Part 28

But calamity treads hard upon the heels of the wicked. Witness the fate of the Russian--may his posterity be cut off! [_Idiom="A murrain on thee!" Cf. Shakespeare, "The Tempest", iii. 2. 88. Ch. F.-s., B.A. Oxon._] By sure hands your unworthy servant brought his confession beneath the eyes of the barbarian commander-in-chief. He is blind indeed who cannot see the length of his nose. My agents now inform me that the evil-doer is stripped of his offices, and of the emoluments thereto pertaining; as our saying goes, he has lost his buttons. His fellow-criminal has evaded my most diligent enquiries. But him also Justice pursues with sharpened sword, resting not by night neither by day.

Quantum suff. Though our lives be henceforth as two rivers flowing east and west, the recollection of past favours will be with me, honoured sir, as a plant in perennial bloom. What says P'an T'ang-shen?--"A man should find as much joy in the remembrance of a friend as though his worst enemy were to boil in oil."

My son, who is now under the tutorial charge of Mr. Chang Fu-sing--[_purely honorary--no pay. Ch. F.-s., B.A. Oxon._]--adds, as in duty bound, his humble respects.

Permit me, honoured sir, to subscribe myself

Your most grateful obedient Servant, AH LUM.

P.S.--May I venture once more to commend the works of Li T'ai-poh to your august attention?

"Thanks!" said Brin, handing the letter back. "I am ver' much interested. The English is good, hein? In the idiom of Oxford? Permit me to make a copy for my book that will appear at early date, _L'Ascension de la Chine_."

Meanwhile Humphrey Brown had gone to the window, and stood with his hands in his pockets looking into the crowded street. A cab rattled up to the door of the hotel.

"I say," said Humphrey, "here's a funny old guy. Come and look, Agnes."

"I prefer to listen to the conversation," said Agnes, a self-possessed girl of thirteen.

"All right, grumps! But it would make you laugh. He's coming into the hotel. My eye!"

Not two minutes later the door opened, and there entered a portly figure in light-striped flannels; a pink cummerbund showing beneath the vest; gold-rimmed eyeglasses fixed somewhat awry on his broad nose. He stood at the door for a moment to choose his table.

"By George!" exclaimed Jack, springing up; "it's Schwab himself."

He went towards the door.

"Good-evening, Herr Schwab!" he said, holding out his hand.

The German turned and stared.

"Ach! I haf not ze honour, unless--who do you rebresent, sir?"

Jack smiled. Schwab instantly seized him by the hand.

"Du meine Guete! I abologize. I know you now. Nefer before did I see you in ze evenink dress. How are you, how are you, how are you?"

"Jolly glad to see you," said Jack. "Come and be introduced to my father, and mother, and the rest. You know Brin. We were talking of you only a minute ago."

The introductions were made. Humphrey turned away to hide his laughter at the German's elephantine bows.

"I abologize to ze ladies for my so unbecoming addire, but ven I egsblain zat I haf shust gome from ze station----"

"Say no more," said Mr. Brown. "Very unfortunate I couldn't meet you in Moukden, Mr. Schwab."

"Ach ja! Bermit me to ask, haf you seen ze evenink baber?"

"Not yet."

"Vell, I haf vun. I bought it at ze station; ze baber boys zey should be made to keep change. I haf only a benny, ze boy he haf no ha'bny--I muss vait five minutes till anozer gustomer arrive. Zat is not business. Ven I read ze baber, I see a baragraph vat I zink interess you. I read to you. 'It is announced from St. Betersburg zat ze rebresentations of ze British ambassador in regard to ze extraordinary case of Mr. Brown of Moukden haf at last been crowned viz success, and orders haf been issued for Mr. Brown's immediate release.' Zere is somezink I do not understan', since already Mr. Brown is here."

"Ah! You're not a diplomat, Mr. Schwab," said Mr. Brown, laughing. "It is a little funny to know that three months after my escape, and when Sakhalin is in possession of the Japanese, I am graciously permitted to regain my liberty."

Jack gave Herr Schwab a brief account of the final scenes of his quest.

"Zen for how much is your claim?" asked Schwab of Mr. Brown at the conclusion of the story.

"What claim?"

"Vy, your claim for gombensation--for intellectual and moral damage. Business are business. As business man, I advise downright zumping big claim."

"Well, Mr. Schwab, I've been turning over the matter, and really I think I'll let things alone. You see, Sowinski is dead, poor wretch! and Bekovitch is degraded, and if the account were properly adjusted, and Jack's damage to the Siberian railway put on the debit side, the balance might turn out against us after all."

"Ach! zat is anozer matter--ja! you muss gonsider ze balance-sheet. Zat is business."

"You are still in business?" said Jack.

