338 THE LOYAL AND FAITHFUL MINISTER MEI-KWEI. 



ensure an interview." Mei-kwei, with a contemptuous smile, ex- 

 claimed, " Surprising I" Throwing open the door of the sedan, 

 he nodded to the person who had thus spoken, who smiling approached 

 the sedan. Mei-kwei said, " I request that you will accompany me 

 and announce me to your master, for I am Mei-kwei, from the city 

 Tse-nan, who has recently been appointed a member of the Le-poo 

 board, and have come expressly to see him, which agrees both with 

 reason and etiquette. If you will announce me, I will see him ; if 

 you will not announce rae, I will not see him. Wherefore talk 

 about presents? Being already appointed a minister, is the seeing 

 of your master something beyond my appointment? If he thinks so, 

 we differ in opinion. If your master thinks that he is entitled to the 

 etiquette shown to the San-kung, (three statesmen of antiquity who 

 acted as regents during the minority of the Prince), he is a mere 

 devil reigning in his own house." 



Mei-kwei having thus spoken, he ordered his card to be given in, 

 when, in his chair, passing by the western railings, he repaired to 

 the Too-cha-yuen office, the second magnate, where the entrance of 

 the sedan was also refused. On throwing down his card to the 

 person who refused admittance, Mei-kwei became enraged, and 

 said, " Do these dogs act thus? i Do they dare, on this earth, to act 

 after this manner?" That person replied, " You do not know how 

 closely death is connected with life. Take my advice, and first pe- 

 tition his Excellency, he is now in the library, and has with him the 

 minister Whang-kaou, of the Le-poo board, -with Loo-ke." Loo-ke, 

 on receiving the card, indicated surprise, and asked if Mei-kwei was 

 without, when the servants, answering in the affirmative, detailed all 

 that had transpired. Loo-ke, interrupting, asked if he really spoke 

 thus and thus? The servants then further informed him respecting 

 the sedan, and of his throwing down his card, in fact, he related the 

 whole affair from head to tail. Whang-kaou, who was standing by, 

 asked, " Why such behaviour ? Why so rude ? Does he not respect 

 established usages? Probably he is insensible of danger. It may 

 not be long before he is punished for want of proper respect. Why 

 should he violate the established usages of the realm ? This brave 

 fellow must be cut off, to prevent calamity on a future day. 



''An after paper will inform us of Loo-ke's thoughts thereon.] 



