to love him so dearly, had never drawn 
 her on and on, until now he had become as her own 
 soul to her. " Oh, I wish I did not care!" she moaned 
 in her agony ; " I wish I did not love him so much ! " 
 
 Then over her came the remembrance, the sweetest 
 in her life, of the evening when he, the same Chang, 
 had tried to save her from the cruel flames — that 
 eventful evening, long ago, when they had first met 
 and loved ; and then she thought of her wedding-clay, 
 her agony of terror, her dread of the future, and the 
 intensity of her joy on rinding that the husband she 
 had so feared was, after all, Chang himself — that her 
 dearest wish was granted above her wildest dreams. 
 She sighed bitterly. Did she fancy herself the first 
 discoverer of that saddest acme of knowledge — even 
 
246 ALONE. 
 
 the knowledge that granted desires do not always 
 bring happiness in their train, and that the coveted 
 possession is often granted but to prove one would 
 have been better far without it ? 
 
 She crouched lower and lower, her small long- 
 nailed hands covering her sad face, desiring with 
 natural longing to hide away from the glorious sun- 
 light of day, for light suited ill with her present dark, 
 melancholy mood. Then she recalled with aching 
 heart her happy visit to Twa-tou, and every little 
 incident stood out clear and vivid in her mind's eye. 
 
 What would Wang-fu say now ? Would she not 
 be very, very sorry for her ? But the thought brought 
 no comfort to that proud little spirit ; nay, in her 
 anguish she prayed the gods that Wang-fu might 
 never know her sorrow, that she should believe her 
 to be happy still — and her wish was granted. 
 
 Then upon her ears seemed to fall her gentle sister's 
 voice as she had heard it last, saying, in that tired, 
 still tone that had been so pitiful, " One gets accus- 
 tomed to it," thus accepting patiently her sad lot. 
 
 " Would she ever get accustomed to it ? " Lingsam 
 asked herself wearily, " ever be acclimatized, as it 
 were, to sorrow ? " But her heart gave back quickly 
 the old answer, " Never ! never ! never ! " 
 
 Her forehead still throbbed with the pain of the 
 cruel blow her husband had struck her, and the young 
 
ALONE. 247 
 
 heart, too unversed in the ways of men to give due 
 allowance for the passion of the moment, told itself in 
 its anguish yet again that he cared for her no longer ; 
 nay, with that bitter revelation she was inclined to 
 doubt if he had ever loved her at all, whether he 
 could ever have felt towards her as she had towards 
 him. For it was Chang, whom she still loved only 
 too well, who had dealt that cruel blow, and it was 
 the very depth of her love that caused her the bitter 
 agony of mind she was enduring ; for as in love lieth 
 the highest, purest joy known to mortal man, so in 
 love also lie hid the greatest depths of all sorrow, 
 the saddest of all human woe. 
 
 In anguish too deep for words, almost too deep 
 for thought, Lingsam lay, the quivering little body 
 only an index to the mental strain she was suffer- 
 ing. 
 
 Thus came to the tired mind words, sweet, holy 
 words — words she had said once laughingly were not 
 meant for her, but which now seemed full of the 
 sweet music of a loving invitation : " Come unto me, 
 all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will 
 give you rest." 
 
 So said the Saviour of mankind. Weary, heavy 
 laden ? yes, she was that now — very weary, very 
 much in need of the promised rest. 
 
 " Come unto me." Who was it who so spoke ? 
 
248 ALONE. 
 
 She would like to know more about him, she thought; 
 and then she remembered that Evelyn had given her a 
 book about the God of the English, but she had never 
 cared to read it, and mother had also said she had 
 better not do so. 
 
 But mother's instructions seemed as nought in her 
 sore need ; and Lingsam was just about to rise and 
 fetch the book, when another thought came across her 
 mind. 
 
 He was the God of the English, and was it not to 
 these English she owed all her misery ? for if Chang 
 had never entered that awful opium-saloon all would 
 have been well. 
 
 " Mother says that before that dreadful war there 
 were no saloons ; that it is the English who send that 
 awful drug to our country. Curse the white devils ! " 
 she muttered between her clenched teeth. Remember 
 she did not know it was wrong to curse. " I do not 
 want to have anything to do with their God." 
 
