She bowed to me and I was indeed reminded of the willow tree as she swayed on her tiny slippered feet. I thought immediately of Lottie’s distress about her own feet and I guessed that Chan Cho Lan had not escaped the torture. I felt awkward and I wondered what she thought of me.

“It was gracious of you to come,” she said slowly as though she had learned the phrase off by heart and was repeating a lesson.

I replied that it was even more gracious of her to invite me.

She fluttered her hands. They were beautiful hands and she wore nail shields of jade. Her nails must have been about three inches long. Lottie indicated to me that I should be seated so I sat on one of the cushions; Lottie remained standing until Chan Cho Lan gracefully sat.

Again there was a flutter of the hands and Lottie sat down. Chan Cho Lan clapped her hands. I heard the sound of a gong from without and a servant came into the room.

I could not understand what was said but the servant disappeared and almost immediately a round japanned tray was carried in and there began the tea ceremony with which I was now very familiar.

Lottie performed it with grace and I could see that she was nervous because the eyes of her one-time mistress were upon her.

She carried the porcelain cup to me first and then to Chan Cho Lan and sat waiting permission to take tea herself. This was graciously granted. The dried fruits and sweetmeats were brought in and with them the little forks with which we selected them. I showed my appreciation of these with smiles.

“You have taken this miserable girl into your noble house,” she said. Lottie hung her head.

I replied that our house was enriched by Lottie’s presence. I then began to extoll her virtues. I told her that I was a stranger and that Lottie was teaching me to understand her country.

Chan Cho Lan sat nodding. I told her how Lottie looked after my son, and how fond he had become of her.

“You happy lady,” she said. “You have fine man child.”

“Yes,” I said, “I have a fine boy. Lottie will tell you that.”

Lottie nodded and smiled.

“Miserable girl must serve you well. If not you use bastinado.”

I laughed. “There’s no question of that. Lottie is like a daughter to me.”

There was an imperceptible silence and I realized I had startled them, but Chan Cho Lan was too well mannered to express surprise.

Lottie brought more sweetmeats and I took one with the little twopronged fork.

Chan Cho Lan then spoke to Lottie. Her voice was low and musical and she moved her hands beautifully as she spoke. I could not understand her but Lottie translated.

“Chan Cho Lan say that you must take care. She happy I am there to look out for you. She say The House of a Thousand Lanterns is a house where there can be much bad. It is built where once was temple, she says. It may be goddess not pleased that people live where once she was worshipped. Chan Cho Lan wish you to take care.”

I asked her to tell Chan Cho Lan that I was grateful to her for her concern, but I did not think any harm would come to us as I believed the temple had been Kuan Yin’s and she was the good and benevolent goddess.

Chan Cho Lan spoke again and Lottie translated: “It might be that Kuan Yin lose face because people live where once there was her temple.”

My answer was that the house had stood for more than a hundred years and was still standing and it seemed no harm had come to anyone.

I caught the words fân-kuei in Chan Cho Lan’s reply and I knew that meant a foreign ghost, spirit or devil, the term used to describe those not Chinese. And I knew she meant that although the goddess might not object to Chinese living on the site of her old temple she might object to foreigners.

But the house had been in the possession of Sylvester’s grandfather and no ill fortune had come to him. I told Lottie this, but whether she explained it or not I don’t know.

A look from Lottie told me that it was time to take my leave.

I rose and Chan Cho Lan immediately rose too. The perfume which came from her as she moved was strange and exotic—like a mixture of frangipani and roses, as exquisite as herself.

She bowed and said that she was gratified that a noble lady had honored her miserable abode.

She clapped her hands and the servant came to take us out.

It had been a strange encounter. I couldn’t understand why Chan Cho Lan had wanted to see me. Perhaps, I thought, she was anxious for Lottie’s welfare and wanted to make sure that her one-time maid had a good home. On the other hand she might have been curious to see the mistress of The House of a Thousand Lanterns.

I was beginning to understand a little of these people and I knew that one could never be sure what they meant. What appeared to be the obvious reason for a certain line of conduct would scarcely ever prove to be the true one.

Lottie behaved as though she were in a trance. She was a little sad too. I believed it was due to the fact that she would never be able to totter along like a willow in the wind because she had two perfectly normal feet that would comfortably carry her wherever she wanted to go.

That beautiful creature was a woman and therefore probably interested in other women. I wondered whether Lottie saw her now and then and talked of me. Perhaps this was it and she had wanted to see what I really looked like.

And she had thrown in the warning about the house for good measure.

III

I had been to the Go-Down to see Toby on some special business which Sylvester had wished to be cleared up. I was often able to do this for him. The rickshaw would take me to the warehouse and wait for me and bring me back. Toby was always delighted to see me. He was a very good businessman and entirely loyal to Sylvester and I sensed that he was often uneasy as to his growing feelings for me. He told me once that Sylvester had given him his big chance. He had at one time worked in the Cheapside office and when he was about sixteen his father had remarried. Toby had been devoted to his mother who had died a year before the second marriage. His sister Elspeth left home when their father remarried and went away to teach in Edinburgh. The position had become intolerable to Toby; his stepmother, he realized, was a worthy woman but he could not endure to see anyone in his mother’s place. Sylvester had understood his feelings and his remedy had been to send him out to the Hong Kong branch. There Toby said he had been able to see things clearly and how wrong he had been to grudge his father his happiness.

