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that　of　misleading　travellers　who　inquire　the　way；　so　that　they　fall



into　the　hands　of　robbers；　and　the　like　callingsshould　be　the　most



highly　rewarded　to　the　end　that　those　who　are　engaged　therein　may



obtain　some　solace　for　the　loss　of　dignity　they　experience；　and　the



mean　intellectual　position　which　they　are　compelled　to　maintain。　By



this　device　they　would　be　enabled　to　possess　certain　advantages　and



degrees　of　comfort　which　at　present　are　utterly　beyond　their　grasp；　so



that　in　the　end　they　would　escape　being　entirely　debased。　To　turn　to



the　other　foot；　those　who　are　now　high　in　position；　and　engaged　in



professions　which　enjoy　the　confidence　of　all　persons；　have　that　which



in　itself　is　sufficient　to　insure　contentment。　Furthermore；　the　most



proficient　and　engaging　in　every　department；　mean　or　high…minded；　have



certain　attributes　of　respect　among　those　beneath　them；　so　that　they



might　justly　be　content　with　the　lowest　reward　in　whatever　calling



they　professed；　the　least　skilful　and　most　left…handed　being



compensated　for　the　mental　anguish　which　they　must　undoubtedly　suffer



by　receiving　the　greatest　number　of　taels。'







〃'Such　a　scheme　would；　as　far　as　the　matter　has　been　expressed；　appear



to　possess　all　the　claims　of　respect；　and　to　be；　indeed；　what　was



originally　intended　by　those　who　framed　the　essentials　of　existence；'



said　Chan　Hung；　when　he　had　for　some　space　of　time　considered　the



details。　'In　one　point；　however；　this　person　fails　to　perceive　how　the



arrangement　could　be　amiably　conducted　in　Fow　Hou。　The　one　who　is



addressing　you　maintains；　as　a　matter　of　right；　a　position　of



exceptional　respect；　nor；　if　he　must　express　himself　upon　such　a



detail；　are　his　excessively　fatiguing　duties　entirely



unremunerative　。　。　。'







〃'In　the　case　of　the　distinguished　and　unalterable　Mandarin；'



exclaimed　Ming…hi；　with　no　appearance　of　hesitation；　'the　matter　would



of　necessity　be　arranged　otherwise。　Being　from　that　time；　as　it　were；



the　controller　of　the　destinies　and　remunerations　of　all　those　in　Fow



Hou；　he　would；　manifestly；　be　outside　the　working　of　the　scheme；



standing　apart　and　regulating；　like　the　person　who　turns　the　handle　of



the　corn…mill；　but　does　not　suffer　himself　to　be　drawn　between　the



stones；　he　could　still　maintain　both　his　respect　and　his　remuneration



unaltered。'







〃'If　the　detail　could　honourably　be　regarded　in　such　a　light；'　said



Chan　Hung；　'this　person　would；　without　delay；　so　rearrange　matters　in



Fow　Hou；　and　thereby　create　universal　justice　and　an　unceasing



contentment　within　the　minds　of　all。'







〃'Undoubtedly　such　a　course　could　be　justly　followed；'　assented



Ming…hi；　'for　in　precisely　that　manner　of　working　was　the　complete



scheme　revealed　to　this　highly…favoured　person。'







〃Entirely　wrapped　up　in　thoughts　concerning　the　inception　and　manner



of　operation　of　this　project　Chan　Hung　began　to　retrace　his　steps



towards　the　Yamen；　failing　to　observe　in　his　benevolent　abstraction　of



mind；　that　the　unaffectedly　depraved　person　Ming…hi　was　stretching　out



his　feet　towards　him　and　indulging　in　every　other　form　of　low…minded



and　undignified　contempt。







〃Before　he　reached　the　door　of　his　residence　the　Mandarin　overtook　one



who　occupied　a　high　position　of　confidence　and　remuneration　in　the



Department　of　Public　Fireworks　and　Coloured　Lights。　Fully　assured　of



this　versatile　person's　enthusiasm　on　behalf　of　so　humane　and



charitable　a　device；　Chan　Hung　explained　the　entire　matter　to　him



without　delay；　and　expressly　desired　that　if　there　were　any　details



which　appeared　capable　of　improvement；　he　would　declare　himself



clearly　regarding　them。







〃'Alas！'　exclaimed　the　person　with　whom　the　Mandarin　was　conversing；



speaking　in　so　unfeignedly　disturbed　and　terrified　a　voice　that



several　who　were　passing　by　stopped　in　order　to　learn　the　full



circumstance；　'have　this　person's　ears　been　made　the　object　of　some



unnaturally　light…minded　demon's　ill…disposed　pastime；　or　does　the



usually　well…balanced　Chan　Hung　in　reality　contemplate　so　violent　and



un…Chinese　an　action？　What　but　evil　could　arise　from　a　single　word　of



the　change　which　he　proposes　to　the　extent　of　a　full　written　book？　The



entire　fixed　nature　of　events　would　become　reversed；　persons　would　no



longer　be　fully　accountable　to　one　another；　and　Fow　Hou　being　thus



thrown　into　a　most　unendurable　state　of　confusion；　the　protecting



Deities　would　doubtless　withdraw　their　influence；　and　the　entire



region　would　soon　be　given　over　to　the　malicious　guardianship　of



rapacious　and　evilly…disposed　spirits。　Let　this　person　entreat　the



almost　invariably　clear…sighted　Chan　Hung　to　return　at　once　to　his



adequately　equipped　and　sumptuous　Yamen；　and　barring　well　the　door　of



his　inner　chamber；　so　that　it　can　only　be　opened　from　the　outside；



partake　of　several　sleeping　essences　of　unusual　strength；　after　which



he　will　awake　in　an　undoubtedly　refreshed　state　of　mind；　and　in　a



condition　to　observe　matters　with　his　accustomed　diamond…like



penetration。'