 The sweet remembrance of Evelyn had faded from 
 her mind during those sad days of trouble. Indeed 
 now, in her utter misery, she was inclined to wish she 
 had never seen either Evelyn or Tom, but had perished 
 in those fierce flames. Also, did they not belong to 
 that nation, that hateful nation, but for whom she 
 might still have been happy ; for then Chang would 
 never have become an opium -smoker ? 
 
ALOXK 249 
 
 And thus little Lingsam, judging only by what she 
 knew, remained alone in her overwhelming trouble, 
 brought on her not by her own wrong-doing, but by 
 the wrong-doing of others ; nor knew of Him who 
 could so truly have sympathized with her — Christ, 
 the God-man who in the garden of Gethsemane was 
 bowed down beneath that load of sorrow, even the 
 sins of the whole world, until He was crushed to the 
 earth, and His sweat, it is written, " was as great drops 
 of blood." 
 
 Thus Lingsam still lay on, telling herself in her 
 pain that there was nothing left in life for which to 
 hope. Poor, heart-broken child-wife ! so weary, so 
 young — only at an age when happy English "lassies" 
 are busy at work at their studies or at their innocent 
 games, without thought of the future or sorrow for 
 the past. 
 
 She was hardly conscious of her surroundings, so 
 great was her misery, until a strange gurgling sound 
 aroused her, and turning round, she beheld a sight 
 which, thank God ! no English mother can behold. 
 
 It was not really long since Chang had left the 
 room. One can suffer the misery of a lifetime in the 
 space of a moment. In her utter despair and sorrow, 
 Lingsam did not realize the fact that Chang had gone 
 and left her alone, still less that her baby-boy was 
 still in the room. Indeed, so great had been her agi- 
 
250 ALONE. 
 
 tation on entering that she had not noticed that the 
 child had followed her. 
 
 " Little Vagabond," as baby had been nicknamed 
 (the non-euphonious title having been bestowed on 
 him to try to deceive the spirits as to the value and 
 importance of this tiny heir), had run with a crow of 
 delight after his father's disappearing pig-tail. But 
 finding pig-tail and father both gone when he reached 
 the spot, he had submitted quietly — for Chinese babies 
 are submissive little mites — to the fact without giving 
 vent to a roar of disappointment; and he then decided 
 to make a tour of the room, and had performed this 
 feat with due solemnity, and then had come and stood 
 beside his mother — his poor, broken-hearted little 
 mother. 
 
 Surely the mightiness of her sorrow must have 
 been awful in its intensity, for the little child turned 
 away without a sound and without touching her. 
 
 In so doing something attracted baby's attention, 
 even the pipe his father had just filled when Lingsam 
 had entered the room. 
 
 Little Vagabond had seen Chang often, far too 
 often, with that pipe in his hand. " I'll be papa," he 
 thought, putting it between his baby lips. But he 
 soon grew tired of this amusement ; and he turned 
 the pipe upside down, and began to extract the opium 
 from it. No sooner had the little ringers accomplished 
 
ALONE. 251 
 
 that clever feat, than the opium found its way, like 
 most things that came within little Vagabond's reach, 
 into the baby mouth. 
 
 The first thing that roused his mother was the 
 heavy thud of the little body as the child fell in- 
 sensible on the floor. 
 
 "Baby! little Vagabond!" Thus exclaiming, his 
 mother sprang up and caught the child in her arms, 
 and was hastening to call for assistance, when a 
 sudden, strange, sad thought arrested her footsteps. 
 " Is it not best," she thought wildly, " that he should 
 die now than live to grow up to become like his 
 father?" and even then she recalled with utter 
 agony those happy days when her one desire had 
 been that her boy should grow up to be just like 
 Chang. 
 
 If her baby lived, might he not smoke opium, and 
 cause her, his mother, grief as poignant as that of 
 Nancho's ? Better, far better he should die. 
 
 So dictated Lingsam's distorted brain as she looked 
 at the boy in her arms — her own, only child — and 
 watched, apparently unmoved, the fair, blithe life 
 slipping quietly away. 
 
 One or two convulsive struggles, a few seconds of 
 laboured breathing, and the little one had passed 
 away from earth ; only a lifeless corpse was left in 
 the mother's arms. 
 
