“What reward are you to have for taking this long journey, and all the trouble and expense of distributing the Prince’s gifts to his friends?”
For an instant I hesitated how to reply to this question, and I saw the anxious looks on the faces of Archie and Joe, which warned me of the importance of my reply. So I marshaled my wits and smiled at Wi-to to gain time.
CHAPTER XX.
“THREE LITTLE MAIDS FROM SCHOOL.”
The Chief Eunuch eyed me expectantly. He was a clever fellow in his way, and had more than ordinary intelligence; but all his life had been passed in this retired place and he judged people and things from his own limited point of view. He could understand how his master might wish to reward friends with costly gifts, because he had lived surrounded by rare and precious objects of art. Likewise he supposed books precious, because there were so few in the palace, and he had seen so much intrigue in his life that it was but natural that the Prince wished to destroy certain papers left in his desk before a successor obtained possession of them. But he could not understand our undertaking the commission to do these things without reward. So when I answered his question, I said:
“You must not suppose we are mercenary, or that we journeyed to Kai-Nong solely for a reward; but Prince Kai did tell us we might each select a jewel or ornament for ourselves while we were here.”
“That is just,” said the eunuch.
“But we will confess that the chief reason for favoring your Prince, aside from our friendship for him, was a love of adventure. Mai Lo paid our expenses here, and will pay to send us back if we demand it. We have his contract. But if he is not able to do that, we have funds of our own in Shanghai which we can draw upon. For, mark you, Wi-to, we are important people in our own country.”
“I am sure of that,” was the reply. “And if you have a contract with Mai Lo, he must pay to send you back to Shanghai.”
“If he is alive. But he ought to commit suicide before long.”
“Oh, I see!” exclaimed the eunuch. “You intend to compel him to do this?”