|IT was daybreak. Doane, standing in his cabin by the opened window,
looked out with melancholy in his deep-set eyes over the muddy low
reaches that border the Wusung. It was a familiar scene; indeed he knew
it better than any spot in his native land--the railroad along the
bank, the brick warehouses, the native village of Wusung, the inevitable
humble families in the fields gathering in the last crops of the season.
Overhead the _laopan_ was shouting, tackle creaked, the crew half sang,
half grunted their chanties. From the cruisers, one after another,
floating musically on the still air, came the call of bugles--the
_reveille_ of the American navy. So these were ships from home. The
stars and stripes would soon, at “colors,” be rippling from each gray
stem.... There was an ache in his heart.
Then other noises came--a little confusion of them, somewhere here on
the junk--excited whispers, a sound that might have been sobbing, and
then--yes!--the low wailing of women.
He turned; listened closely. Light feet came running along the corridor.
A familiar, lovely voice called his name, brokenly. Then Hui Fei drew
aside his curtain. Her cheeks were stained with tears.
Quickly, his arm about her shoulders as she swayed unsteadily, but
without a word, he walked beside her along the corridor to the cabin of
his excellency.... There were the few servants, kneeling by the
inert body and bowing their heads to the floor as they mourned. Doane
straightened the body and closed the eyes.... It was Hui Fei who found
the roll of documents on the table and placed them in Doane's hands.
He saw then, through the mist that clouded his own eyes, that they were
addressed to himself: “To my dear friend, Griggsby Doane, I entrust
these my last papers.” The name alone was in English; written in a clear
hand, not unlike that of a painstaking schoolboy, each letter carefully
and roundly formed.
Hui Fei sent the servants to another cabin, but remained herself, seated
on the floor by the side of the huge strong man who was now without
question the head of the strangely assorted family. She was calmer.
Doane did not again hear her sob; he did not even see tears. During
that difficult moment when Rocky Kane appeared in the doorway and asked
huskily, sadly, if he could help, she even smiled, very faintly, very
gently, as she moved her head in the negative. And the youth, after a
hesitant moment, left them.
Doane spread out the documents on the floor. The first, addressed
directly to himself, he laid aside for the moment. To the second,
addressed to the throne--“by the hand of His Imperial Highness, Prince
Ch'un, Regent, as soon as it may be possible to convey to him in
this hour of China's sorrow this inadequate expression of my last
thoughts”--was attached a paper requesting that “my closest friend,
Griggsby Doane” read it thoughtfully, “in order that he may understand
fully the circumstances in which I find myself at this the end of my
long life.
“I, your unworthy servant,”--it read--“have learned with sorrow and
tears of the decree permitting me to withdraw from this troubled life
in solitude and peace without the painful consequences of a death by
the headsman's sword. And in bowing humbly to your will I, your unworthy
servant, recognize that my life lies wholly in your hands to be disposed
of as seems best to the imperial wisdom. But in thus proving my never
weakening loyalty to the imperial will I also must express the sober
thoughts of one who has pondered long over the evils that beset our land
and who has ventured at times, weakly, to hope that China might pay
heed to certain lessons of recent history and find a way to oppose
successfully the pressure of other powerful nations upon us. For it
has been my privilege, as a long-time servant of the throne, to observe
certain of these other nations at first hand and to learn a little of
their power, which is very great.
“On another occasion I, your unworthy servant, wittingly incurred danger
of death or imprisonment, because, in the eagerness of my convictions,
I dared to suggest certain reforms to the throne. There is a saying that
the tree which bends before the gale will never be broken off but will
grow to a ripe old age, and my hope has always been for a great and
growing China. At that time princes and ministers about the throne
asked permission to subject me to a criminal investigation, but his late
majesty was pleased to spare me. Therefore my last years have been a
boon at the hand of his late majesty.”
There followed a clear, dignified statement of the urgent need for vast
reforms. His excellency recalled in detail his long years of service and
his decorations and honors. Quietly he called attention to the fact that
all, or nearly all, China was in revolt, that the throne tottered, that
to permit the government longer to be dominated by corrupt eunuchs was
an affront to modern as to ancient thought and morality. It was clear
to himself, he stated, that without a skilfully organized system of
gradual, perhaps rapid, modernization, China would soon crumble to
pieces under the heel of the greedy foreigners. And there was profound
pathos in the passing remark that perhaps his suicide, far from home,
his vast estate seized by government agents or despoiled by robbers, his
person, alone, beyond the reach of harm--safe, in fact, with the hated
foreigners--might stand as a final proof of his loyalty to the throne in
serving which his long life had been spent.