He was constantly harping on his gratitude to Sylvester. I understood perfectly. As for myself I knew I would never feel strongly about anyone again. All I could hope for was to drift along in comparative peace and accept the way of life which was left to me.

On this occasion I came back to the house and I heard voices in Sylvester’s sitting room.

Adam was with him. I thought he looked rather grim but when I came in they stopped talking abruptly.

After Adam had gone, Sylvester said to me: “Adam almost suggested that he join up with me.”

“You mean in business?”

Sylvester nodded. “He was saying that I should rest more, that I needed someone to take the burden from my shoulders and so on. I told him that Tobias was a fine manager and that with you here and everyone at the Go-Down, I manage very nicely.”

“Perhaps, after all, it would be a good idea if he were to join you. You have a high opinion of his skill.”

“No,” said Sylvester very firmly. “I know my nephews, both of them. It’s a sort of arrogance they have. All of us have it. Redmond and Magnus did too. We all think we know best. That’s why we couldn’t work together. We all want to be the Tai Pan. Adam was very complimentary to you, Jane.”

“Oh?”

“But he said that it was difficult for a woman to deal with sly traders.”

“Did he indeed.”

Sylvester laughed. “You’ll show him that you can do as well as he can. That’s the spirit, Jane.” He looked at me intently. “You’ve got a rare business instinct,” he went on. “I have no qualms about the future.”


* * *

The days were passing quickly. Christmas came. It was not, of course, celebrated in China and we kept it very quietly in The House of a Thousand Lanterns. There was no Christmas tree which was a pity for Jason remembered the previous Christmas when Mrs. Couch had presided over the table in the servants’ hall and the pudding had been brought in surrounded by brandy flames. I did fill his stocking though and one for Lottie which amused and delighted her.

We were, however, approaching the Feast of Lanterns. There were often festivals and it sometimes seemed to me that the people were either placating, adoring, or abusing the dragon. They appeared to be obsessed by the creature, so magnificently portrayed in their art, but this particular feast had nothing to do with that mythical monster. The Feast of the Lanterns seemed particularly our feast for we lived in the house which was said to contain a thousand.

This feast took place on the night of the first full moon of the new year.

Sylvester had seen it many times, and he delighted in informing me about it.

“It’s really one of the most tasteful of the entertainments,” he said. “The object seems to be for people to show each other what beautiful lanterns they can contrive. It is a delightful spectacle and you will see lanterns of all shades and colors and of all kinds of designs in the processions. Then there will be fireworks across the harbor and you can be sure there will be a dragon or two.”

I looked forward to it. “It is I suppose of special significance to us,” I said.

“Oh you mean because of the house.” He laughed. “I suppose so.”

Lottie told me that the servants were saving that we should have a special celebration to placate the goddess because this was the house of the lanterns and perhaps if she were shown that we appreciated living in a house built on her temple she would not lose face with the other gods and goddesses.

I told Sylvester this and we agreed that we would make a very special occasion of the Feast of Lanterns. We would have a dinner for the family and a few friends and Chinese food should be served in the Chinese manner. A lantern should be lighted in each room and over the porch we would set up one which should be made with moving figures inside it. Adam designed the lantern which would be in the best Chinese tradition.

It was magnificent and made of silk, horn, and glass. Inside was a horizontal wheel which was turned by the draft of air created by the warmth of the lamp. There were figures of beautiful women who reminded me of Chan Cho Lan and there were brightly plumaged birds. Fine threads were attached to the figures and as the wheel turned, they moved. The effect was beautiful. This enormous lantern was fixed above the outer gate. When darkness fell it would be like a beautiful beacon.

The servants were delighted and Lottie told me that this would bring great good joss to the house. The goddess would undoubtedly be pleased.

For several days there had been preparations in the kitchen. The guests arrived in the later afternoon and we should dine before dusk so that we could see the procession as soon as it began.

This was a very special occasion indeed. We sat on our cushions and were served first with basins of soup. It was the first time I had tasted birds’ nest soup and it was Lottie who told me afterwards what it contained. “It is good for you,” she told me. It was made from the nests of small swallows who were said to collect a glutinous substance from the sea with which to make their nests. These were the size of tea saucers and they were collected before the eggs were laid. She showed me some which were brought to the kitchen; they were of a lightish red and transparent. To make the soup they were dissolved in water. I found the concoction rather insipid. But it was served as a great delicacy so we had to make a show of enjoying it.

Following the soup were salted meats and rice served in small porcelain dishes; there followed sharks’ fins and deers’ sinews, all of which we ate with chopsticks—at which I had by this time become adept—though we used little china spoons when necessary. We drank heated sweet wine with it and cups of tea.

Although most of us were well acquainted with Chinese food this was the first time I had had it served and eaten in the completely Chinese manner. It was very impressive, particularly when as we were finishing the servants began lighting the lanterns.