The following morning when Nicholas saw the merchant, he said, "Yesterday the worthy Yang would have learned the object of my visit to Pekin. I would gain admittance to the imperial palace. Will he aid me?"

"Alas! my nephew, nothing can be more difficult, for it is crowded with bonzes, and I fear worse—rebels, who swarm around the royal person like hornets; but whom seekest thou within the outer palaces?"

"Even the Son of Heaven himself, at the feet of whose throne I would kneel."

"Is the youth bereft of his senses? does he not know that it is certain death to pass the prohibited wall of the inner palace?"

"May then the illustrious Prince Woo-san-Kwei be found within the palace?" asked Nicholas.

"Nay, even if thou couldst boast the friendship of the great Woo-san-Kwei thou wouldst not be safe. The prince is too honest and brave to be much in favor just now. Wouldst thou be safe, youth, thou must seek the Prince Li-Kong."

"The vile traitor," muttered Nicholas at the name.

"Hist, hist! thou wilt assuredly lose thy head, boy," said Yang, placing his finger upon his lips.

"Let the friend of the merchant of the south open his lips to a purpose. Can, or can he not, aid me to gain admittance within the palace? for it is my father's command that I should seek the Emperor or the Prince Woo-san-Kwei, and at the peril of my life he must be obeyed," said Nicholas firmly.

"Since thou art determined, take this," said Yang placing a ring on the boy's finger; adding, "It will pass thee through the guards of the outer palaces and courts as far as the prohibited wall, and then proceed no further, as you value your life, but await the approach of one of the officers of the guard, to whom you must show that ring, and tell him that you have business with the red-girdled Prince Woo-san-Kwei; further, be prudent, or thou wilt seek thy death."

"The worthy Yang has indeed filled me with gratitude," said Nicholas, who then sent Chow for a chair. When the boy returned he asked his master to what part of the city he would be carried.

"To the palace."

"By the five social relations the noble Nicholas is tired of this world, for he has no sooner escaped one death than he seeks another," said Chow.

"Wag not thy foolish tongue, O Chow, but if thy heart fails thee stay behind."

"And leave the noble Nicholas to go to the world of spirits alone? that would indeed be base. No, no; Chow will follow; but my noble master has forgotten his sword, he may require it," said the boy.

"I am sufficiently armed," replied Nicholas showing the hilt of a small dagger beneath his robe, adding, "Now let us proceed."

They then passed through the streets, which swarmed with people who were as busy as bees in a hive, some making purchases of itinerant tradespeople, viewing the wonderful feats of jugglers, mountebanks, or players, listening to the marvelous narratives of vivÀ voce novelists, or testing their fates with cheating fortune-tellers. As they approached the palace, they found crowds of people gazing at the great observatory, upon the top of which the astronomers of the court, in full dress, were engaged in watching the heavens. When they arrived at the wall which confined the city of buildings that made up the imperial residence, Nicholas dismissed the chairman, and they passed into the first court, which was as large and full of houses as a small country town. It took half an hour to walk through; and as they had to traverse seven more of these courts, which took them three hours, you may imagine the great extent of the whole palace. The last but one was surrounded with the palaces of the princes of the red girdle, or those more distant in blood from the throne. This court was crowded with mandarins, officers, eunuchs, and soldiers of the Emperor, who were earnestly peering through telescopes at the sun, which from a deep blood red became yellow and dim, and gradually more and more opaque, till the whole world seemed to be enveloped in darkness, and darkness blacker than midnight, for there was no moon.

When the earth's light became extinguished, the mandarins fell flat upon their faces, moaning aloud, while the noise from thousands of drums shook the very walls.

"Let us fall upon our faces, O my master, and pray to the terrible dragon," exclaimed Chow, suiting the action to the word, and endeavoring to drag Nicholas with him. As, however, Nicholas was averse to this superstition, he refused to comply, and stood looking upon the people as if they had been performing for his especial and solitary benefit.

Whatever was the superstition, it laid firm hold of Chow, who, long after the light had returned to the heavens and the other people to their feet, continued to moan, kick his legs, and knock the earth with his forehead. At length, after repeatedly calling to him in vain, Nicholas turned him upon his back, when, opening his eyes and finding the light had returned, he jumped upon his feet, and, as the sweat of fear rolled from his brow, said, "Thank the gods, the greedy monster of a dragon has not swallowed the sun and moon. O master, what would become of us all; what would become of day and night without the sun and moon?"

"Art thou foolish, O Chow, to believe that this eclipse was caused by the effort of a monster dragon to swallow the heavenly luminaries?"

"Who is thy servant, O noble Nicholas, that he should doubt, when learned mandarins believe?" said Chow.

"Know, O Chow, that the mandarins believe in it no more than thy master, but perform a ceremony handed down to them by their ancestors."

When the people who had been praying of the dragon not to swallow the poor sun and moon began to disperse, the boys continued their journey till they came to the outer or prohibited wall of the inner palace, when, pointing to a soldier who stood at the gate with a naked sabre in his hand, Chow said. "Look, my master, to pass yon tiger of war will be to seek Yen-Vang in the other world," and at the same moment the soldier said, "Are the slaves tired of their lives that they approach the prohibited wall without bowing to the earth?"