252 ALONE. 
 
 " Baby, my baby boy ! " said Lingsam ; but no smile 
 answered responsively her call, no tiny hand was 
 stretched forth in eager welcome, for the child was 
 dead — dead ! 
 
 A violent revulsion of feeling swept over her as 
 she realized this. Baby, her baby, was dead ; what 
 should she do ? Never would he again climb on her 
 knee or put his baby arms about her neck ; oh the 
 pity of it ! Never again would he try to call her 
 by that dear name of mother. Could it be yesterday, 
 only yesterday, that she and Chang had been so proud 
 of his baby achievements ? and now, never more would 
 those little prattling lips unclose. What could she 
 do without her baby ? 
 
 And the thought of Chang brought another horror. 
 What would he say ? what would he do when he 
 found out that his beloved baby boy was dead ? 
 Would he not be very angry with her — very, very 
 angry ? Perhaps he might strike her again. And 
 the sensitive, overstrung nature recoiled with agony at 
 the very idea. She could not, she would not bear it. 
 Nancho too — how she would blame her, and tell her 
 how careless she had been ! Yes, and it was true ; it 
 was her own fault baby had died. And now, do what 
 she might, she could not bring him back again ; he 
 was gone from her for ever. 
 
 Then came another thought. Why should she not 
 
ALONE. 253 
 
 follow him ? She turned to look again at the pipe. 
 Beside it on the table lay a small packet of opium 
 opened only that morning. 
 
 While there is life there is hope. Little Lingsam, 
 if not for your own sake, for the sake of those dear 
 to yon, pause ! consider ere you by your own act take 
 the final step across "that bourn from whence no 
 traveller returns." 
 
 Lingsam did pause, did consider. Life beat strongly 
 in her veins, and she was young, so very young to die. 
 But across her mind floated her sister's words, " One 
 gets accustomed to it." No, she never would, never 
 could. She never could face Chang's anger again, 
 never again could she endure the anguish of having 
 his hand uplifted against her. Her high spirit rose 
 in arms at the very thought, and so she determined to 
 plunge into the " great unknown." 
 
 " My baby," she whispered, clasping her dead child 
 in her arms closer still, " I will follow you. Maybe we 
 shall meet again, my beautiful one; any way, my hus- 
 band will not be able to hurt or pain me more ; " and 
 then she deliberately took out a little of the poisonous 
 powder and swallowed it as she lay on the clivan, 
 where she had thrown herself again in her new grief. 
 The narcotic soon began to work on her enfeebled 
 frame, and Lingsam sank softly into its pernicious 
 slumber. 
 
254 ALONE. 
 
 " How blissful ! " she sighed as she felt her tired 
 limbs smoothed into an intense rest. And for the 
 first time her heart softened towards Chang. 
 
 " Poor husband ! no wonder he felt it was so hard 
 to give up this fascinating awful opium. I was not 
 patient enough with him," she thought ; " but then I 
 did not know." 
 
 Ah, is it not the cry with many and many a one, 
 not only with this little Chinese lady, If we had 
 known, if we had only known ! Many a hard sen- 
 tence is given, many a harsh judgment passed, only 
 through lack of knowledge. Who is so tender a 
 judge as he who has been under the same temptation 
 himself ? Who is so patient as he who knows the 
 struggles and difficulties of the path ? And it is He 
 who knoweth all things, and from whom nothing is 
 hid, who is the God of patience, and who bids his 
 children " let patience have her perfect work," that they 
 may be " wanting nothing." 
 
 Lingsam dreamt beautiful airy dreams. Once 
 again Chang and she were happy, so happy; and baby 
 was no longer dead, but playing at her knee. Then 
 she saw Wang-fu standing before her, no longer mis- 
 erable, but with a baby boy in her arms and a smile 
 on her lips. Then Nancho and she were resting on 
 a bank of flowers, and she was telling Nancho that 
 Chang was quite well. And then she knew nothing 
 
ALONE. 255 
 
 more till she very gradually awoke to earthly con- 
 sciousness, for she had not taken enough opium to kill 
 her. But though her mind had returned to full con- 
 sciousness, her body felt still as if paralyzed. 
 
