Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-03-22

breath Of wind swept over the island, or if it
did, Victoria Mountain kept of every puff of
the faint sea breeze from Victoria Town The
city sweltered in the heat. In the ballroom,
the weight and warmth of the atmosphere-an
atmosphere almost suffocatingly oppressive
| as a steaming- blanket wrapped around each
miserable individual-began to tell. The com
pany gasped, and ate ice, and drank frothing
champagne, and fragrant lemonades, and sher-
| bets, and cup, and sangaree, and Bass, all iced
to the limits Of refrigeration, and then gasped
and danced again. Mrs c., gayest and
prettiest OF all the women present, was still
the life of the room. There were plenty of
walters of course, in the teal room, the supper
room, and the corridors, bustling about with
trays of ices, cooling drinks, wine, and all the
crinkum-crankums Of a rout Some of these
were European servants: some were Chinese.
The lattor were under the especial surveillance
OF Ching Lung, the old comprador, or steward
OF the club, as honest a manager as China
could produce, and as shrewd also. He was
native of Chusan, and had followed our peo-
pies fortunes when we abandoned that large
island after making peace with the Dragon
Emperor. No man knew 80 much of Chinese
and British peculiarities as Ching Lung. He
could manage both nations to his and their
entire satisfaction. The club highly valued
their excellent cOmprador, the natives obeyed
and liked him, and his sayings were reputed
considerable. None but q clever man could
have done these things and pleased such op.
posite Interests, and Ching Lung was a clever
man. In matters celestial he was a dictionary.
II you wanted real pigeon information,
the old compradOr could tell you more about
China than you could learn from all the Blue
Books ever printed at the national expense.
In person, Ching g-Lung was stout and ioviaI,
buriy old Chinaman in fowered slippers,
silk robe, and tremendous pigtaiI of care
fully tied hair, with the polished, claw like
hnger-nails that denote a native gentleman.
There he was, presiding over the ices, and
scoldlng the Chinese walters. When Mrs G.
entered the tea-rOom on one occasion, earIy in
| the evening, the old comprador started as he
| looked keenly at the beautiful "Fankwi''
| lady. She passed by him, repressing good
naturedly at smile at his outlandish dress and
hgure. He started after her with seeming
rudeness, or curiosity, and then gave grunt,
and wheeled off to his avocations. Several Of
ncers noticed this, but Ching was a character,
and no-one asked what be meant, or if he m cant
anything. II was an hour or more before Mrs.
u left the ballroom again. This time she
entered the supper-room leaning on her mart
ner's arm. While the latter procured her some
refreshment, the old Chinaman lowered near,
looked sharply at the fair " barbarian, ~ and
then drew back with a muttered remark in his
native tongue. Mrs. C. never noticed him
Two minutes after Ching Lung was seen in
close confabulation with tho doctor of the Ri
nes, sensible, experienced surgeon, who had
been three years in Hong-Kong, who had
served on the medical staff in the old war, and
VINO was regarded as the chief professional au-
thority On the Island-aye, though there were
stan-surgeons In plenty, and titled physician
70 70 the forces. DR.. Rogers was a man who knew
Chins we'll He seemed much disturbed as
Cning took him by the lappet of his coat, and
whispered some communication The two
men eyes ranged across the ballroom, in the
doorway OF which they stood little apart, and
ouSrs21 haSa on sov.S MFs The eve. Of several
What did they see? Surely, no terrible sight,
but young, happy, high bred Englishwoman,
radiant with beauty, health, and gaiety.
crowned with flowers, and sweeping through
ballroom like its queen. What was there In
all this to make old Ching purse up his express
i've Chinese mouth, and DR.. Rogers lift his eye
orows and bite his lips, with a brow that knit
with spasm Of involuntary anxiety Smooth
ing his rufied brow, the doctor stepped from
his place, passed Mrs. c., and looked full
and steadily on her face. She looked sur
prised, and little annoyed, but presently
turned away smiling She thought the doctor,
no doubt, an odd, rude old gentleman. Very
much compressed were the doctors lips, and
very often did the frown Of care return to the
doctors brow, as he threaded his way through
the crowd, most of whom had some slight or
merry remark to bestow on so popular a
character, until he reached the place where
captain G. was talking to the Colonel s
wife and two other ladies seated on an ottoman
The doctor drew Geordie aside; they were old
friends; and begged as a particular favor that
he would take his wife home, away from the
ball, but without alarming her
Alarming her !" said Geordie, quite in the
dark as to the others meaning; "Why, what a
Blue Beard you would make me turn out, doc
tor: She's engaged twelve deep, I'll be bound,
and 1t wants an hour Of supper-time, and
can't get her away. Besides, she's not tired.
Why should she go, yeu know? p"
10 this DR.. Rogers merely answered that he
begged, as a favor, that Captain G. would
| take Mrs G. home. 1t must be done, and
would be for the best And being hard pressed
for his reason, the doctor said Mrs. c. was
about to be ill. 1t was his duty to ask her
husband to take her away from the crowded
room.
TO BE CONTINUED.
~