“But at the moment of leaving this world I feel that my mind is not so
clear as I could wish. The text of this my memorial is ill-written and
lacking in clarity of thought. I am no such scholar as the men of olden
times; how, then, could I face the end with the calm which they showed?
But there is a saying, 'The words of a dying man are good.' Though I am
about to die, it is possible that my words are not good. I can only
hope that the empress and the emperor will pity my last sad utterance,
regarding it neither as wanton babbling nor the careless complaint of a
trifling mind. Thus shall I die without regret. I wish, indeed, that my
words may prove overwrought, in order that those who come after, perhaps
more happily, may laugh at my foolishness.
“I pray the empress and the emperor to remember the example of our great
rulers of the past in tempering peace with mercy; that they may choose
only the worthy for public service; that they may refrain from striving
for those things desired by the foreigners, which would only plunge China
into deeper woe, but that by a careful study of what is good in foreign
lands they may help China to hold up her head among the nations and
bring us finally to prosperity and happiness. This is my last prayer,
the end and crown of my life.”
The junk was moving up the river as Doane finished reading, passing one
of the war-ships. The bugles were blowing again. A beam of warm sunlight
slanted in through the window of stained glass and threw a kaleidoscope
of color on the wall.
Hui Fei sat motionless, her hands folded humbly in her lap, gazing at
the floor. Her face was expressionless. She seemed wholly Oriental.
With a sigh, Deane rolled the memorial and tied it with the ribbon. The
one beneath it, he saw now, was addressed to Hui Fei. Without a word he
handed it to her and then settled to read his own. Hers was the shorter.
When she had finished she lowered it to her lap and sat motionless, as
before.
Doane now took up the paper addressed to himself and read as follows:
“My friend, Griggsby Doane, grieve not for me, and be sure that in the
manner of my end I have had no wish to bring evil upon you. It is in a
measure sad that this end should come upon a hired junk instead of on
a plot of hallowed ground, as I would have chosen. But there was no
choice. I have waited until assured of my daughter's safety.
“Inform the magistrate at Shanghai of my death, and see that my Memorial
to the Throne is forwarded promptly. Give to my daughter Hui Fei the
letter addressed to her. It my wish that you also should read that
letter, and I have so instructed her. It is also my wish that she should
read this letter to you. Buy for me a cheap coffin, and have it painted
black inside. The poor clothes I wear must serve, but I wish that the
soiled soles of my shoes be cut off. Twenty or thirty taels will be
ample for the coffin.
“I do not believe it will be necessary for the magistrate to hold an
inquest. Please have a coating of lacquer put on the coffin, to fill up
any cracks, and have the cover nailed down pending the throne's decision
as to my remains. Then buy a small plot of ground near the Taoist temple
outside of Shanghai and have me buried as soon as possible. There is no
need to consider waiting for an opportunity to bury me at my ancestral
home; any place is good enough for a loyal and honest man.
“You will find about a thousand taels in my bag, also the few jewels we
found at my home. Sell the jewels and keep for yourself the balance that
will remain after my burial expenses are paid. The _laopan_ of this junk
has his money. This he will deny, and will cry for more; but do not heed
him.
“Remember there is nothing strange or abnormal in my passing; death has
become my duty. It may be true that the historic throne of the Manchus
is rocking, is falling, but despite the understanding that has been
given to me of what is good in Western civilization I have never swayed
in my heart from loyalty to that throne and steadfast devotion to its
best interests as I can see them, and I do no less than obey the mandate
of my empress and my emperor.
