By Proxy ... New edition

Front matter

rnce bixpence By Proxy By James Payn Author of "Lost Sir Massingberd " London : Chatto & Windus c - 'Give me Health and a Day, and I will make the Pomp of Emperors Ridiculous,' — Emerson. "As an illustration of the BENEFICIAL EFFECT of Eno's 'Fruit Salt/ I give you particulars ol of one of my friends. His whole life was clouded by th want of vigoroua health, and SLUGGISH LJ its concomitant BILIOUS HEADACHES so affi him, that he was obliged to live upon only a few arti of diet, and to be most sparing in their use. Thi nothing in effecting a cure, although persevered in some twenty-five years, and also consulting very emii members of the facultv. By the use of vour sii 'Fruit Salt,' however," he now ENJOYS VIGOR' HEALTH, has NEVER had HEADACHE or CON: PATION since he commenced it, and can partake c food in such a hearty manner as to afford grpa. tion to 'himself and friends.

There are others to whom your remedy has been SO BENEFICIAL ii kinds of complaints that I think you may very w its use pro bono publico. I find that it makes a VESY REFRESHING and INVIGORATING drink.—. main, dear Sir, yours faithfully, Veritas Late Rev. J. W. Neil, Holy Trinity Church, North Shields.) Experience. 'We Gather the Honey of Wisdom From Thorns, not from Flowers.' — Lttton. HOW TO AVOID The INJURIOUS EFFECTS of STIMULANTS THE PRESENT SYSTEM OP LIVING— iking ol too rich foods, as pastry, saccharine, and am„„„f ,vf - t^t^tt™™? substanoes> alcoholic drinks, and an insul X?mmT^??EyVE^LY DERANGE« UVEE. I would AD all l>iLIO,rS PEOPLE, unless they are careful to keep the liver acting freely, to exer wSef^XPFRIfIoF Swf^ ' aToid and *™» di!ute with S«eSff^5 IS that W' mild aleS' P°rt Wine' dark sherri^; sweet cnampagne, liqueurs, and brandies ate ALL very APT to DLSAGREF ■ whil white wmes and g.n or old whisky largely diluted with pure mineral wiU be KtT^ BE WITHOUT IT Therefore NO FAMILY SHOULD EVER The Value of ENO'S 'FRUIT SALT' cannot be told Its success in EUROPE, ASIA, AFRICA, AMERICA, and AUSTRAUA, proves it.

MAi?EeLLOUr^y DISr0RDERED' S^PLESS, and FEVERISH condition is SIMPLY MARVELLOUS. It «, in fact, UIM^EIIDT, and AN UNSURPASSED ONE Prepared only by J. C. ENO Ltd., at the\^^m0RKS, London, by J. C. ENO'S Patent BY PROXY BY JAM ES PAYN AUTHOR OF LOST SIR MASSINGBEKD," "UNDER ONE ROOF," "HIGH SriRITS," "A CONFIDENTIAL AGENT," ETC. Not in the sky, not in the midst of the sea, Not in the clefts of the mountains. Is there a spot in the whole world Where a man may be freed from an evil deed." Buddhist Proverd, A NEW EDITION LONDON C H A T T O & WINDUS 1S9S TO MY FRIENDS OF THE LUNCHEON TABLE THIS BOOK IS CORDIALLY DEDICATED " The pattern liomdmade, homelike, but the plates mostly of China." GARTH'S "Tea-Table" CONTENTS PAGE CHAP. , I. ON THE CANAL 3 1. OJN T±UJJ (JA1SAU ...- - - II. A BREEZE IN THE BOAT ° III.

Chapter I On The Canal

The time is spring-time — the scene the north of China ; or rather that north-eastern portion of the Celestial Empire which the few Euro peans who have visited it call North. At the date of which we write, it was a much rarer matter to explore the plains of Keang-Soo, the district lying to the north-west of Shanghae, than even now ; it was an excursion which, on the part of the " Pak-Quei-Tye " or "Foreign Devils," required money, courage, an armed guard, and above all, a quietness of demeanour and conduct in the presence of much that was irritating, and more that was ludicrous, which all Europeans, and we fear we must add especially our military fellow-countrymen, do not possess. English officers in particular, who have been accustomed to the natives of India, are apt to get into trouble with those of China ; the character of " Pandy" being very different from that of John Chinaman, and especially of John Chinaman on his own dunghill — farmland, where " the Barbarians " — that is to say, all per sons belonging to civilised communities — are held not only cheap but contemptible.