"I am in business forever. It is ze bress of my nostrils. Vargorresbondencephotography, zat is not business; it do not bay egsbenses. I am now in beacephotography. I gome here, rebresentative of Schlagintwert, to make bicturebostcardphotographs of ze French and English entente. And zen I return to ze Baltic to make photograph of our Kaiser ven he velgome ze British fleet."

"He!" cried Brin with a chuckle. "Welcome! It must be snap-shot--prestissimo! When your Kaiser welcome the British fleet there will need a good camera, and exposure--one-millionth second. Ho! ho!"

Later in the evening Schwab took Jack confidentially aside.

"Mr. Brown, my frient, I have somezink to say. It has been gonfided to me zat you gondemblate a gondract."

"A contract, Herr Schwab?"

Schwab guffawed.

"Zat is my shoke--a madrimonial gondract."

"Who has been telling you that?"

"Ah, I haf it in gonfidence from your sister. Already is she a frient. She tell everybody in gonfidence."

"Then you can contradict it in confidence, Herr Schwab. There is no foundation--that is to say, nothing is settled."

Schwab looked sly.

"No, not settled, of course--but gondemblated."

"Really, Herr Schwab!----"

"Yes, yes, I understan'. Shust so. I also have affair of ze heart." He sighed deeply. "I can symbazise. But viz me it is different. You are lucky dog--ze Fraeulein Walewska is kind; vile I am in ze depss of desbair: Madame Bottle--ach, she is gruel. I sigh, she smile; I groan, she laugh; I even make bresentation, she decline vizout zanks. Ah! Mr. Brown, you do not know vat it is to be gross in lov."

Jack looked as sympathetic as he could, while Herr Schwab, laying his hand lightly on his waistcoat-buttons, continued lugubriously:

"Ach, truly it is a terrible zink to lov vizout return. It break ze heart; it shpoil ze digestion;--it is bad for business. No longer can I gif sole attention to ze interest of Schlagintwert. Vy, it is only a few days since I take order from Robinson & Robinson in London; yesterday Schlagintwert return ze order. Vat haf I written?--'Subbly Mrs. Bottle, 68 Crutched Friars, London, 50 casks botato shbirit, last quotation, f.o.b. Hamburg.' Zere is fipence vaste in bostages. Zat show you!"

"Yes, very amusing," said Jack absently. Gabriele had just come in with Mrs. Brown, and Jack was on thorns lest the German's by no means gentle voice should reach the ladies.

"Amusink!" cried Schwab. "Schlagintwert do not see ze shoke. Vy----"

"Of course, I meant annoying. But, Herr Schwab, if you will----"

"Yes, yes," said Schwab, noticing how Jack's eyes strayed to the other end of the room, and how he fidgeted with his watch-chain. "Yes, I see. Only vun moment, Mr. Brown. Ze business I shboke of. Already I mention it to ze young lady----"

"Upon my word, Herr Schwab!--

"Vait, I egsblain. Zere is nozink fix--not nozink at all. Ze Fraeulein vill say nozink. She blush; zen she ask me to tell her about my ancestor, Hildebrand Suobensius. But zis is business."

"Well, what is it, Herr Schwab?"

"It is an obbortunity--an obbortunity for Schlagintwert and for yourself. Our firma establish a new branch--bon-bons, gonfectionery. Zey vish to open accounts in zis gountry: you understan'?"

"Understand?--what?"

"Vy, zis--here is ze obbortunity. Schlagintwert zey require advertisement: zey shall make you ze vedding-gake--_costprice_!"

About six weeks later, Mr. Brown was looking over his copy of the _Shanghai Mercury_ which had come by the morning post.

"Here, Jack," he said, "this paragraph will interest you."

Jack took the paper, and read:

"One of the results of the treaty of peace recently signed between Russia and Japan is that the famous brigand, Ah Lum, has been summoned to Pekin. The military ability he displayed in his operations in northern Manchuria has been recognized by his appointment to a high post in the Board of Civil Office."

There is shortly to be started, in Hong-Kong, a new firm of produce brokers under the style of Brown, Son, & Co. Brown we know; Son we know; Co. at present consists of Mr. Hi An-tzu. Whether it will by and by include Mr. Hi Lo-ch'u depends on that young man's business aptitude: Son thinks it very probable. Brown is to be the sleeping, or as he prefers to put it, the consulting partner. Son will manage the London house; while Mr. Hi in Hong-Kong will open accounts with respectable Manchurian farmers, of whom one will undoubtedly be Mr. Wang.

Some of Brown's friends took him to task for lifting his former compradore from his lowly station to the equality of partnership. To their remonstrance Brown replied with a morsel of political philosophy.

"It's all very well," he said, "to sneer at the 'heathen Chinee', and look upon him as fit for nothing better than to smoke your opium and do your work in South African mines. Believe me, John Chinaman is not so very heathen; and he is waking up: and when he does move he will hustle. For myself, I prefer a colleague to a competitor."

