and chin-chin with the Celestials."

After a delightful progress through the great warehouse, peeping and
picking as they went, they found Uncle Mac and the yellow gentlemen in
his private room, where samples, gifts, curiosities, and newly arrived
treasures of all sorts were piled up in pleasing pro-fusion and
con-fusion.

As soon as possible Rose retired to a corner, with a porcelain god
on one side, a green dragon on the other, and, what was still more
embarrassing, Fun See sat on a tea-chest in front, and stared at her
with his beady black eyes till she did not know where to look.

Mr. Whang Lo was an elderly gentleman in American costume, with his
pig-tail neatly wound round his head. He spoke English, and was talking
busily with Uncle Mac in the most commonplace way so Rose considered him
a failure. But Fun See was delightfully Chinese from his junk-like shoes
to the button on his pagoda hat; for he had got himself up in style, and
was a mass of silk jackets and slouchy trousers. He was short and fat,
and waddled comically; his eyes were very "slanting," as Rose said; his
queue was long, so were his nails; his yellow face was plump and shiny,
and he was altogether a highly satisfactory Chinaman.

Uncle Alec told her that Fun See had come out to be educated and could
only speak a little pigeon English; so she must be kind to the poor
fellow, for he was only a lad, though he looked nearly as old as Mr.
Whang Lo. Rose said she would be kind; but had not the least idea how to
entertain the queer guest, who looked as if he had walked out of one of
the rice-paper landscapes on the wall, and sat nodding at her so like a
toy Mandarin that she could hardly keep sober.

In the midst of her polite perplexity, Uncle Mac saw the two young
people gazing wistfully at one another, and seemed to enjoy the joke
of this making acquaintance under difficulties. Taking a box from his
table, he gave it to Fun See, with an order that seemed to please him
very much.

Descending from his perch, he fell to unpacking it with great neatness
and despatch, while Rose watched him, wondering what was going to
happen. Presently, out from the wrappings came a teapot, which caused
her to clasp her hands with delight, for it was made in the likeness of
a plump little Chinaman. His hat was the cover, his queue the handle,
and his pipe the nose. It stood upon feet in shoes turned up at the
toes, and the smile on the fat, sleepy face was so like t