LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2255, 24 June 1881, Page 4

LITERATURE.

INOIDBNTS OP A CONVICT PRISON. (Concluded.} When I rojoined Markham he said to me—'Do you seo that withered specimen of humanity there with the blui facings on bit jacket and but oae oar ?' 'That old man walking behind the bier ?' „ 'Exactly. That "old man," as you call him. is still considerably on this sido of forty. I don't wonder, however, at yoar mistaking his ago, for he has lived hilf-a-dozen ordinary lives in his short existence.' ' Has he, then, lived so fast ?' I inquired, taking a more attentive survey of the subject oi our conversation. ' Fast is not the wo id,' answered Frank ; ' a locomotive at high pressure is nothing to the speed with which ' Ching " must have dashed through life.' ' Ching!' I exolaimed. ' Why, what a queer name.' ' Wh, that's not his own name. Ching is only his slang appellation—a nickname derived from the fact that at one time he served as an officer in the Chinese army. You look incredulous, but the statement is nevertheless true. The miserable wreck of a man yen see yonder once narrowly escaped the honour of being made a Mandarin.' • You astonish me,' I exclaimed ; 'go on ; I should mush like to hear the life history of so singular a personage.' ' I can only gratify your cariosity, then," replied Frank, 'by relating a few leading inoidenta In his strange career. Fifteen years ago. Ching—or, as he was then called, •' Captain Frolic "—was an undergraduate at Oxford, more distinguished for his drinking, gaming, and fighting proclivities than for his devotion to Euclid and Euripides. " Frolic " was the bete noire of sober-sided dons and staid professors, but the life and soul of the rollicking spirits about him. He was the originator of every drinking party, the ringleader of every opposition to constituted authority, and the first in every brawl that disturbed the peace of Her Majesty's lieges in that classic city. To such an extant did his turbulence and dissipation lead him, that in the end he was expelled from the college and disowned by his family, who felt their honor and good name compromised by his disgraceful conduct. After various adventures in China and other foreign parts, Frolic found his way baok to London, where bis peculiar talents were more likely to meet with the means of gratification. Once known, he became the chosen companion of every blackleg and gentleman-swindler who knew the value of a high spirit and ready wit. For a while he was the tool, but ere long he became the leader of a highlyorganised society of swell cracksmen, who carried on their depredations both in this country and on the oontlnent after the most approved and scientific principles. To relate one of Frolio's adventures during this exalting period, were to furnish materials for half a dozen three-volume novels of the most sensational character. I will relate one of the best authenticated, which you may take aa a sample of many others. One night when 'Frolic,' alias the 'captain,' was reoonnoitering a certain district in Belgravla, he was attracted by a window opening on a balcony, [the latter being of easy access from the garden by means of a tree, the lower branches of which overhung It. Extreme boldness, combined with perfect self-possession, were two qualities for which the captain was distinguished ; so it is nut to be wondered at that he re solved to explore the interior of this mansion, more especially as both natnre and art had oombined to furnish persons like himself, of an Inquiring turn of mind, with the readiest means of doing so. To mount the tree wit-Ji the agility of a monkey, and to drop npon the balcony with the nolselesßness of a cat was easy work for the captain. The window was open, and a glance convinced him that the room was untenanted, and that it was safe to enter. He did so ; and Immediately a low sweet voice whispered—' Dear Augustus, I knew you would come,' or words to that effeot, I have said self •possession was one of the strong points in our hero's oharaoter; a roady and penetrating wiWwas another ; and although the waittng-maid—for such she was who had spoken—was not long in discovering her mistake, yet so good a use did ' Frolic' make of his time and opportunity, that an acquaintance sprung up, and continued between them, the natural result of which in the circumstances was that the town was startled one morning by a great and mysterious theft ;of diamonds. ' Frolic ' read the newspaper reports of the robbery, and chuckled with delight as he admired the costly gems, and remembered under what happy auspices they had been obtained. For a long time he bailed every effort of the law to bring him to justice; but for the gift of a bracelet which he unthinkingly made to a lady friend, he might have elluded punishment till this day. ' Frolio' was becoming rich, and had thoughts of retiring from his lucrative though risky vocation; but that unlucky bracelet spoilt all, and now you behold the miserable finale !' UJSuch were a few of the tales and Incidents which fell nnder my notice during my short Biuy in the convlot prison.