The fine old quotation, omne iynotum pro magnifico, is in this instance sadly out of place ; for though the Chinese know nothing whatever of our par ticular " tribute-bearing nation," except that it consists of men without pigtails "governed by a lady with large feet," they do not despise us one whit the less on that account. From the days when the unconscious Lord Macartney went up the Peiho with " Ambassador bearing tribute from the country of England " in Chinese upon his flag, until now, the Celestial people have laboured under false impressions of us which induce the circumstances of what, in domestic scenes at our police courts, is termed "aggravation"; and when young Englishmen of condition are aggravated, it touches a certain spring in their system which is apt to make them hit out straight from the shoulder.

The consequences of this movement, especially in connection with a Mandarin, are exceedingly serious in every part of China except the five treaty ports ; and officers of the English army were therefore very seldom given permission to visit the district of Keang-Soo, notwithstanding the abundance of game it was reputed to possess, and the charms of its local scenery. Nevertheless, of the two Englishmen now seated in the covered boat making its slow way r.Y PROXY 6 .Milhad occasionally even expressed a contrary one, a circumstance which had perhaps had its influence in keeping them apart. Pennicuick, who was an idle man, had always kept up his acquaintance with Conway— indeed, Mrs. Con way had been a second mother to his boy at a time when he sorely needed maternal solicitude —and having exhausted the pleasures of Town, and even of Europe, he had come out to China for a few months in search of his friend and new excitements.

Hong Kong and Shanghae had soon been exhausted in their turn, and hence this expedition into the interior, the expenses of which were solely defrayed out of his own pocket ; Conway had had nothing to procure but leave of absence from his regiment, which was stationed at the latter city. The position of being "flanked" by another man is always a delicate if not an absolutely disagree able one, unless that man is indeed one's friend ; his merely calling himself so having little to do with the matter ; and perhaps in the present case that complete though tacit understanding —the total absence of the general principle of "give and take" — which underlies all genuine friendship, was wanting. On the other hand, the sense of obligation on Conway's part was greatly lessened "by the fact that Pennicuick could have got no one else to accompany him on such a tour, or, even if he could, would pro bably not have accepted such companionship.

There was just enough consciousness of depen dence to cause the poorer man to assert himself (which under ordinary circumstances he never did), and to offer an opinion, and stick to it, which he would have been otherwise too in dolent to express. Pennicuick, who perceived everything that had the smallest reference to himself, understood this thoroughly, and to do him justice liked the other's society all the better for it. The general opinion of those who knew Ralph Pennicuick was of quite the contrary kind. He had not " missed his tip, " if that means any aim whatever to which he had at any time directed his energies. He hail always had all he wanted, or almost all ; partly, it "is true, because his wants had been of a material sort, with which a large fortune inherited when he came of age had always supplied him ; but also because of his indomitable will.

His wish was as much a law to him as that of his Imperial Majesty the Son of Heaven and Vice-Regent of the Universe, in whose dominions he was now travelling for his own pleasure. A disciple of Lavater would have judged as much from Pennicuick's mouth, the firmness of which, set in its massive jaw, reminded you of the Nineveh marbles ; it was not the jaw alone, however, which associated itself with those steadfast faces of the despots of old, but the beard of inky blackness which, flowing broadly down from his dark face, was clubbed towards the ends and curled upwards as hair appears to have done in Nineveh, alike with bulls and men. Of course Pennicuick was much respected for this attribute — by which I mean his will and not his beard, though that too he used to say had its attractions for the fair sex — but it did not make him beloved of men.

