48 IN THE DAYS OF THE TAIPINGS office,and I was revolted at the sight;but,even in the midst of my agitation,I made a mental note that never,by word or by look,must I betray to Wu Tajen that I had heard any such words as had fallen from his lips that night.Twice CHAPTER VIII Mr.King interposed with a sternly muttered "Silence there," I AM INTRODUCED TO GOOD SOCIETY. which produced a momentary effect.At length we reached, without incident,the ramp by which we had descended from SLEPT until noon,and woke with a feeling of lassitude, the wall.We mounted,bade farewell to our escort,descended as if I were recovering from an attack of malaria;but a the ladder and crossed the moat;and then our chief difficulty good meal soon restored me.As I rose from the table I was to restrain the impatience of the Taotai,whose impulse received a note from Mr.Burgess asking me to come around was to run,through the grey dawn,as fast and as far as he to Bedford Co.'s hong to afternoon tea,as he wished to could from his persecutors.At Mr.Bates'house we found introduce me to his father.I replied accepting the invita- Mr.Johnstone with his guard,and they escorted us to the tion,but the term "afternoon tea"puzzled me.We Chinese bridge,where we found Tzetang's Chinese guard,with a were sipping tea all day long,and why foreigners should take chair,into which the Taotai sank with a sigh of relief and a special cup of tea at 5 o'clock,the hour named,I could not comfort.At the bank he was received with all due respect understand.However,I presented myself at the hong and and led at once to his own room,for a supper-breakfast and sent in my card,the customary oblong of red paper inscribed bed;and when I saw him again,later in the day,habited in with the name by which I was known in Shanghai,and was the silken gown of a gentleman and wearing his official hat led to a large reception room.Here I found my friend,with with its red coral button,Wu Kienchang was once more the an older man,to whom he introduced me. Taotai of the Soo-Sung-Tai Intendancy. "Dad,this is my friend Mason,or rather,to be formal Mr. Ting Meisun;but his intimate friends call him Mason." "My son is rather particular about his friends,"the older man said,"and his friends soon become my friends.I hope you will too.” So kindly a reception put me at once at my ease,and I took a quiet look at the speaker.I saw a tall,slender man of about fifty,with an intellectual face,framed in hair nearly white,with an iron-gray moustache-a man who,I felt, could be trusted implicitly.His voice was soft and gentle, but with a certain sharpness in it;and his speech was the book language spoken by Mr.Bates,and not the colloquial of his son.Before I could say more than a few words of acknowledgment of his kindness,a stranger entered the room. My friend introduced us. "I would like to introduce my friend Mr.Ting Meisun of whom you have probably heard from King.Mason,this is Mr.Wright,the head of Shepard,Wright Co." "I have heard all about you,Mr.Ting,"said the new (49)
50 IN THE DAYS OF THE TAIPINGS THE TRIADS AT SHANGHAI 51 comer,"and,from what I hear,you three seem to have had here,"he continued,"you've just got to call me Wood,and a highly interesting time.Gad!I wish I could have been you may as well begin now." with you.” For some time I could not.articulate a word,but finally I "Yes,"said Mr.Burgess,senior,"it must have been inter- managed to say "Thank you,Wu-Wu-Wood." esting;and they did a great piece of work in getting the "That's all right,Mason,but there's only one W in it,"and Taotai out.” we all laughed outright from the relief to our strained feel- "You may well call it great,"said his son,"and it was ings. well managed.Let me tell you two gentleman that Mason, Mr.Wright turned to Mr.Burgess."I've just come from quiet as he looks,standing here in this drawing room,is one the Consulate,and Alcock is mightily pleased at the Taotai's of the bravest men I have ever met." rescue.He's an old scoundrel,is Samqua,but better the My eyes were suffused with tears,to think that this young devil we know than the angel we don't,and we are up to all man,who had called me friend,yes,and had called himself his tricks..” (This was the way these foreigners talked of my friend,should now,in the presence of the two other the puissant Taotai who had been brought up from Canton foreigners,deride me and hold me up to their ridicule.I as an expert in soothing the