The Yellow and White Agony. 341 



quietly retire to sleep, although convinced that one was being 

 murdered. 



" How much boss he give your father for you ? " 



"In England fathers don't get paid for their daughters; boss 

 gave him no money." 



" Oh, too bad, I tink your father heap foolish. He ask lot of 

 money for you, I tink boss would give it ; too much pity your father 

 get nothing. Girls cost heap money, and no can do business for 

 father when they grow up ; oh, too much pity your father get 

 nothing." 



He told me that for 250 dollars or 300 dollars he could get a wife, 

 and when he had saved that he should go to Hong Kong, and his 

 mother, or another old woman who was used to the business, 

 would speak to the parents who had a suitable marriageable 

 daughter, and they would come to terms with them for him. 

 Then he would marry, and, like the rest of his compatriots, wait to 

 welcome the much longed-for son, or wring his hands over the 

 unwelcome and despised daughter. Then probably he would 

 return to work on the Pacific coast for ten or fifteen years before 

 returning home again to his family. 



" Too bad for poor Ah Wan," said Gee, one day ; " his wife she 

 kill herself; he save up money and mally her last year, now she kill 

 herself, he wasted all his money." 



" Why did the poor woman kill herself ? " 



" She live with Ah Wan's mother, his mother velly cross 

 ' woman, she velly unhappy; oh, I velly sorry; he never get money 

 now for another wife, he no can save up before he die, he velly 

 old man now." 



The regret was so ludicrously simple ; it was merely for the 

 loss of his friend's money, not for the sad tragedy enacted by that 

 neglected little Chinese girl in far away Hong Kong. Ah Wan, I 

 may say, was our " vegetable man," who brought us fresh lettuces, 

 asparagus, and peas, and all the season's delicacies in his quaint 



