CHAPTER XIX

Summary

WHEN the day broke next morning, we were up and preparing to depart from the dirty rooms and the mandarinish town of the Great Wall. Innumerable damages, over and above those felt yesterday, made themselves troublesome, and much in the way, and my head still swam a little and ached; but my eyes were the most painful, and fiery hot from the inflaming glare of the rocks. Otherwise, there was nothing serious to remind me of the exposure and buffeting about that had formed such a prominent episode in our quiet trip, and I relied on the excitement and exercise of a day beyond the Wall to put me on the high road to convalescence.

As we were ready to set off, and one of the spies in waiting had already started on his mission to inform the magnates of our intentions, the bill was sent for, and we fully expected to have something tremendous, if the charges were to be in proportion to the attentions we had received; but an answer came that there was nothing to pay but homage, for that the inn was a mandarins', kept up by government for the convenience of these worthies when travelling to and from Mantchuria; and all that was expected from us as we left was a formal obeisance to the absent son of heaven. Certainly a very moderate demand for such villanous and miserly accommodation, which reflected no great amount of credit on the Emperor's generosity to his servants, nor on the management of the home department.