e, or to conceal himself beneath
a massive and overhanging table until his guest should have availed
himself of the opportunity to examine at his leisure whatever the room
contained--the person in question stood before him. In every detail of
dress and appointment he had the undoubted appearance of being one to
whom no door might be safely closed.

"'Alas!' exclaimed Quen, 'how inferior and ill-contrived is the mind
of a person of my feeble intellectual attainments. Even at this moment,
when the near approach of one who obviously commands every engaging
accomplishment might reasonably be expected to call up within it an
adequate amount of commonplace resource, its ill-destined possessor
finds himself entirely incapable of conducting himself with the fitting
outward marks of his great internal respect. This residence is certainly
unprepossessing in the extreme, yet it contains many objects of some
value and of great rarity; illiterate as this person is, he would not
be so presumptuous as to offer any for your acceptance, but if you will
confer upon him the favour of selecting that which appears to be the
most priceless and unreplaceable, he will immediately, and with every
manifestation of extreme delight, break it irredeemably in your honour,
to prove the unaffected depth of his gratified emotions.'

"'Quen-Ki-Tong,' replied the person before him, speaking with an evident
sincerity of purpose, 'pleasant to this one's ears are your words,
breathing as they do an obvious hospitality and a due regard for the
forms of etiquette. But if, indeed, you are desirous of gaining this
person's explicit regard, break no articles of fine porcelain or rare
inlaid wood in proof of it, but immediately dismiss to a very distant
spot the three-score gong-beaters who have enclosed him within two solid
rings, and who are now carrying out their duties in so diligent a manner
that he greatly doubts if the unimpaired faculties of hearing will ever
be fully restored. Furthermore, if your exceedingly amiable intentions
desire fuller expression, cause an unstinted number of vessels of some
uninflammable liquid to be conveyed into your chrysanthemum garden and
there poured over the numerous fireworks and coloured lights which still
appear to be in progress. Doubtless they are well-intentioned marks of
respect, but they caused this person considerable apprehension as he
passed among them, and, indeed, give to this unusually pleasant and
unassuming