ust be easy with him.
But you'll never get a better compradore, and he's good for many years
yet--or until you learn the ropes."

After which old Mr. Withers concerned himself very earnestly in the
preparations for his departure, for he was leaving China for a better
land,--England, I mean.

Young Withers set about learning the business under the direction of
old Li. Which greatly complimented old Li, who liked being deferred to
by a European. And young Withers being very easy-going, and having
fallen into a business which required no up-building, being already in
its stride, most successful, he left a good many of the details to his
compradore, and bragged about him a good deal, saying that indeed he
had inherited from his uncle a most wonderful and competent man of
affairs. Therefore he was greatly astonished one day, about two years
after his accession, when Li asked for a vacation--a long one.

"Want go America," explained the Chinese succinctly. Young Withers was
dumbfounded.

"But you can't go America!" he explained, "no can go. What become of
business here in Tientsin if you go America? No can do."

Li had had his own way about many things during a great number of
years, and opposition, no matter from what motives, meant nothing to
him. He settled his big horn spectacles more firmly on his nose, and
flecked invisible dust from his rich black brocade coat.

"Want go America," he repeated without emphasis.

"Whatever for?" asked young Withers, to whom a desire to go to America
was incomprehensible. He himself had never felt a desire to go to
America, and that his old compradore should be so obsessed was past
his understanding. Besides, he could imagine somewhat what would
befall the old gentleman, who after many years was only able to speak
pidgin-English, who never wore European clothes, and who had managed
to retain his magnificent queu in spite of all the troubles following
the Boxer business. Old Withers had managed to preserve Li's queu for
him. Took him into his compound and sheltered him, and finally got a
permit from the Legation to allow him to wear it. Li was enormously
proud of this queu, which was long and thick and glossy, and its
length enhanced by a black silk cord, neatly plaited in towards the
end--altogether, it came nearly down to his heels, the envy and
admiration of many a Chinese gentleman who had been abruptly shorn
before help arrived. Young Withers visualised his dignified comprador