Having performed the required ceremony, Nicholas presented the merchant's ring to the soldier, saying, "Let the eyes of the war tiger rest upon this token, for by its means his servant would seek the illustrious yellow girdle, Woo-san-Kwei."

"The power of the token may not be doubted, for it bears the character of the prince; yet may the noble youth not see the barbarian-subduing prince, for he is in council with the colaos," said the soldier.

"Then, by the toe of the Emperor, (may he live ten thousand years,) we are as good as in our coffins; for know, O my master, it is death to sleep within the walls of the palace," said the trembling Chow.

"Surely," said Nicholas, placing a piece of silver in the soldier's hand, "the brave warrior can secure lodging within the walls for a youth whose duty compels him to risk his life rather than leave the palace without speaking with the great Woo-san-Kwei."

"Truly it will be hazardous," but before the soldier could finish his reply, the officer of the night came up with the relief guard.

"Who are these vile dogs that are so openly seeking their death?" said he.

"This youth, O noble commander, bears the ring of the great Woo-san-Kwei, whose presence he seeks; but as the patriot prince cannot be seen, with the noble commander's permission the youth shall lodge with me this night."

"The noble and unfortunate Ki utters judicious words, and shall command in this thing," replied the officer, to the surprise of Nicholas, who could not comprehend an officer of the guard being so politely submissive to a man so much his inferior.

The permission, however, did not extend to Chow, whom the officer undertook to convey back again out of the palace.

"Then slit me into bamboo slips, thou Captain of war tigers, for the servant dare not leave his master," said Chow, who refused so obstinately that the soldiers had to carry him away.

As Ki led the way through the streets and passages on the way to his quarters, Nicholas was not a little surprised to find that he was respectfully saluted by all whom they passed. Again, instead of the common room appropriated to soldiers of his humble station, his quarters consisted of a house by itself. Neither could Nicholas get rid of his puzzle, till Ki said, "Has the name of the colao Ki ever fallen into the ears of the honorable youth?"

"Truly so; for whose ears could be so dull as not to have drunk in his fame as a wise minister of state?"

"Yet such is the viscissitude of fortune, that the colao is now before thee, O youth, plucked of the peacock feather, and the golden ball torn from his cap."

"The great and good colao degraded to a mean soldier! Are such things possible? O unfortunate man!" said Nicholas, bowing respectfully to the fallen noble.

"The purest sky is sometimes shaded by the blackest cloud. The cloud over the head of Ki is the Prince Li-Kong, to whom every thing is now possible; but open thy lips, youth, and send forth thy wishes with the Prince Woo-san-Kwei. If it be to ask promotion to some office, know that he has none to give, for the shadow of Li-Kong stands between him and the Majesty of China."

"Thy servant seeketh nothing for himself, O noble Ki, but to serve the Emperor, to whom through the great Woo-san-Kwei, he would present a petition."

"All petitions now pass through the Prince Li-Kong," said Ki sorrowfully.

"Then, by the vermilion pencil, I will seek the Emperor himself, O noble Ki."

"Thou wouldst be slain in the attempt, O daring boy; there is but one means."

"Name it, O noble Ki, and thy name shall be buried in my heart," said Nicholas impetuously.

"It would be but to condemn thee to death."

"Thou art laughing at me, O noble Ki," replied Nicholas bitterly.

"Not so, youth; and since thou hast set thy heart upon the venture, open thine ears to the only means," said Ki; adding, "Know that the Emperor has one young and beautiful daughter, who apart from the bonzes and Li-Kong, alone dares to present a petition to his majesty."

"Again, I say, thou art laughing at me, O cruel Ki; for how is it possible for a strange youth to pass the guard that surrounds the palace of the ladies?"

"Know then, further, that every morning the princess, with her ladies, walks in those gardens just beyond the prohibited wall; through the outer gate you can pass by means of this key," said Ki, giving him a key; adding, "Near the inner wall there is a tall mulberry-tree, up which you must climb, and so reach the top, and fall into the gardens; then hide thyself till the royal lady passes. She will be attended by the lady Candida Hiu, at whose feet throw thyself, proclaim thy mission, and she will influence her beautiful mistress to deliver thy petition to the Emperor; but remember, O youth, should you cross the path of one of the eunuchs of the palace thy hours are numbered."

"Noble Ki, I am thy servant for life," said Nicholas, kneeling and clasping the knees of the old colao; adding, "but say, O Ki, who is this Lady Candida Hiu?"

"The pupil of the good Christian fathers whom the bonzes would have massacred, the Lady Candida is the friend and teacher of the princess, and but for her influence over her royal mistress, the punishment would be death for worshiping in any of the many churches erected by the lady herself."

"Art thou then a disciple of the Saviour of mankind, O Ki?"

"To the teaching of the lady Candida Hiu am I indebted for having forsworn the stupid worship of Fo and the selfish philosophy of Confucius," replied the colao; adding, "But ask no more, O youth, for to speak of Christ out of the pale of that lady's influence is to earn disgrace, if not death." So saying the ex-minister retired, leaving Nicholas to his own thoughts.