, "whence are you?" "I am from Ki-Tou-Sse." "What is Ki-Tou-Sse?
who knows that?" "Ki-Tou-Sse is in San-Tchouen." "Ah, you are from
San-Tchouen, in the province of Kan-Sou. Son of the central nation, on
your knees!" Samdadchiemba turned pale, his hand left his hip, and his
arm modestly glided down along his leg. "On your knees," repeated the
Mandarin, in a thundering voice. Samdadchiemba fell on his knees,
saying, "On my knees, standing or sitting, 'tis all the same to me: a man
of labour and fatigue, as I am, is not accustomed to take his ease."
"Ah, you are from Kan-Sou," said the judge, taking large pinches of
snuff; "ah! you are from Kan-Sou; you are a child of the central nation!
Very well; in that case, it is within my province to deal with you. Son
of the central nation, answer your father and mother, and take heed how
you tell lies. Where did you meet with these two foreigners? How did
you become attached to their service?" Samdadchiemba gave, with perfect
self-confidence, a long history of his life, which seemed to interest the
auditory; he then related how he had made our acquaintance in Tartary,
and the reasons that had induced him to follow us. Our young neophyte
spoke with dignity, and, moreover, with a prudence which we had not
expected. "Why did you adopt the religion of the Lord of Heaven? Don't
you know that this is forbidden by the grand Emperor?" "The _entirely
humble_ {172} adopted that religion, because it is the only true
religion. How could I suppose that the grand Emperor proscribed a
religion which orders man to do good and to avoid evil?" "That is true,
the religion of the Lord of Heaven is holy; I know it. Why did you enter
the service of these foreigners? Don't you know that the laws forbid
that?" "How should an ignorant man, as I am, know who is a foreigner,
and who not? These men always showed kindness to me, always exhorted me
to practise virtue; why was I not to follow them?" "How much wages do
they pay you?" "If I accompany them, it is to save my soul, and not to
get money. My masters have never let me want rice and clothes, and with
that I am satisfied." "Are you married?" "As I was a Lama, before
entering the religion of the Lord of Heaven, I have never been married."
The judge then laughingly addressed an indelicate question to
Samdadchiemba, who lowered his eyes and remained silent. One of us
rising, said to Ki-Chan: "Our religion not only prohibits the commi