296 



ANCIENT POECELAIN VASE. Chap. XIV. 



strong inclination to see this one, and therefore 

 consented to accompany him to his house. On the 

 way the rain fell in torrents ; many parts of the 

 streets were ankle deep in water, and as the houses 

 are not furnished with gutters, as with us, to carry 

 off the rain, it pours down upon the head of the 

 unlucky passenger without mercy. 



When we reached the house my conductor called 

 out to his wife to bring me some warm tea, and as 

 I was sipping this he produced his vase. It was a 

 beautiful specimen of its kind, very fine in form, 

 of a blue colour, and richly enamelled with houses, 

 flowers, and Chinese characters, in gold. It was 

 no doubt ancient, and quite perfect. The Chinese 

 as a people are first-rate physiognomists : they can 

 tell at a glance whether their wares take one's 

 fancy, and vary their prices accordingly. I had 

 long been accustomed to this, and invariably in 

 my dealings with them tried to prevent them from 

 reading any admiration or anxiety in my counte- 

 nance when I intended to buy. When the vase in 

 question was exposed to my admiring gaze its 

 owner gazed intently into my face and asked me 

 in a triumphant manner what I thought of it ? I 

 told him it was pretty good, and perfect, but that 

 it was too large for me, and then asked in a care- 

 less way what its value was. He hesitated for 

 some few seconds, evidently not quite certain what 

 sum to name ; at last he said that the true price 

 was eighty dollars, but that if I wanted it he would 

 let me have it for sixty — a sum equal to about 20/. 