He was not a man to get his name abbre viated from familiarity or affection, but it was abbreviated nevertheless. He was called "Steel Pen," and "Hard Pen," from his decisiveness of character ; and ' Black Beard,' not so much from his beard as from the character's its he had in common with the famous pirate of that name. But these things were only said behind his back, while Conway was always "Connie" even with the youngest ensign, and, despite his poverty and want of animal spirts, one of the most popular men in his regiment. Pennicuick would have been popular too, perhaps, if he would have taken the trouble to be so, and even as it was, his company was sought after by both sexes. For women love a tyrant, and men (who are also cowards in their way) have always a welcome for those who have a sharp tongue, a ready sword, and a large rent-roll.

These two men had been at College together, where they had both been their own masters and enjoyed themselves ; only the one had lived on his income, and indeed within it, while the other had made a hole in his small capital. They had both married for love (after their several fashions), but Pennicuick with the more dis cretion. His wife died in giving birth to her first child — a son — and left her husband with He was just now enjoying it particularly, as he leant back in the centre compartment of the boat, with a very large cigar in his mouth, or in his fingers, according to whether he was the listener or the spokesman. In the prow were the few Chinese soldiers who formed their guard, commanded by Fu-chow their captain ; in the stern were the Chinese boatmen, who worked the vessel in the usual fashion by sculls upon a pivot, and from which labour they never ceased.

Except for the movement of the oars, and an occasional snore from the pig-tailed warriors who were all asleep, there was no sound to interrupt the talk of the two friends. "They have been at it now for two whole days and nights," said Conway, " and are going on, as fresh as ever. It is perfectly marvellous." "That men should snore so," put in Penni cuick gravely ; " I quite agree with you." " I mean that men should row so. I saw them at dinner-time eating rice with their chopsticks, which even now I find an almost impossible feat, and still rowing." "They go deuced slow," observed the other in a tone of depreciation. " Nevertheless, they will make a boat go farther in twenty -four hours than our best Enelish watermen." twice the fortune he had possessed before : while Conway's wife had brought him little (or what seemed little to a man of his habits) be yond a daughter, to keep whom and her it had been necessary for him for the last ten years to exile himself from England.

This at least was the view he himself took of it (though always, as I have said, without complaint) ; but, as a matter of fact, he had not been prudent at any time, and had both spent and lost money in pursuit of pleasure and gain. His friends said that he had never been anybody's enemy but his own ; but his wife, who was very plain spoken, had not always endorsed that sentiment. "Possibly; mules and camels will go farther ON THE CANAL 7 than the horse, and yet the horse is the superior animal. The Chinaman is a brute interior to all the three." where we saw the Englishman convicted of half a-dozen brutal murders, and yet pitied him ? " "Can I ever forget it?" answered Conway, with a quick shudder. " Do you remember the prisoners clenched together by a nail through their hands, because there happened to be a deficiency of handcuffs ; and the wretch that was starved to death in the cawjue, with his fellow - countrymen keeping guard over him and enjoying it : how even the best off among them clamoured to us like wild beasts, to give them food ?

" "Pray desist, Pennicuick," cried the other, with a movement of disgust. "Why do you dwell upon such hideous things ? " " Because I hate cant, and more especially in the mouth of an honest man. If these wretches " — he jerked his left hand to the prow, and then to the stern — "are to be called human, so much the worse for humanity." •' That is not the opinion of those who are best acquainted with him." " You mean that is not the opinion they ex press, my dear fellow. Men always praise the people they are compelled to have to do with, to excuse their own necessity. A step farther, and we find them cracking up the country they be long to, no matter how absurd may be the boast. You don't suppose any Scotchman, for example, who sings 'Scots wha hae,' and all the rest of it, would be a Scotchman if he could help it 1 " " Upon my life, I think some of them would," said Conway, smiling ; for it was well known that Pennicuick was himself of Scotch descent. '■ No, no ; there are no mad Scotchmen.