barbarian!)"Alcock has in- felt a sense of shock and turned away,hurt and sore at heart; structions as to neutrality between the government and the but,in turning,my eyes met those of Mr.Burgess,senior, rebels,and he interprets them as authorizing him to exclude who saw the look of pain in mine and hastened to interpose. both sides impartially from exercising any functions or con- "Yes,Mr.Ting,my son and I have talked over your doings ducting any military operations within the settlements.He of yesterday and this morning,and I,too,have formed that holds,that,as the imperial government has been unable to opinion,that you are a brave man." prevent the looting and the burning of the Custom House "I assure you,Sir,"I stammered,"that you are mistaken. in the settlement,and the capture of the city and the killing I was afraid all the time.My teeth chattered and my knees of the Hien in it,the governmental function must be con- were like water,not once but many times;and,if your son sidered in abeyance,and we are driven to defend our own and Mr.King had not been there,I should have run away. interests,just as we have been driven to doing the govern- I assure you,you are mistaken." ment work in suppressing piracy along the coast.Now this "I might be mistaken in such a matter,"he replied,"as is a pretty big order,and the rescue of the Taotai is a good I am getting on in years,but my son is not likely to be.Let card in our hand.You see,if the government sent a new me tell you the story of two of Wellington's officers.One man with a mandate fresh from Peking,our hand would not said to the other,'You are a coward;your face is pale and be easy to play;but with Samqua holding over,discredited drawn,and I can see your knees shaking;I believe you are and off his balance,rescued by the skin of his teeth,a refugee afraid!The other answered,Yes,and if you were half as in the foreign settlement and protected only by foreign afraid as I am,you would be running away!Do you see bayonets-why,the game is in our hands." the application "Yes,I can see that a rescued Samqua is a trump card," "I have heard all about it too,from Mr.King,"said Mr. said Mr.Burgess meditatively. Wright,"and I would like to shake your hand,"and he gave “Alcock has seen Edan,”the other went on,“and he says my hand a grasp which made my fingers ache.Without a that,as French Consul,he will support Alcock in this asser- word I turned to Mr.Burgess,junior,and saw a slight smile tion of neutrality.Now,as American Consul,what line shall on his face,but a very friendly look in his eyes. you take? "You're the right sort,Mason,"he said,"that's what Billy "Did Alcock ask you to sound me?" and I both think,"and he,too,grasped my hand."Now,look "No,no,he will see you himself,but I thought I'd give
THE TRIADS AT SHANGHAI 53 52 IN THE DAYS OF THE TAIPINGS and they join in'the conversation whenever the fancy you time to think the matter over.Alcock and I were just having a confab.You see,I have been here ever since the seizes them.How do you manage it ? port was first opened,and he often talks things over with me, "Oh,we just tell them.They make a good thing out of their jobs here,rob us right and left,but we get good service though he is a strong man,and,when all is said and done, byit.” he goes his own gait..” "And then your tea.You drink red tea,I notice,and put “Wel,”said Mr.Burgess,“the last word in such matters milk and sugar in it.” lies,of course,with Marshall,or with McLane,who is now "Yes,we prefer black tea,as we call it,and like it strong, on his way out to replace Marshall as Commissioner Plenipo- so we add the milk and sugar." tentiary.And then I am only a merchant consul,and an "But where do you get the milk? official Consul,the first one,is about to be appointed,and "We have a few cows imported from Australia;and then ought to arrive before the spring." we get some milk from your water buffaloes,but that has "But you won't dodge responsibility that way? rather a strong taste." "Oh,no,"said Mr.Burgess,raising his head and squaring "And the fat you put on the bread,what is that?" his shoulders,"if any matter comes up for decision,I shall "That is butter,made from milk.We haven't enough decide,and shall act as may best serve American interests. milk to give us butter,so we import it from France.And the As regards the present question,I am with Alcock and shall jam,the preserved fruit you had,we get.from France,too." support