THE FIRM OP AH-WHY & CO. a banker's story. When I was Bent up to Hankow as manager of the Anglo-Oriental Bank branch there, the comprador, or head of the native department, was one Hal-ling. I soon found out that he was a thorough man of business, keen and far-sighted, as are most Chinamen who have mixed muoh with Europeans, and who have added to their natural aptitude the civilising polish of the West. I congratulated myself upon the possession of so able an interpreter of my plans and wishes. Hai-ling, a Macao Portuguese named Manero, and a tribe of shroffs and coolies, formed the foreign contingent of our staff; whilst I and a young Englishman, named Heygate, occupied the European department. Matters progressed smoothly for some months, until I happened to take exception to the habit Hai-ling indulged in of introducing parties of Chinese friends to inspect our new treasury, which, as being the latest and moat perfect construction of the kind in Hankow, was looked upon as a sort of show affair.

I did not oare about 'our boxes of Svcee silver, tur dollar bags, and our safes being exposed too muoh to public gaze, although I knew that Hai-ling was the impersonation of all that was honest. So I spoke to him on the Bubjoct, quietly. From that day his manner towards me changed. He evidently resented my interfaronce as implying a want of trust in him ; and although he was calmly civil after the manner of the imperturbable Mongol raoe, there was a reserve and a hauteur in hia attitude whiuh I, as his supeiior officer, felt little inclined to put up wich. One morning he came into my private rcom, and asked me to allow a great mandarin from Wuchang to inspect the treasury. At first I rather resented Mailing's imrjertinonce in touchiog upon a sore subject; but ho explained that the Wuchang mandarin was really a distinguished person, and that It might lead to business, so I granted the permission. The party stayed a long time, so Heygate told me, and were loud in their expressions of wonder and admiration at the strength and ingenuity with which our treasury was built. The comprador entertained them at his rooms, and they went away with muoh hilarity, gesticulation and chattering. By granting this permission, I imagined that matters would perhaps assume a more cordial aspect between the comprador and myself j for although one may have even a contempt for a man, if the daily course of one's life runs much In the same groove as hla, it la always disagreeable for it not to run smooth. My astonishment, then, may be Imagined, when, the very next morning, Hai-ling tendered his resignation with many expressions of sorrow and distress, and still further when the Portugese clerk Manero followed suit, and stated his desire to quit our servjeo. I thought it strange ; paid them their salaries, together with the customary leave-taking, " kum-shaw," and set to work to replace them. Applicants for the vacant post of comprador arrived In orowda—onen who could do everything, who could apeak every known language, who possessed every necessary qualification ; and it was with some difficulty that I made my selection, Finally I pitched upon a benevo-lent-looking old gentleman, who had served,

bo he said—and so, curiously enough amongst other great men, said the mandarin from Wu-chang—for many years as comprador in a European bank which had broken up. And so, ag*ln settled, I forgot Hai-ling and Manero and the past altogether. The new comprador, who might have passed for an archbishop, so bland and benignant was his demeanour, so majestic and deliberate his movements, was an excellent man of business, and we got on capitally together. 80 well and smoothly, in fact, did matters work, that I felt myself quite justified in taking a fortnight's trip to Shanghai. So I left, spent a jovial time in the gay capital and In the country adjoining, and returned to Hankow early in December. Talking to Efeygate, who had been In charge during my absence, I asked him about the new comprador. ' Well,' said Hoygate, ' he seems a good sort of follow, understands his work and all that, and apparently has a lot of influence over the Chinese merchants here ; but latterly he has been drifting Into Halling's old habit of asking his kith and kin and his mandariu friends to see our treasury. I told him about Hai-ling, and he seemed much surprised, saying that we ought to be proud of being able to attract such notice, and that if we knew _what delight It gave to his simple rustic friends, we would not be so particular. However, I gave him to understand that we didn't like it; so now he is all right again.' Somehow or other, I did not think it was all right, and told Heygate to keep a sharp look-out. Not maDy days after, a very stylish native gentleman was dropped at our door by his chair, and denred to see me. He said that he was a partner in a great native firm, styling itself Ah-why and Co., and made overture for business on rather an extensive scale. His honse, he said, had connections at all the China coast porta, and he had been recommended to our bank ; in support of which statements he produced from the voluminous folds of his. silken garments letters of introduction and testimonials as Jo integrity and sounndness from large English firms and banks, which I deemed sufficient, for we had been especially cautioned by the head office in London to be very careful in the opening of new business, and not to entertain proposals of any kind unless thoroughly assured of the goodness of the parties initiating them. However, he was so open-opoken, and bis references were so undeniable, that I expressed myself willing to entei into business relations with him, and, as a preliminary, requested that he should pay a certain sum In hard sycee silver into our treasury, marely in guarantee of good faith. We shook hands cordially on parting ; and in the course of the afternoon the first instalment of the guarantee silver arrived at the bank, was weighed, counted, and found to be correct. The rest of the silver, said the partner of Ah-why and Co., wonld arrive before the closing of the bank at five o'clock ; which it did, and as it was impossible to weigh and count every box, was placed in the treasury with the first instalment without further to do. (To he continued.')