Now these Chinese are all mad ; and their madness takes the most contemptible form, that of imbe cility. They are like men in their second childhood, when they are like men at all. You will tell me they invented gunpowder — though I believe it was nothing but gunpowder tea — but what use do they make of it, except to fill crackers wherewith to please their gods I you will also tell me they invented printing, which however nobody, including themselves, has yet been able to read. What has come of all this early ingenuity ? They are like precocious chil dren with immense heads, from which sanguine persons augur intelligence, but which turns out to be water on the brain. It is astonishing to me that a man of your intelligence does not see through the shallow motives which induce folks to preach up barbarism all over the world.

A man goes to St. Petersburg, and because he finds the nobles and the military talking French — which is a positive necessity of the case — avers that it is a second Paris." " Gaolers and prisoners do not make a nation, Pennicuick. Yonder boatmen are good fellows enough, I dare say, and for that matter the soldiers too : they work for their families, love their wives and children, and though, as you say, like babies, they cry when you strike them, are not all cowards. I think Fu-chow yonder, for example, behaved very pluckily — and you must allow me to add very properly — when you chucked his daughter under the chin yesterday." " How the deuce was I to know it was his daughter ? " inquired the other sullenly. " I don't think that is quite the point ; and though, since you say so, I am bound to believe you meant no offence, the man was bound to resent it."

" Still, but for you, it would have been un lucky for theman," answered Pennicuick grimly ; "for I should certainly have wiped him out. There would have been three hundred and fifty millions of Celestials -minus one by this time." " Then that would have been unlucky for you, my friend, for there would certainly have been two Englishmen minus one, or perhaps we should both have been wiped out. As it is, you have made the man your enemy, which under the circumstances — especially as he is a nephew of a Mandarin — is, to say the least of it, injudicious." " You think that Paris, then, is the focus of civilisation, do you 1 " answered Conway, who was busy pencilling in his sketch-book a tall bridge, in a mulberry plantation, through which thev were about to slide. "Certainly not: the man who says that is only not quite such a fool as the other.

The civilisation of Paris is but skin-deep. It is, I grant, the Paradise of the Cheap Tripper ; but its very luxuries and pleasures — which are its real attractions — can all be procured in London by one who knows where to look, and can afford to pay for them. Even in vice, of which it flatters itself it has the monopoly, it is by no means without rivals." "I didn't know he was the nephew of a Mandarin," said Pennicuick, in a tone of mock penitence. " I have a very great regard for the Mandarins. Since Humbug must be king, let us revere his high-priest. I don't think any thing ever tickled me so much as seeing that high functionary at Yang-chin ' saving the sun ' during the eclipse. His capers, and his incense ; his prostrations, and his knocking his hairless head upon the ground nine times, all to preserve the great source of light from being devoured by a monster, was a waste of energy which really bordered on the sublime.

The ceremony has moreover the immense advantage over the pro ceedings of nature that it is always completely successful. These 'crocks' indeed never own themselves beaten. When they pray for fine weather, and it doesn't come, they put their gods out in the rain to see how they like it ; whereas our archbishops and bishops, with a total absence of spirit, go on praying, till (very "You speak with authority, no doubt," said Conway drily. " Of course ; experto crede. I was about to say that your Chinese, for example, run the Parisians very close in this respect— in the drawing of iniquity with a cart-rope ; which I remark is tacitly taken, if not absolutely instanced by observers, as a proof of their civilisation." " They are certainly most abominably vicious, and, what is worse, inordinately cruel," assented Conwav.

"The two things are not so far apart as is supposed," observed Pennicuick, with the air of a philosopher. "Do you remember the prison BY PROXY peering between the curtains above it : a ruddy, hairless face, with twinkling eyes that ordinarily expressed good-humour, but which now, fierce and glittering, fixed themselves on Pennicuick's face with a look of fiendish malice. Presently a hand was thrust noiselessly through the curtains, and touched a bruise upon the ruddy face : it was but a momentary action, but the pantomime was perfect ; what it said was, " White devil, you shall suffer for this 1 " So menacing was the expression indeed that, fear ing an immediate onslaught on his friend, Conway leapt to his feet. In that instant the face had withdrawn like a flash of lightning. When Conway in his turn looked into the next compartment the half-dozen soldiers who were his servants were all sunk in slumber, while to all appearance Fu-chow, their captain, was as fast asleep as the rest.