“Do not grieve unduly for me. It is my wish that all of you, my friends
and family, should live happily in the life that lies before you. To
you, Griggsby Doane, out of the gratitude and admiration of my proud
heart, I give and bequeath all the little that may be left of my worldly
goods, including the money, the pitiful handful of jewels, the historic
paintings and my daughter Hui Fei. It is my wish that you will marry
her at once, and that in your best judgment you sell any or all of the
paintings to provide what money you and she may need, and also that you
and she care lovingly for the younger child. It may be better to educate
her in the Western manner, but that will be as you may decide. In the
matter of this marriage with my daughter, Hui Fei, I have sought the
opinion of each of you regarding the other. I have your assurance that
it has been your own wish. And Hui Fei informs me that she respects and
admires no man more than yourself. You will see, therefore, that I have
approached this matter in the Western spirit, and as a result I see no
reason why the marriage should be delayed or that my beloved daughter
should be left alone at the mercy of an unscrupulous world. I have
informed her, also, of my decision. My gifts to you make a most
inadequate dowry, but they are all I have. I wish for you both great
happiness and many descendants.
“And now, Griggsby Doane, my dear friend, I take my leave of you. I, at
seventy-four years of age, can claim an unsullied record. My family tree
goes back more than seven hundred years; for three centuries there have
been members of my clan in the Imperial Household or in the Government
Bureaus, and for four hundred years we have devoted ourselves to
husbandry and scholarship. For twenty-four generations my family has
borne a good name. I die now in order that a lifetime of devotion to
duty and loyalty to the throne may be consummated.”
Slowly Doane lowered the document. He could not speak; he could hardly
think. There beside him, still motionless, sat the young woman who was
now, by all the traditions of her people, abruptly his.
Dutifully, observing that he had finished reading, she gave him her
own letter; and he, in exchange, handed her his. Thus they read on. And
then, again quietly exchanging the documents, they sat without a word by
the peaceful body.
Little by little Doane's brain cleared. It was a time, he felt--_the_
time, indeed--when all his experience, all his character and skill, must
come into use. Now, it ever, he must be wise and steady and kind. Very
gently he took her hand; it lay softly in his; she did not lift her
eyes.
“We will not think of this matter now,” he said. “Our only thought must
be to carry out his plans regarding the funeral. If it shouldn't seem
best, later, to fulfill quite all his last wishes, perhaps he, from
the other side of the barrier, will understand what he couldn't wholly
understand while on this earth. But this I must say now---whatever
direction your life may take, try to think of me as filling, the best I
can, your father's place. I shall hope to be your dearest friend. Lean
on me. Use me. And be sure I will understand.”
Her slim fingers tightened once again about his.
“He was a won'erful father,” she began, and choked a little.
He left her there; sent in her maid to her; himself mounted to the deck.
The sun was well up. Other junks sailed up and down the tide. A
bluff-bowed freighter, flying the Dutch flag, lay at anchor near one
of the Chinese torpedo boats that had gone over to the chaotic new
republic. The American steamers were far astern, but a motor launch
flying an officer's flag and with blue uniforms visible under the
awning, plowed by on her way up to the city. In the distance, up ahead,
beyond the crowding masts and funnels of the steamers that came from all
the world, could be seen the buildings and spires and the smoke-haze of
European Shanghai.... The bund there, within a few hours now, would
be crowded with pony-carriages and motor-cars and over-fed tourists
riding in rickshaws drawn by ragged coolies. The hotels would be
thronging with talkative young women and drink-flushed men, all eagerly
retailing confused and inaccurate news of “the revolution”; out at the
British country club on Bubbling Well Road blond men would be
playing tennis in flannels: and the gambling houses would be brightly
illuminated until late at night, and the Chinese shopkeepers in Nanking
Road would be selling their souvenir trinkets, their useless little
boxes of coinsilver and cloisonne and damascene work and their painted
snuff-bottles and green soapstone necklaces and blue-and-white pottery
quite as if no troubles could ever arise to disturb the destiny of
nations.
Doane sighed again. The last letter of his excellency was in his hand,
held tightly; though he was not at this time aware of it. He glanced
aft, and saw Rocky Kane standing on the gallery, among the flowers,
gazing not forward toward the jangling, money-seeking, pleasure-mad city
that is the principal point of contact between the culture of the West
and that of the East, but off astern, as if endeavoring to see again the
lost Yangtze Kiang of his glowing romance.
Doane went to him; aware, then, of the paper rolled so tightly in his
hand, said--a huge figure, towering over the boy, his face sad and more
than ever deeply lined, but with a grave kindliness about the eyes:
“My boy, it is important that you and I have a talk. Suppose we sit
down.” He indicated the steamer chair; but Rocky insisted that he take
it, himself dropping heavily down on the step of the deck.
