Chap. XIV. 



JOINED BY TWO FRIENDS. 



297 



according to the rate of exchange at the time. 

 Being a pretty good judge of the value of such 

 things I knew the price asked was absurd, and did 

 not make him an oifer, although he pressed me 

 very hard to do this. At the same time I had 

 made up my mind to have the vase. The vendors 

 of these ancient works of art in China have rarely 

 any fixed price, and will not scruple to ask ten 

 times the true value, which, if they are lucky 

 enough to get, they do not scruple to laugh at the 

 simpleton who gives it. 



On my way back to my boat a man came up to 

 me in the street and, greatly to my surprise, put a 

 pencil note into my hand. This was from two 

 friends, Messrs. Walkinshaw and Smith, who had 

 found out on their arrival in the province that I 

 was sojourning near Tse-kee, and had determined 

 to join me for the sake of seeing a little of the 

 country. As Mr. Walkinshaw had a good collec- 

 tion of ancient vases, and was almost as fond of 

 collecting as I was, he expressed a wish to see the 

 one I have just been describing. When the rain 

 cleared off we went into the city and called upon 

 my friend of the morning. The vase was again 

 produced, and was much admired by Mr. Walkin- 

 shaw. We could not succeed in inducing its 

 owner to part with it at the time, but some months 

 afterwards I bought it for nine dollars, and it 

 now adorns Mr. Walkinshaw' s drawing-room in 

 Canton ; or rather it did so some time ago. 



Having nothing more to do in the Ningpo dis- 