So perfect indeed was the simulation of repose — if simulation it was — ■ that Conway doubted whether his senses had not deceived him ; whether the alligator of the Nile and the menacing face of Fu-chow had not been part and parcel of the same vision. But if so, it was curious that he should have seen the man point to his cheek, where the effects of the blow by which Pennicuick had felled him on the previous day were still plainly visible. Upon the whole, Conway judged it best to make no stir about the matter. literally) 'all's blue,' and adopt no measure of retaliation whatever. I am afraid, however, I am shocking your prejudices. You are a believer in the popular superstition 1 " "I am not a disbeliever in it," answered Conway gravely. "Is it possible? Then even these 'crocks' have the advantage over you.

They have no apprehension that after their lives here are ended — with its prisons, and eangues, and tyranny of all kinds — they are doomed to eternal misery. They have no fear of death whatever : any man who is condemned to die can for a five-pound note — and another to ' square ' the Mandarin — get some one else to die for him. I have seen such a substitute kneel down, with a cigarette in his mouth, for the executioner to strike his head off." " I should be no more afraid to die than he, Pennicuick," answered Conway slowly. " Physically, of course not : you have given your proofs to the contrary, my good fellow. But psychologically you would imagine you ran a risk." "Perhaps; yet, on my word," answered Conway, " but for my wife and Nelly, I would almost chance it. They wouldn't miss my com pany, it's true," added he bitterly ; "but, you see, I can't afford to die just yet, for their sakes."

"Come, come, Conway: you must not talk like that. You are a young man still, younger than I. There are years of life before you yet ; and where there's life there's hope ; the chances of promotion, a stroke of luck at the races " "You said you hated cant, just now," inter rupted Conway. " I entertain a similar dislike. Let us drop this subject." " By all means. And let us also drop asleep if we can. It must be nearly morning. Good night, old fellow." "Good-night," answered Conway gently. In a few minutes his companion had his wish : the moonlight glinted in upon his massive features, firmer and sterner than ever in their repose. But Conway slept not. He continued to gaze dreamily forth, on bridge and joss-house ; nn the distant hills covered with juniper and pine ; on the plantations with their running streams, half natural, half artificial, that fringed the banks.

But though he saw them with his outward eyes he recked not of them. His thoughts were far away, and it was long before slumber visited him. Even then he did not sleep for long. His dreams were weird and monstrous ; they pictured him, with his present companion, sailing up a river, but not in China ; they were in Egypt on the Nile, where indeed lie had once been. An immense crocodile had clambered into their boat, and opened its mouth to swallow Pennicuick ; he would have struck at it to aid his friend, but the creature turned and spoke: "Beware, rash man ; I am the sacred Dragon of China ; " and the next instant his jaws had closed upon his victim with a horrid clash. The noise awoke him with a start : it was broad daylight; his companion was sleeping tranquilly upon the opposite bench, unconscious as it seemed even of dreams ; but another face was in the little cabin, projected over the bunk that divided it from the forepart of the vessel, and

Chapter II

A BREEZE IN THE BOAT The morning was a superb one even for spring time in China, which, unlike that of India (which has been well described as a hot winter), or the same cheerless season in England, is like the spring of the Poets. Moreover, it is not a liar pretending to be the herald of summer, and suddenly throwing off the mask in a snow-storm. It is bright and fresh and genial ; the air, though cool, being singularly soft ; while the green of the foliage and herbage is beyond measure beautiful. The flower-beds also, from being, as botanists tell us, very prominently developed in autumn, burst into bloom at the first dawn of spring, so that the jessamine (which grows in great abundance in the district of which we speak) puts forth its yellow even above the snow. No snow, however, save upon the distant hill tops, was visible to Conway's eyes that morning ; the whole earth blushed like a garden, and made the air one perfume.