“How--how is she standing it?” he asked, his troubled eyes searching
that strong face before him.
“As well as we could ask. It is bound to be very hard for
her--especially during these next few days. But she has courage. And
she knows he would wish her not to mourn.... A matter has come up that
concerns you, Rocky”--it was the first time he had used that familiar
name; the boy's moody eyes brightened momentarily, and a touch of color
rose in his cheeks--“and I don't feel I can delay telling you about it.
First, you had better let me read you this.”
He had not thought, before this moment, of the necessity that he himself
make the translation for the boy. It had to be difficult; he would have
given much if the thing could have been managed in some less directly
personal way; but for that matter, difficulties lay so thickly about
him now that there was no good in so much as giving them a thought. And
so--deliberately, with great care to find the nearly precise English
equivalent of every obscure phrase--he read the letter through.
He dared not look at the boy's face, but could not but become aware of
the hands that twitched, clasping and unclasping, in his lap, and of the
feet that at times nervously tapped the deck. When the task was done he
quietly folded the paper and slipped it into a pocket.
The silence grew long and trying. Doane searched and searched his own
still confused mind for the right, the clear word; but could not, during
these earlier moments, find it. The boy, plainly, was crushed; but
behind the clouded eyes and the knit brows an emotional storm was
gathering. Doane felt that. It had to come, of course. And it would have
to be handled.
But the first words were almost calm.
“So that”--thus the brooding youth--“so that's how it is!”
Doane waited. After a little the boy sprang up. “But in God's name,
why didn't you tell me!” he cried. “You've let me come and talk to you!
You--This isn't fair! You've made a fool of me! You--” Doane rose too.
They stood side by side among the heavily scented blossoms. Doane felt
moved to put a kindly hand on the slender shoulder beside him; but a
following thought cautioned him that even a touch would be resented at
this moment.
“I didn't tell you,” he said, “because until I read this paper I didn't
know.”
“But you must have known! You told--him. Told him you loved her!
Probably you've been telling her, too--here under my eyes. Oh, God, what
a fool I've been.... If you'd only been square with me!”
“This is not fair,” said Doane, still very quiet. “We must talk this
out, but not now--not while you are angry.”
“Angry! What in heaven's name is the sense of talking it out! It's
settled, isn't it?”
“I'm not sure.”
“That's not so!” The boy seemed to be recovering somewhat now from the
first shock of unreason. He turned away to hide the tears in his eyes.
“You've admitted to her father, if not to her, that you love her....
Oh, why didn't I see it! Why did I have to be such an awful fool!... She
knows it now. And you know as well as I what she'll do. She'll never go
against her father's last wish--never. You know that!”
“I recognize that she must be seeing it in that light now, but--”
“Oh, what's the use of talk. You _know!_ For God's sake, let me alone,
can't you!”
Doane's brows drew slowly together; but this and a note of something
near command in his voice, were the only outward indications of the
storm within his breast.
“This is not a time for either you or me to be thinking of ourselves.
You may be sure that Hui Fei will not be thinking so. And it may help
you to realize that this situation is difficult for me, as it is for
you. It is true that Hui Fei's only thought, now, under the stress of
this sorrow, will be to submit to her father's every wish. But this
stress will pass. There is only one course to take--”
“But--”
“Listen to me! And try to meet the thing like a man. We will wait until
this sad business is over. We will at least try to give up thinking
of ourselves. I will see that Hui Fei and her sister are cared for by
friends.”
“But all the time you'll be seeing her, and--”
“I must still ask you to listen and try to think clearly. As soon as
it seems wise I will lay the situation before Hui Fei. I will try to
persuade her that her own life is, in the last analysis, more important
than even her father's dying wish. I believe that she--would--be happier
with a young man like yourself than with an--older man. It is possible
that she can be led to see that her own happiness must be a factor in
her choice. Have you the patience and the courage to wait for that?”
He extended his hand. The boy looked at it, then up at the stern, but
still kindly face; hesitated; then, with a quivering of the lip and an
explosive--“Oh God!”--rushed away; walked very fast, almost ran, the
length of the deck; made his way through the crowded waist and around
the cook's well; and stood, his bare head thrown proudly back, in the
prow, beside the quietly wondering _tai-kung_, staring toward the long
curving sweep of the tree-shaded bund of Shanghai as it came gradually
into view around the bend just below the city.