ole in the road. At least that's what
_we_ mean by wonderful."

"Upon my word, Maggie," said Cousin Peregrine, "your definition is most
admirable. I cannot say that I have met with giants in China, even in
the north, where the men are taller than in the south. But I can tell
you of something I saw in China which surprised me very much, which I
had never seen before, and which, I give you my word, I don't understand
to this hour, but which I have no doubt was not in the least wonderful
to the poor half-naked Chinaman who did it in my courtyard. And then, if
you like, I will tell you something else which surprised some Chinese
country-folk very much, which they never saw before, and which they
certainly did not understand when they did see it. Will that do?"

"Oh yes, yes! Thank you, yes!" cried the chorus, and Maggie said--

"First all about the thing _you_ thought wonderful, you know."

"Well, the thing I thought wonderful was a conjuring trick done by a
Chinese juggler."

"Did he only do one trick?" said the little maid on Cousin Peregrine's
knee.

"Oh, he did lots of tricks," said Cousin Peregrine, "many of them common
Eastern ones, which are now familiar in England, but which he certainly
performed in a wonderful way: because, you see, he had not the advantage
of doing his tricks on a stage fitted up by himself, he did them in the
street, or in my courtyard, with very little apparatus, and naked to the
waist. For instance, the common trick of bringing a glass bowl full of
water and fish out of a seemingly empty shawl is not so marvellous if
the conjurer has a well-draped table near him from behind which he can
get such things, or even good wide sleeves to hide them in. But my poor
conjurer was almost naked, and the bit of carpet, about the size of this
hearthrug, which he carried with him, did not seem capable of holding
glass bowls of water, most certainly. Besides which he shook it, and
spread it on the ground close by me, after which he threw himself down
and rolled on it. And yet from underneath this he drew out a glass bowl
of water with gold-fish swimming in it. But that trick and many others
one can see very well done in London now, though not so utterly without
apparatus. The trick which he did so particularly well, and which
puzzled me so much, I have never seen in Europe. This is the one I am
going to describe to you."

"Describe the conjurer a bit more first, Cousin Peregrine."

"There is nothing