Lilacs and pink Judas-trees grew luxuriantly upon the banks ; and out of doors, in front of the gay little country-houses, were rows of striped camellias. Most beautiful of all, perhaps, were the trees like almond-trees, but bearing gorgeous double blossoms as large as roses, which covered the country as plenteously as May hawthorn in England, and would in time become peaches. Although, as we have said, there was no snow in the valleys, immense banks of azaleas supplied its place to the ravished eye, while, lest this prodigal show of blossom should still fail to give an idea of Nature's wealth, the exquisite wild rose hung in festoons, as though it were A BREEZE IN THE BOAT 9 some gala day, from every tree. In Arthur Con way the eye was still alive to natural beauties, but the soul, which had once also been alive to them, was dead.

For however matters may be with us in another world, in this one the soul is, alas ! with most of us, the first of our attributes to die. As we grow old, its sensations become more and more difficult to excite, and if trouble or disappointment have laid heavy hands upon us, this happens early — sometimes ere middle age. What are sights and smells, nay, all the treasures of Nature, to one whose mind is occu pied with regrets for the past, or with anxieties for the future ? There was even a sort of sad ness for the present spectator in all this splen dour, because he felt the loss of that which would have made it glorious. As for Penni cuick, it was certainly not worth while to awaken him, to look at trees and flowers, which after all would be seen later in the day, when he had had his sleep out.

But presently the silent highway upon which they were journey ing became alive with boats of all shapes and sizes, full of people, while the paved walks upon each side — or towing-path as it would be called in England, where horses are the only beasts of burden — grew almost as populous as the banks of the Thames during the University Race. Then Conway awoke that student of humanity, Ralph Pennicuick. "Good heavens, what a lot of crocks I" was his ejaculation, ere he plunged his head and face into the canal — the only means of ablution that offered itself. "What is it all about, "Why do English ladies wear crinoline? There was an Empress of China named Tak-ki who had club-feet, and set the fashion. It is, at all events, the only sign of caste in the country, which is surely creditable. The common people do not trouble themselves to go in for it ; indeed, no heavy work can be done under such conditions.

These ladies, therefore, we may be sure, all belong to the genteel classes." ' ' It adds, if not a cubit, several inches to their stature," observed Pennicuick critically. " Yes ; they all stand on tiptoe, as it were, though their toes are turned under them. If they don't do it, they cannot aspire to marry into respectable or literary families." ' ' That ' literary ' and ' respectable ' should be convertible terms seems the most curious thing of all," remarked Pennicuick. " To us, no doubt ; but this is the land of literature. The very printed character is held so sacred, that Government makes arrangements for picking up all bits of paper, and even broken crockery that has letters upon it." "You charm me more and more with every detail of this intelligent race, Connie. Is it true that ten thousand candidates voluntarily submit themselves at every season to a competitive examination ?"

" No doubt ; the aspirants, too, are of all ages. I knew an old gentleman of eighty (he had been plucked a good many times, as you may guess) who went up to be examined from Shanghae last year, and died under the operation. Pie had to take up six books of Confucius." "Capital name, Confucius," remarked Penni cuick drily. " Everything here tends in that direction. These hobbling women, these pig tailed men, whose ancestors knew so many things before we knew anything, but who still believe in — what is their god's name ? " " Ay-tum-foo," interpolated Conway. "Just so, in a Tom-fool in a temple. The whole thing looks like an allegory, doesn't it ? — the temple of Fame, or something, with its thousands of worshippers, winding up the toil some path. I'm hanged if I don't think the very hill is out of perspective."

The effect of the scene was really very curious, and gave an impression not wholly natural. The temple was perched upon the very top of the mountain ; the paths were cut in zigzag with mathematical precision, and stiffness and for mality everywhere pervaded the sacred scene. "I've seen it all somewhere before," con tinued Pennicuick, " but I can't tell where. Oh, now I've got it. It's like a blessed valentine, only instead of the church there is the temple, and instead of the parson there is the priest, and instead of the happy couple there are these miserable sinners. Why should we not pay our respects to Ay-tom-fool, like the rest of them ? " "By all means, if you like. I will tell Fu chow to moor the boat." " Do ; and as you wish to propitiate the beggar, tell him also we are about to become converts to his religion."