le, or rather, we remained at
the fireside, contemplating the pot, in which a good cut of beef had been
boiling for some hours. Samdadchiemba, in his quality of steward,
brought this to the surface of the liquid by means of a large wooden
spoon, seized it with his nails, and threw it on the end of a board,
where he cut it into three equal pieces; each then took his portion in
his cup, and with the aid of a few rolls baked in the ashes, we
tranquilly commenced our dinner without troubling ourselves very much
about swindlers or spies. We were at our dessert--that is to say, we
were about to rinse our cups with some buttered tea, when the two Lamas,
the pretended merchants, made their re-appearance. "The Regent," they
said, "awaits you in his palace; he wants to speak to you." "But," cried
we, "does the Regent, perchance, also want to buy our old saddles?" "It
is not a question about either saddles or merchandise. Rise at once, and
follow us to the Regent." The matter was now beyond a doubt; the
government was desirous of meddling with us--to what end? Was it to do
us good or ill, to give us liberty, or to shackle us? to let us live or
to make us die? This we could not tell. "Let us go to the Regent," we
said, "and trust for the rest to the will of our heavenly Father."

After having dressed ourselves in our best, and put on our majestic caps
of fox-skin, we said to our apparitor, "We are ready." "And this young
man," he said, pointing to Samdadchiemba, who had turned his eyes upon
him with no very affectionate expression. "This young man, he is our
servant, he will take care of the house in our absence." "No, no, he
must come too; the Regent wishes to see all three of you." Samdadchiemba
shook, by way of making his toilet, his great robe of sheepskin, placed,
in a very insolent manner, a small black cap over his ear, and we
departed all together, after padlocking the door of our lodging.

We went at a rapid pace for about five or six minutes, and then arrived
at the palace of the First Kalon, the Regent of Thibet. After having
crossed a large courtyard, where were assembled a great number of Lamas
and Chinese, who began to whisper when they saw us appear, we were
stopped before a gilt door, the folds of which stood ajar; our leader
passed through a small corridor on the left, and an instant after the
door was opened. At the farther end of an apartment, simply furnished,
we perceived a personage sitting wit