What Brown thinks to-day his business friends generally think to-morrow.

*Glossary*

C=Chinese, P=Pidgin-English, R=Russian. The Chinese substitute _l_ for _r_, and add the terminations _-ee_, _-um_, and _-lo_ to many words.

_ach_ (R), oh, ah.

_allo_ (P), all, every.

_artel_ (R), a society of workers formed on co-operative principles.

_barin_ (R), lord, gentleman.

_batiushki_ (R) = By Jove!

_belongey_ (P), often equivalent simply to the verb to be.

_bimeby_ (P), by and by, afterwards.

_bobbely_ (P), noise, uproar.

_bottom-side_ (P), down, below.

_bozhe moi_ (R), good heavens!

_cash_ (C), small copper coins carried on strings.

_catchee_ (P), to get, have.

_ch'hoy_ (P), an exclamation.

_chop-chop_ (P), quickly.

_chow-chow_ (P), food.

_Chunchuse_ (more strictly _Hunhutze_: C), literally red-beard: the name given to the organized bandits of Manchuria.

_compradore_ (Portuguese), superintendent of a European's native staff.

_da_ (R), an exclamation; literally "yes!"

_droshky_ (R), single-horse carriage.

_dushenka_ (R), little soul: a term of endearment.

_-ee_, a pidgin-English termination.

_eka_ (R), an exclamation: "there now!"

_Fa-lan-sai_ (P), French.

_fangtse_ (C), cottage.

_fan-kwei_ (C), foreign devil.

_fan-tan_ (C), a game: the players stake on the remainder when an unknown number of cash is divided by 4.

_fan-yun_ (C), foreigner.

_feng-shui_ (C), the geomantic influences of the earth, determining the luckiness or unluckiness of places.

_first-chop_ (P), best, excellently.

_flend_ (P), friend.

_fo'_ (P), four, for.

_folin_ (P), foreign.

_galaw_ (P), a common exclamation.

_gorodovoi_ (R), policeman.

_gospodin_ (R), sir.

_graf_ (R), count

_he_ (P), he, she, it, they, him, her.

_Ingoua_ (C), English.

_kopeck_ (R), silver or copper coin: 100 kopecks make 1 rouble.

_kow-tow_ (P), to bow humbly.

_li_ (C), a Chinese mile: about one-third of an English mile.

_ling-ch'ih_ (C), capital punishment by slicing.

_littee_ (P), little.

_look-see_ (P), look, examine.

_lowdah_ (P), captain of a junk.

_Lusski_ (P), Russian.

_mafoo_ (C), groom.

_makee_ (P), make, do.

_Melican_ (P), American.

_moujik_ (R), peasant.

_muchee_ (P), very.

_my_ (P), I, me, my, mine.

_nichalnik_ (R), station-master.

_no can do_ (P), cannot.

_nu_ (R), well!

_numpa_ (P), number: numpa one, first-rate.

_och_ (R), oh!

_one-tim'_ (P), once.

_ph'ho_ (C), an exclamation.

_pidgin_ (P), business: pidgin-English, English as spoken by Chinese at the ports.

_piecee_ (P), used with numerals: _one piecee man_=a or one man.

_ping-ch'wahn_ (C), gunboat.

_plopa_ (P), proper: allo plopa, all right.

_rouble_ (R), the standard money (paper) of Russia: ten roubles=a British sovereign.

_samovar_ (R), tea-urn.

_sampan_ (C), a Chinese punt.

_savvy_ (P), know, understand.

_side_ (P), place, direction: this-side, here; that-side, there; what-side, where.

_so-fashion_ (P), in that way.

_suttingly_ (P), certainly.

_tael_ (C), a coin (rarely seen) worth 6s. 6d.

_that-side_ (P), there.

_that-tim'_ (P), then.

_this-side_ (P), here, hither.

_tim'_ (P), time.

_tinkee_ (P), think.

_Toitsche_ (P), _i.e._ Deutsche, German.

_too_ (P), very.

_topside_ (P), above, superior; in the head.

_troika_ (R), three-horsed vehicle.

_verst_ (R), two-thirds of English mile.

_vodka_ (R), brandy made of barley.

_wailo_ (P), away, to go away, run away.

_wantchee_ (P), to want.

_what-for_ (P), why.

_what-side_ (P), where.

_what-tim'_ (P), when.

_yamen_ (C), mandarin's residence and office: yamen-runners, equivalent to English bailiffs, but a very inferior class.

_yinkelis_ (P), English.

* * * * * * * *

*The Light Brigade in Spain*

or

*The Last Fight of Sir John Moore*

*By Herbert Strang*

Author of "Tom Burnaby," etc.

