r on the Third Avenue elevated
railway in New York. This would be about as accurate as to call the coster
at his barrow the typical Englishman; just about as accurate as to call
the Bowery loafer the typical American. His Excellency appeared to be
close to six feet in height; he was erect and lithe of figure, with marked
physical grace. He greeted Mr. Sowerby by clasping his hands before his
breast and bowing, then turned, and with a genial smile extended his right
hand to grip mine. He used no English, but the Chinese language, as he
spoke it, was both dignified and musical, and not at all like the singsong
jabbering I had heard on the streets and about the hotels.

Ting led the way into a reception-room which was furnished in red cloth
and dark woods. There was a seat and a table against each side, and two
red cushions on the edge of a platform across the end of the room, with a
low table between them. An attendant appeared with tea. Ting took a
covered tea bowl in his two hands, extended it towards me, bowed, then
placed it on the low stand--thus indicating the seat which I was to take,
on the platform. Mr. Wen said, in my ear, "Sit down." Mr. Sowerby was
placed at the other side of the stand; the two Chinese gentlemen seated
themselves at the two side-tables, facing each other. One thing I
remembered from Mr. Sowerby's coaching--I must not touch my bowl of tea. I
must not even look at it. The tea is not to drink; it is brought in order
that the caller may be enabled to take his leave gracefully. The Chinese
gentlefolk are so wedded to life's little ceremonies that guest and host
cannot bring themselves to talk right out about terminating a visit. The
guest would shiver at the notion of saying, "Well, I must go, now."
Instead, he fingers his tea bowl, or perhaps merely glances at it; and
then he and his host both rise.

His Excellency fixed his eyes on me and uttered a deliberate, musical
sentence. "He says," translated Mr. Sowerby, "that you have come to help
China." I am afraid I blushed at this. It had not occurred to me to state
my mission in just those words. I replied that I had come, as a
journalist, to learn the truth about the opium question. We talked for an
hour about the wonderful warfare which China is waging against her
besetting vice. "China is sincere in this struggle," he said. "Public
opinion was never more determined." He asked me if I had investigated the
new Malay drug which had lately been heral