 She tried to recall the events of the past hour, and 
 fast and horrible came back the returning tide of 
 memory. What had she done ? Taken her own life ! 
 Was she dying ? 
 
 She would seek assistance, she thought, longing to 
 have some one near her. But when she tried to move 
 she found she could not do so ; all power was gone. 
 Her limbs seemed bound by some icy spell. Away 
 in the distance she could hear the traffic of the city, 
 the call of the watermen, and the shouts of the sedan 
 chairmen, and she thought she could distinguish a 
 long slow trampling as of some funeral procession 
 passing by. Hers would be passing through the gates 
 of the city soon, just like that one was. If only she 
 could rise and call. 
 
 " Chang ! mother ! " she strove to articulate, but the 
 words were not able to escape from those trembling 
 lips ; and if they had it would have been of no use, 
 for Chang was smoking opium and dreaming unreal 
 dreams of delight at the opium -saloon, while his 
 devoted wife was dying at home with none beside 
 her save her dead child, still clasped in her loving 
 arms. Meanwhile Nancho, poor Nancho, had not 
 
256 ALONE. 
 
 heard Chang go out of the house, and was waiting, 
 with a patience taught her by years of suffering and 
 trouble, the result of the interview when it should be 
 over, and hoping against hope for its successful ter- 
 mination. 
 
 Then came the dreadful question to little Lingsam, 
 " Where, oh where am I going ? " She could not tell, 
 she knew so little, and her heart failed her as she 
 thought of entering upon another world. She stood 
 by the banks of the dark river, and she was 
 alone ! 
 
 " Yea, though I walk through the valley of the 
 shadow of death, I will fear no evil : for Thou art with 
 me." This text brought no comfort to Lingsam's 
 mind ; for though He was there she knew Him not — 
 had never heard of that gracious promise. And had 
 she known, had she heard, she would most likely not 
 have listened to His message; for was He not the God 
 of the English, who only care for gold, gold, gold, not 
 for the bodies and souls of men ? 
 
 The loneliness seemed awful to her ; she longed in- 
 tensely for a hand, a voice, and especially did she long 
 for Chan<]f. 
 
 " If only he was here," she thought, " he might 
 kiss me once again. My husband, will you be sorry?" 
 
 She recalled how, in one of the temples, she had 
 seen pictures of the agonies endured in a future state 
 
ALONE. 257 
 
 by those who had sinned in this world ; and she shud- 
 dered, for she feared the Buddhist " hell," and had heard 
 no whisper, knew no hope, of the Christian's heaven. 
 
 Then she remembered that having committed sui- 
 cide because of her husband's cruelty, she would there- 
 fore haunt him evermore. And this brought only 
 fresh misery to her full heart. She did not want to 
 haunt Chang, to make him miserable ; she loved him 
 too much for that. 
 
 " He will be afraid of me, he will be made miser- 
 able by me. I will not, I must not die," she thought. 
 
 But Lingsam was fighting with an invincible 
 warrior. She had to yield. 
 
 " Oh the awful pain in my side ! " she moaned, as 
 her breath came in short, sharp gasps. " It is getting 
 so dark ; can it be night yet ? Oh, why does not 
 Chang come ? " 
 
 But it was not the darkness of night. The hot 
 sun fell with piercing rays upon the house, and made 
 its way even into the jealously-guarded room ; but 
 Lingsam saw not the sunbeams, though one fell on 
 her dead child's face, for her eyes were blinded by the 
 shadow of the great " ingatherer." The lamp of her 
 life was but flickering ere it expired. She was dying, 
 and alone. 
 
 " Chang," she strove to cry, seeking still that 
 earthly love which had been her one comfort during 
 
 (175) 17 
 
258 ALONE. 
 
 that short life which was now " going out " in such 
 unutterable gloom and sadness. " Chang ! " 
 
 And this time her great desire conquered, and from 
 those dying lips the word fell clearly — the name of 
 her beloved uttered in those sweet, soft tones. But 
 none heard, none answered, and with one long, quiver- 
 ing, heart-broken sigh little Lingsam passed away 
 from mortal ken, and the floods of the cold river 
 closed over her weary head. And still she was alone ; 
 her earthly love had failed her, as earthly love is so 
 prone to do, in the hour of her extremity. 
 
 In that little room was a great stillness, as the 
 mother and child lay hushed together in the deep 
 silence of death. 
 
