152 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. IX. 
meals and smoked their pipes. The second and third 
divisions were destined for travellers, but, as there were 
large doors between each which stood wide open, it was 
easy to see through from the front to the back part of 
the premises. 
When I got out of my chair I followed "mine host '' 
into the second compartment, in which I observed a 
table at each side of the room. One of them being 
unoccupied, I sat down at it, and with becoming gravity 
lighted my Chinese pipe and began to smoke. The 
host set a cup of tea before me and left me to attend 
upon some one else. I had now leisure to take a sur- 
vey of the strange scene round me. At the opposite 
table sat two merchants, who a single glance told me 
were from the province of Canton. They were evidently 
eyeing me with great interest, and doubtless knew me 
to be a foreigner the moment I entered the room. One 
of them I had frequently seen at Shanghae. This per- 
son looked as if he wished me to recognise him, but in 
this he was disappointed, for I returned his inquiring 
look as if I had never seen him before. I now observed 
him whispering to his companion, and thought I heard 
the word Fankwei used. In the mean time Sing-Hoo, 
who had just arrived, came in and began to bustle about 
and get in the dinner, which was soon ready. The host 
was a civil sort of man, but very inquisitive, and as he 
set down the dinner he put various questions to me. 
With Chinese politeness, he asked me my name, my 
age, where I had come from, and whither I was bound, 
and to all such questions he received most satisfactory 
answers. For example, when asked where I had come 
