fabulous tales!"

The next few months saw a growing intimacy and a constant exchange of
presents. We were often able to indulge in the famous delicacy of
buried eggs, of which the not unpleasant, slightly ammoniated flavour is
so much appreciated by the Chinese. Once we were faced by a real
difficulty on the occasion of receiving a present of meat, when
conscientious Mr. Fu, fearful lest we should shelter under a liberty of
conscience whereby we would eat and ask no question, hastily came to
warn us that this had been offered to idols before being presented to
us. Under these circumstances we had no option but to crave leave to
refuse a present whereby a brother might have been caused to stumble.

How little we dreamed of the trouble which would so soon break over the
official classes with the overthrow of the Empire, and the establishment
of a Republic. I remember the last visit we paid to those friends, and
our departure from the _Yamen_ in the brilliant moonlight, whilst huge
lanterns lighted our path through the archways and great gateways. As we
left the huge enclosure the guard fired the first night watch. "Except
the Lord keep the city the watchman watcheth but in vain." That night
the Revolution broke out in Hankow, and the next time we saw our
hostesses they were in terrible distress, imploring our permission to
make our house their shelter, should the hatred of the mob break forth
and their residence be rioted. They were in a most defenceless position,
for the Mandarin had taken a journey to Taiyueanfu, and did not return.
He was one of the old school, and faithful to the traditions of the
Manchus whose court he had accompanied to Sianfu in the flight of 1900.
It was still far from certain which party would gain the ascendancy,
and he, as most of his class, wished to refrain from an expression of
opinion until the situation was clearly defined. This, however, was not
allowed, and during the massacres of the Manchus in Taiyueanfu he was
arrested, and made to declare himself.

He held the Hanlin degree, the highest honour to which the Chinese
scholar is admitted, the Emperor himself conducting the examinations.
Faced by his enemies and fearing summary execution, he sheltered himself
behind the age-long reverence for scholarship which exists in China as
in no other country: "Death has no terrors for me," he calmly said,
"but, alas, that such a scholar should be lost to China!" No armed
bodyguard could have affo