 " For He knoweth our frame ; He remembereth that 
 we are but dust." 
 
 So read Maurice in the little English prayer-book 
 he held in his hand. His head rested on his hand in 
 a very weary manner ; and Maurice was indeed very 
 tired, for he had returned only the day before from 
 a town sixty miles away further inland, and with no 
 " foreign ghost " within the same distance. He had 
 been taking the work of another medical missionary 
 who had been " home " on a holiday after years of 
 labour there, only to be told by his friends and ac- 
 quaintances, " You missionaries are for ever coming 
 
ALONE. 259 
 
 home," they meanwhile apparently forgetful of the 
 fact that unless they have their month's holiday every 
 year they consider themselves very hardly used. 
 
 Maurice was very glad to return to Sin-tau, for he 
 had lived there so long that the dirty Chinese city 
 had quite a home-like air to him, and he rejoiced to 
 be again in his own quarters as he sat resting in the 
 study after the Chinese service. 
 
 "An urgent message for you, sir," said the boy, 
 " from Hsi Chang ; please to come at once." 
 
 " Certainly." And ere many seconds had elapsed, 
 Maurice, unmindful of fatigue, was making his way 
 rapidly, escorted by the servant who had brought the 
 message, through the hot, crowded streets of the city, 
 on which no Sabbath calm rested, past the strong- 
 smelling opium-saloons, the steaming cook-stalls with 
 their strange messes, past the street-actors' platforms, 
 until they reached the farther end of the town and 
 mounted the hill on which Chang's house was sit- 
 uated, not far from that in which Lingsam had dreamt 
 her day-dream of love. 
 
 " I wonder what Mr. Hsi wants with me," he 
 thought. " He was not inclined to be particularly 
 friendly when last we met." 
 
 Chang had returned that afternoon to his house 
 after a pipe in the opium-saloon, feeling a bit shy, 
 and wondering how Lingsam would greet him. " I 
 
260 ALONE. 
 
 declare," he thought, " if she will not make it up first 
 I will. After all, she was right and I was wrong. I 
 have half a mind to go to Mr. Graham again and try 
 to overcome this terrible weakness of mine, if only 
 to please her. I love her so much, even though she 
 is my wife ; she is so fascinating, so noble, I cannot 
 have her despise me. How I wish I had never ac- 
 quired this wretched habit. It will be terribly hard 
 to give it up," remembering his former experience. 
 
 He looked into the little sitting-room of the 
 women's apartments, where Lingsam usually sat, but 
 it was empty. He then went into the garden, and not 
 finding her there walked casually into his own room. 
 
 There lay Lingsam upon the couch with her baby 
 beside her. Chang smiled to see them thus. " Baby 
 is a fine child," he thought. " My beautiful boy." 
 (Spirits are not supposed to understand thoughts, so 
 in them he could give full vent to his fatherly 
 satisfaction.) " I expect he is asleep, or Lingsam 
 would never lie so quiet ; or she is still vexed and 
 will not speak to me." 
 
 " Lingsam, little one." But she heard not, knew 
 not that he was calling. He was too late. The 
 voice she had so longed to hear was speaking, but 
 those dearly-loved accents fell on but dead ears. 
 
 A horrible fear seized on Chang ; he passed his 
 fingers with intense tenderness over the tiny hand of 
 
ALONE. 261 
 
 his young wife, but she felt not the gentle pressure. 
 Almost wild with grief, he flung himself down beside 
 her, entreating her to speak to him, to come back to 
 him, and he would give up anything for her sake. 
 
 Hoping against hope, refusing to believe his own 
 fears, he had sent off in hot haste for Maurice Graham, 
 knowing that often he was able, if the sufferer was 
 not already dead, to give restoratives, and thus revive 
 the dying. And though Maurice had been so quick, 
 the minutes had seemed hours as he waited in 
 agonizing suspense for his coming. 
 
 As Maurice entered the room, ushered in by the 
 servant in a terrible hurry, a most pitiable spectacle 
 met his view. 
 