him.” We then strolled around the room looking at the many You may imagine that Wood and I sat listening to this treasures it contained-old porcelain and bronzes,fine lacquer conversation with the closest attention.The two elders then and cloisonne,delicate ivory carvings,rich embroideries-all turned to me and asked some questions on the Chinese system scattered about everywhere,but arranged with much taste. of examinations,questions showing much intelligence;and I was impressed by the taste as much as by the richness,and other questions on the government-not on its theory,but I saw nothing that was common.As I was examining a shrewd and searching questions on the actual relations exist- piece of porcelain,with the Kienlung imperial mark on it, ing between governors and governed.As I had felt Mr. Mr.Burgess returned to the room.I turned to him to ex- Burgess's magnetism,I now felt that Mr.Wright also was a press my admiration for his collection. strong personality.A big burly man,with iron-gray hair, "This piece for example,is esactly like one that my cousin a ruddy clean-shaven face,and a loud emphatic voice,he was Wenkwang has at home.It was bestowed on his grandfather, obviously a doer of deeds,as Mr.Burgess was,as obviously, my great-grandfather,Ting Maochang,by the Emperor when a thinker of thoughts.It was a revelation to me that men he went to his farewell audience." of such marked,though diverse character should be found "Tell me about that,please,"said Mr.Burgess,motioning among these foreign merchants.Mr.Wright then pleaded me to a seat. an engagement and left,accompanied from the room by his So I had to tell the story of my great-grandfather;how host.Wood turned to me and asked me how I felt about it he had risen successively through all the official grades until all.I was filled with thoughts,but,for the moment,could he was viceroy of the Two-Kwang,and had then been called only express myself on externals. to Peking as Grand Secretary;how,at the age of nearly "How neat,and clean,and silent,your servants are." seventy his heart yearned for his native province,in which "Why,of course,"he said,"we wouldn't keep them if they he had,according to fixed rule,not once held a post in forty were not.Aren't yours like that?" years of official life;and how he applied for permission to "No.Ours are not clean,they hawk and spit on the floor, retire into private life
54 IN THE DAYS OF THE TAIPINGS THE TRIADS AT SHANGHAI 55 "His first application was refused of course;it would have is our system,by which the huge fortunes are made by the been a bitter blow to have had it granted.He then increased officials." his offers to the members of the Grand Council and the "What a wonderful country!"said Mr.Burgess."No Palace officials who had influence in the matter,and made a other country in the world could have attained such a high second application,which,in accordance with custom,was degree of civilization with such a system of government." again rejected.He accompanied his third application by "The Emperor was highly pleased,"I continued,"and presented to my great-grandfather a tablet inscribed with the offers of increased fees,for he was known to be very wealthy, character Yi,Justice,'written by the Imperial Hand,and and this was granted.A day was fised for his farewell gave him besides a robe richly embroidered and several audience,and he then had to pay his way to secure access to pieces of porcelain from the imperial tribute.One of these the presence of the Emperor.As Grand Secretary he was was the one I said looked like yours." already inside the walls of Peking,and so was not required to Wood's eyes were staring out of his head."Your cousin's pay fees for entrance to the city;but he had to fee heavily, reception room must be a fine sight,"he said."I would first the keepers of the gates of the Imperial City,then the lik6 to see it..” keepers of the gates of the Forbidden City,then the guardians "You would see very little,"I replied."The Emperor's of the throne hall,and after that he had to pay the Imperial tablet is given the place of honour over the reception divan; Chamberlain,the Master of the Household,the Master of but the porcelains and bronzes,those presented by the Ceremonies,the Introducer of Personages,the Chief Eunuch, Emperor and those acquired by purchase or as gifts from and some others,before he could reach the foot of the others,are all.packed away for