With a Preface by Lieut.-Col. WILLOUGHBY VERNER.

_Illustrated by William Rainey, R.I. 12mo. $1.50_

"In 'Boys of the Light Brigade' Mr. Strang draws upon the resources of the Peninsular War, and succeeds in extracting much freshness from well-worn themes, as Moore's retreat to Corunna and the heroic defence of Saragossa. The personal interest of the story is kept at a high tension.... It is a book which no boy will be able to put down when once started. The volume is provided with excellent maps and plans of the scenes in which the incidents take place."--_The Standard_.

"This author has fairly earned the right to be accepted as the legitimate successor of the late George A. Henty in furnishing entertainment for youth. Like Henty, Strang manages to galvanize the dry bones of history into a close semblance of glorious life.... The present volume contains vivid and spirited descriptions of campaign life in Spain ... with many rare and interesting episodes.... This is good reading for young and old."--_Chicago Post_.

"The author describes graphically with truth to history the last fight of the British commander, Sir John Moore. It is a stirring military story in the manner of those written by the late George A. Henty, but really with more authenticity."--_Philadelphia Press_.

"An interesting story, with extra good measure in its incidents and character ... and with some pretty little love passages."--_Cleveland Leader_.

*KOBO*

*Story of the Russo-Japanese War*

*By HERBERT STRANG*

Author of "The Light Brigade in Spain," etc.

_Illustrated by William Rainey, R.I. 12mo, $1.50_

"It is a dashing romance for boys, founded on the Russo-Japanese War and worthy of the late Mr. Henty at his best. A story that every schoolboy will enjoy and one that will be read with much pleasure and profit by many older readers as well."--_Cleveland Leader_.

"The story throughout bristles with adventures, it is well written and the author shows intimate knowledge of Japanese character and customs."--_San Francisco Bulletin_.

"In one respect Mr. Strang's tale is even better than many of the late G. A. Henty's. It has more dash and dialogue. These are strong points in the work of this writer, who is destined to fill the place vacated by the lamented author of 'Under Drake's Flag,' and 'With Clive in India.'"--_The Dundee Advertiser_.

"For vibrant actuality there is nothing to come up to Mr. Strang's 'Kobo.'"--_The Academy_.

"A great amount of actual military history is incorporated with an exciting and romantic plot."--_The Westminster Gazette_.

*The Adventures*

*of*

*Harry Rochester*

*A Tale of the Days of Marlborough and Eugene*

*By*

*HERBERT STRANG*

Author of "Kobo," "Light Brigade in Spain," etc.

_Illustrated by William Rainey, R.I. 12mo. $1.50_

"A story full of thrilling adventure."--_Newark Advertiser_.

"Mr. Strang is a follower of Henty in writing adventurous historical romances for boys, and does his work with even more spirit and vim. This tale gives a good picture of the wars of Marlborough and William of Holland against the French, with a clever and courageous boy hero."--_Congregationalist and Christian World_.

"Three such successes as Mr. Strang has now achieved definitely establish his position and should fully reassure those who despondingly wondered when and where a worthy successor to Mr. Henty would appear."--_Glasgow Herald_.

"Mr. Henty's mantle may worthily be worn by Mr. Herbert Strang."--_Truth_.

"Told with a dash and vigor which mark him as Henty's natural successor."--_Notts Guardian_.

*By ELBRIDGE S. BROOKS*

Historic Boys. Their Endeavors, Their Achievements and Their Times. With 29 full-page illustrations. 8vo, pp. viii + 259.

Historic Girls. Stories of Girls Who Have Influenced the History of Their Times. 8vo, illustrated, pp. viii + 225.

Chivalric Days and Youthful Deeds. Stirring Stories, presenting faithful pictures of historic times. Illustrated, 8vo. $1.25

Heroic Happenings. Told in Verse and Story. Illustrated, 8vo. $1.25

Great Men's Sons. Stories of the Sons of Great Men from Socrates to Napoleon. Fully illustrated, 8vo. $1.25

Including the Sons of Socrates, Alexander, Cicero, Marcus Aurelius, Mahomet, Charlemagne, Alfred, William the Conqueror, Saladin, Dante, Tamerlane, Columbus, Luther, Shakespeare, Cromwell, Peter the Great, Napoleon.

The Long Walls. An American Boy's Adventures in Greece. A Story of Digging and Discovery, Temples and Treasures. By E. S. Brooks and John Alden. Illustrated by George Foster Barnes. 8vo. $1.25

*New York--G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS--London*

*By HERBERT STRANG*

The Adventures of Harry Rochester: A Tale of the Days of Marlborough and Eugene.

The Light Brigade in Spain; or, The Last Fight of Sir John Moore.

Kobo. A Story of the Russo-Japanese War.

Brown of Moukden. A Story of the Russo-Japanese War.