m all with
you, Mr. Kong. They would have been a great acquisition."

"Yet it must be well weighed," I replied, not to be out-complimented
touching one another, "that here they would have met so many fine and
superior gentlemen that they might have become dissatisfied with my less
than average prepossessions."

"I wonder if they did not think of that in your case, and refuse to let
you come," said one of the maidens.

"The various persons must not be regarded as being on their all fours,"
I replied, anxious that there should be no misunderstanding on this
point. "They, of course, reside within one inner chamber, but there
would be no duplicity in this one adding indefinitely to the number."

"Of course not; how silly of me!" exclaimed the maiden. "What splendid
musical evenings you can have. But tell me, Mr. Kong (ought it not to be
Messrs. Kong, mamma?), if a girl married you here would she be legally
married to you in China?"

"Oh yes," replied this person positively.

"But could you not, by your own laws, have the marriage set aside
whenever you wished?"

"Assuredly," I admitted. "It is so appointed."

"Then how could she be legally married?" she persisted, with really
unbecoming suspicion.

"Legally married, legally unmarried," replied this person, quite
distressed within himself at not being able to understand the difficulty
besetting her. "All perfectly legal and honourably observed."

"I think, Gwendoline--" said the one of authority, and although the
matter was no further expressed, by an instinct which he was powerless
to avert, this person at once found himself rising with ceremonious
partings.

Not desiring that the obstacle should remain so inadequately swept
away, I have turned my presumptuous footsteps in the direction of the
Law-giver's house on several later occasions, but each time the word of
the slave guarding the door has been that they of the household,
down even to those of the most insignificant degree of kinship, have
withdrawn to a distant and secluded spot.

With renewed assurances that the enterprise is being gracefully
conducted, however ill-digested and misleading these immature
compositions may appear.

KONG HO.

LETTER IV

Concerning a desire to expatiate upon subjects of
philosophical importance and its no accomplishment. Three
examples of the mental concavity sunk into by these
barbarians. An involved episode which had the outward
appearance of being ot