in groves of beech,
cypress, and bamboo, through the leafy screens of which rise the
upturned yellow roofs of the temples and official residences, which dot
the landscape like golden islands in an emerald sea; while beyond the
wall hurries, between high and rugged banks, the tributary of the Fu
River, which bears to the mighty waters of the Yangtsze-Kiang the goods
and passengers which seek an outlet to the eastern provinces.

The streets within the walls of the city are scenes of life and bustle,
while in the suburbs stand the residences of those who can afford to
live in peace and quiet, undisturbed by the clamour of the Les and
Changs [i.e., the people. Le and Chang are the two commonest names in
China.] of the town. There, in a situation which the Son of Heaven might
envy, stands the official residence of Colonel Wen. Outwardly it has
all the appearance of a grandee's palace, and within the massive
boundary-walls which surround it, the courtyards, halls, grounds,
summer-houses, and pavilions are not to be exceeded in grandeur and
beauty. The office which had fallen to the lot of Colonel Wen was one
of the most sought after in the province, and commonly only fell to
officers of distinction. Though not without fame in the field, Colonel
Wen's main claim to honour lay in the high degrees he had taken in the
examinations. His literary acquirements gained him friends among
the civil officers of the district, and the position he occupied was
altogether one of exceptional dignity.

Unfortunately, his first wife had died, leaving only a daughter to
keep her memory alive; but at the time when our story opens, his second
spouse, more kind than his first, had presented him with a much-desired
son. The mother of this boy was one of those bright, pretty, gay
creatures who commonly gain the affections of men much older than
themselves. She sang in the most faultless falsetto, she played the
guitar with taste and expression, and she danced with grace and agility.
What wonder, then, that when the colonel returned from his tours of
inspections and parades, weary with travel and dust, he found relief and
relaxation in the joyous company of Hyacinth! And was she not also the
mother of his son? Next to herself, there can be no question that this
young gentleman held the chief place in the colonel's affections; while
poor Jasmine, his daughter by his first venture, was left very much to
her own resources. No one troubled themselves ab