safety." throne.” "Then no one ever sees them?"said Wood. "What would have happened,if he had refused to pay?" “No,that is not.our custom,”was my reply. asked Mr.Burgess. Mr.Burgess then turned to me."Mr.Ting,I have a "He would have been accused of contumacy and disloyalty business proposition to make to you.My comprador,Loisun, for failure to present himself at the audience;would have is a very shrewd man of business and banker,but he is not in been tried and sentenced,probably,to banishment to the touch with the official world.He has a button,but it was frontier,which is a living death;and his estates would have purchased,and he is not a finished scholar;while I frequently been entirely confiscated. have documents brought to me-despatches,petitions,in- Rough luck!”exclaimed Wood,“T'm glad I'man structions from the high officials,their memorials to the American.It costs just twelve dollars to see the President, throne-of which I need to have accurate translations,such that is if you live in Boston.That's the price of a railway that I can base on them transactions amounting to hundreds ticket to Washington." of thousands.For that purpose I must find a competent "It cost my great-grandfather over twenty-five myriad taels scholar,understanding the niceties of your own language; to get access to the Emperor,so he told his son,Wenkwang's but,above all,he must be a man of honour.I have talked father;and his presents to the Emperor and the Empress about you with Taki,or rather,Taki came to talk with me, Consort amounted to as much more." and I know of your plans and the way you have set to work Both father and son looked startled."Are you in earnest? to prepare yourself;and,for your purpose,you will find A quarter of a million taels?Are these facts?"the father that Bedford Co.is one of the great hongs in Shanghai. asked. Now,if you care to undertake the work,I offer you the "I assure you,"I replied,"that what I have told is the post.” absolute truth.But there is nothing extraordinary in it;it 'I was much touched by Mr.Burgess's trust in me,and
56 IN THE DAYS OF THE TAIPINGS THE TRIADS AT SHANGHAI 57 by Tzetang's recommendation,of which he had said nothing to me.I was daunted by the responsibility I must assume, home,to see how my father and my wife were getting on. and I stammered out a protest-"But I do not know enough I then took my departure. English.What I know,I know correctly,but it is not I returned to the bank,and reported to Tzetang the whole nuch.” conversation. "It is enough for my purpose,"returned Mr.Burgess."At "Take it,"he said."It is just what I want for you.You the outset you need be here for only one hour a day,and you now have a connexion with the very best among the foreign can go on with your studies;besides,Wood will help you at hongs,and you will gain an experience which you could get first with the English side of it." in no other way..” "I'll keep you up to the mark,Mason,"interposed Wood. His father smiled,and continued,"What I need most in you is your knowledge of Chinese.You do not realize,my young friend,that we have been studying you,Wood and I. For some time I have had this in mind,and have been wondering how I might get into touch with you in a casual way,so as to catch you in your natural state."He smiled as he said this."In the past three days Wood has had the chance of a life-time,and his judgment,which he re- ported to me,has been so favourable that I take you on trust absolutely.” I glanced at Wood,who nodded vehemently.I was over- whelmed by the confidence reposed in me:I was,however, bothered by a doubt."Won't Loisun object?" "He knows all about the matter,and approves.You will not be under his orders,but all you do will come under his eyes,and he will not feel jealous.Besides I want you to interpret for me when any of the officials come to see me; Loisun's pidgin English is not good enough." I still had doubts."Will my position with Yang Talaoyeh -Taki,I mean-not be difficult?My relations with him might be delicate if he asked me questions about your affairs..” "No,that will be all right,"said Mr.Burgess."I have talked with him about it.He will ask you no questions. Your work here will be in a water-tight compartment,shut off from the rest of your life,I can trust Taki." I said that I must first talk the matter over with Tzetang, to whom I owed at least loyalty-to which Mr.Burgess nodded assent-and that,before beginning work,I must go