steps towards
the Yamen, failing to observe in his benevolent abstraction of mind,
that the unaffectedly depraved person Ming-hi was stretching out his
feet towards him and indulging in every other form of low-minded and
undignified contempt.

"Before he reached the door of his residence the Mandarin overtook
one who occupied a high position of confidence and remuneration in the
Department of Public Fireworks and Coloured Lights. Fully assured of
this versatile person's enthusiasm on behalf of so humane and charitable
a device, Chan Hung explained the entire matter to him without delay,
and expressly desired that if there were any details which appeared
capable of improvement, he would declare himself clearly regarding them.

"'Alas!' exclaimed the person with whom the Mandarin was conversing,
speaking in so unfeignedly disturbed and terrified a voice that several
who were passing by stopped in order to learn the full circumstance,
'have this person's ears been made the object of some unnaturally
light-minded demon's ill-disposed pastime, or does the usually
well-balanced Chan Hung in reality contemplate so violent and un-Chinese
an action? What but evil could arise from a single word of the change
which he proposes to the extent of a full written book? The entire fixed
nature of events would become reversed; persons would no longer be fully
accountable to one another; and Fow Hou being thus thrown into a most
unendurable state of confusion, the protecting Deities would doubtless
withdraw their influence, and the entire region would soon be given over
to the malicious guardianship of rapacious and evilly-disposed spirits.
Let this person entreat the almost invariably clear-sighted Chan Hung
to return at once to his adequately equipped and sumptuous Yamen, and
barring well the door of his inner chamber, so that it can only be
opened from the outside, partake of several sleeping essences of unusual
strength, after which he will awake in an undoubtedly refreshed state
of mind, and in a condition to observe matters with his accustomed
diamond-like penetration.'

"'By no means!' cried one of those who had stopped to learn the occasion
of the incident--a very inferior maker of unserviceable imitation
pigtails--'the devout and conscientious-minded Mandarin Chan Hung speaks
as the inspired mouth-piece of the omnipotent Buddha, and must, for
that reason, be obeyed in every detail. This person would unhesitatingly
counsel the