〃'By　no　means！'　cried　one　of　those　who　had　stopped　to　learn　the



occasion　of　the　incidenta　very　inferior　maker　of　unserviceable



imitation　pigtails'the　devout　and　conscientious…minded　Mandarin　Chan



Hung　speaks　as　the　inspired　mouth…piece　of　the　omnipotent　Buddha；　and



must；　for　that　reason；　be　obeyed　in　every　detail。　This　person　would



unhesitatingly　counsel　the　now　invaluable　Mandarin　to　proceed　to　his



well…constructed　residence　without　delay；　and　there　calling　together



his　entire　staff　of　those　who　set　down　his　spoken　words；　put　the



complete　Heaven…sent　plan　into　operation；　and　beyond　recall；　before　he



retires　to　his　inner　chamber。'







〃Upon　this　there　arose　a　most　inelegant　display　of　undignified



emotions　on　the　part　of　the　assembly　which　had　by　this　time　gathered



together。　While　those　who　occupied　honourable　and　remunerative



positions　very　earnestly　entreated　the　Mandarin　to　act　in　the　manner



which　had　been　suggested　by　the　first　speaker；　otherswho　had；　in　the



meantime；　made　use　of　imagined　figures；　and　thereby　discovered　that



the　proposed　change　would　be　greatly　to　their　advantageraised　shouts



of　encouragement　towards　the　proposal　of　the　pigtail…maker；　urging　the



noble　Mandarin　not　to　become　small　in　the　face　towards　the



insignificant　few　who　were　ever　opposed　to　enlightened　reform；　but　to



maintain　an　unflaccid　upper　lip；　and　carry　the　entire　matter　through



to　its　destined　end。　In　the　course　of　this　very　unseemly　tumult；　which



soon　involved　all　persons　present　in　hostile　demonstrations　towards



each　other；　both　the　Mandarin　and　the　official　from　the　Fireworks　and



Coloured　Lights　Department　found　an　opportunity　to　pass　away　secretly；



the　former　to　consider　well　the　various　sides　of　the　matter；　towards



which　he　became　better　disposed　with　every　thought；　the　latter　to　find



a　purchaser　of　his　appointment　and　leave　Fow　Hou　before　the　likelihood



of　Chan　Hung's　scheme　became　generally　known。







〃At　this　point　an　earlier　circumstance；　which　affected　the　future



unrolling　of　events　to　no　insignificant　degree；　must　be　made　known；



concerning　as　it　does　Lila；　the　fair　and　very　accomplished　daughter　of



Chan　Hung。　Possessing　no　son　or　heir　to　succeed　him；　the　Mandarin



exhibited　towards　Lila　a　very　unusual　depth　of　affection；　so　marked；



indeed；　that　when　certain　evil…minded　ones　endeavoured　to　encompass



his　degradation；　on　the　plea　of　eccentricity　of　character；　the　written



papers　which　they　dispatched　to　the　high　ones　at　Peking　contained　no



other　accusation　in　support　of　the　contention　than　that　the　individual



in　question　regarded　his　daughter　with　an　obvious　pride　and　pleasure



which　no　person　of　well…balanced　intellect　lavished　on　any　but　a　son。







〃It　was　his　really　conscientious　desire　to　establish　Lila's　welfare



above　all　things　that　had　caused　Chan　Hung　to　become　in　some　degree



undecided　when　conversing　with　Ming…hi　on　the　detail　of　the　scheme；



for；　unaffected　as　the　Mandarin　himself　would　have　been　at　the



prospect　of　an　honourable　poverty；　it　was　no　part　of　his　intention



that　the　adorable　and　exceptionally…refined　Lila　should　be　drawn　into



such　an　existence。　That；　indeed；　had　been　the　essential　of　his　reply



on　a　certain　and　not　far　removed　occasion；　when　two　persons　of　widely



differing　positions　had　each　made　a　formal　request　that　he　might　be



allowed　to　present　marriage…pledging　gifts　to　the　very　desirable　Lila。



Maintaining　an　enlightened　openness　of　mind　upon　the　subject；　the



Mandarin　had　replied　that　nothing　but　the　merit　of　undoubted



suitableness　of　a　person　would　affect　him　in　such　a　decision。　As　it



was　ordained　by　the　wise　and　unchanging　Deities　that　merit　should



always　be　fittingly　rewarded；　he　went　on　to　express　himself；　and　as



the　most　suitable　person　was　obviously　the　one　who　could　the　most



agreeably　provide　for　her；　the　two　circumstances　inevitably　tended　to



the　decision　that　the　one　chosen　should　be　the　person　who　could　amass



the　greatest　number　of　taels。　To　this　end　he　instructed　them　both　to



present　themselves　at　the　end　of　a　year；　bringing　with　them　the　entire



profits　of　their　undertakings　between　the　two　periods。







〃This　deliberate　pronouncement　affected　the　two　persons　in　question　in



an　entirely　opposite　manner；　for　one　of　them　was　little　removed　from　a



condition　of　incessant　and　most　uninviting　poverty；　while　the　other



was　the　v