it was only a verification
of our papers, and as ours were in order it did not much matter how
repulsive he looked.

"What an air he has!" murmured Madame Caterna.

"The air of a Chinaman!" said her husband, "and frankly I do not want
to have one like it."

I am one of the first to present my passport, which bears the visas of
the consul at Tiflis and the Russian authorities at Uzun-Ada. The
functionary looks at it attentively. When you are dealing with a
mandarin, you should always be on the lookout. Nevertheless, the
examination raises no difficulty, and the seal of the green dragon
declares me all in order.

The same result with regard to the actor and actress. Nevertheless it
was worth while looking at Caterna while his papers were being
examined. He assumed the attitude of a criminal endeavoring to mollify
a magistrate, he made the sheepiest of eyes, and smiled the most
deprecating of smiles, and seemed to implore a grace or rather a favor,
and yet the most obdurate of the Chinamen had not a word to say to him.

"Correct," said the interpreter.

"Thank you, my prince!" replied Caterna, with the accent of a Paris
street boy.

As to Ephrinell and Miss Bluett, they went through like a posted
letter. If an American commercial and an English ditto were not in
order, who would be? Uncle Sam and John Bull are one as far as that
goes.

The other travelers, Russian and Turkoman, underwent examination
without any difficulty arising. Whether they were first-class or
second-class, they had fulfilled the conditions required by the Chinese
administration, which levies a rather heavy fee for each visa, payable
in roubles, taels or sapeks.

Among the travelers I noticed an American clergyman bound to Pekin.
This was the Reverend Nathaniel Morse, of Boston, one of those honest
Bible distributors, a Yankee missionary, in the garb of a merchant, and
very keen in business matters. At a venture I make him No. 13 in my
notebook.

The verification of the papers of young Pan Chao and Doctor Tio-King
gave rise to no difficulty, and on leaving they exchanged "ten thousand
good mornings" with the more amiable of the Chinese representatives.

When it came to the turn of Major Noltitz, a slight incident occurred.
Sir Francis Trevellyan, who came to the table at the same moment, did
not seem inclined to give way. However, nothing resulted but haughty
and provoking looks. The gentleman did not even take the trouble to
open his mo