 There lay the fair young mother, so still, so 
 motionless, with her child beside her — both dead, as 
 his practised eye told him at the first glance. In an 
 agony of grief, Chang, with low cries and moans, was 
 caressing: one of his wife's lifeless hands ; while at the 
 other side of the divan stood a fine, noble, sad-looking 
 woman, her face as marble-like in its whiteness as 
 those of the dead, her fingers placed on the forehead 
 of her only little grandchild. 
 
 Chang sprang up on Maurice's entrance, entreating 
 him excitedly to restore Lingsam to him. " It cannot 
 surely be — it must not be — she cannot be dead. Oh 
 bring her back to me ! " he cried. 
 
262 ALOXE. 
 
 To satisfy him, though only too well assured him- 
 self of the fact that no amount of restoratives could 
 ever bring back to earth bright little Lingsam, he 
 began to examine the lifeless corpse. 
 
 " Death from heart disease, accelerated by opium," 
 he said in a few minutes in a clear voice. " She is 
 quite dead, and the child too," he added, holding the 
 baby's pulse. " Has she had any particular excite- 
 ment to-day ? " he asked. 
 
 There was silence. 
 
 " See here," continued Maurice, placing his hand on 
 the dead Lingsam's cheek ; " she must have met with 
 an accident." And he turned and looked at Chang 
 and read the truth in his face. 
 
 " Poor child ! " murmured Maurice. Was this, he 
 thought sadly, the end of Eva's little romance ? Had 
 love but brought death in its train, and what should 
 have been a blessing proved a curse ? 
 
 " She loved you so much," he added after a brief 
 pause. 
 
 " It is all that awful opium - smoking," moaned 
 Chang. — " My love, come back, come back ! " 
 
 " It is not too late to try to overcome the craving," 
 said Maurice in a low, earnest voice, remembering 
 sadly his last opportunity. " Come and try again," he 
 pleaded. " I will do all I can to help you." 
 
 As he spoke, his hand touched unwittingly the 
 
ALONE. 263 
 
 baby's ice-cold forehead, and so doing his fingers came 
 in contact with Nancho's hand, almost as cold as the 
 dead child's. 
 
 Maurice looked into her face, his heart full of 
 sympathy for the anguish expressed in that sad 
 countenance. 
 
 " Will you not come, Chang ? " he pleaded. 
 
 " Are you an Englishman ? " said Nancho, speaking 
 abruptly. 
 
 Surely a strange question to ask in this chamber of 
 death. Maurice, startled, replied without reflection, 
 "Yes." 
 
 " Then I hope you are satisfied at the mischief your 
 nation has accomplished ; and mind you, this is but 
 one of the many homes in China ruined by opium- 
 smoking." 
 
 Maurice knew it only too well. 
 
 "But for you English and your hateful traffic in 
 this wretched opium we might have been so happy," 
 she continued bitterly. " I should be ashamed, were I 
 you, to belong to such a nation ; ashamed to own it 
 my country," she went on. " No wonder you blush ! " 
 
 The mantling colour had mounted to Maurice 
 Graham's pale face as he stood silent before her. He 
 had nothing to say, for he knew her remarks were 
 just ; and yet it was his country, his beloved country, 
 against which she thus spoke. 
 
264 ALONE. 
 
 " Go 1 " she cried with rising anger. " I hate you 
 English. Go, and leave us in our misery !" 
 
 Maurice turned to look at Chang ; but he carefully 
 averted his face, fingering the very pipe which, though 
 he knew it not, had caused his little son's death. 
 
 Then with a parting glance at the young Chinese 
 mother and her child, sleeping thus together the long, 
 long sleep of death, he turned with trembling lip 
 away, crossed impetuously the long room with hasty 
 strides, and soon stood without the portico. 
 
 The sun was setting like a ball of fire, and the long 
 hot day was drawing to a close, and the tocsin bell 
 had already rung its warning. 
 
 " How can I help it ? " murmured Maurice. " Oh, 
 my country, my country ! " 
 
 And in answer, as he hurried along the narrow, filthy 
 streets, feeling so weary, so depressed, there rang in 
 his ears, as if in bitter mockery, the words of Gilbert's 
 comic opera : — 
 
 " He might have been a Prussian, a Greek, or Turk, or Russian, 
 Or else Italian ; 
 But in spite of all temptations to belong to other nations, 
 He still remains an Englishman." 
 
 THE END. 
 
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 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY