themselves to irresponsible offices, in a murderous
climate, at salaries absolutely fabulous. Trade is
more profitable there, in that small golden key-hole
that unlocks the boundless Chinese Empire, than
perhaps in any other cranny of earth, but the
Nemesis that waits on profit is not absent. No
one's liver is in its normal condition, and the old
"residenters" might be gorged with their own
gold, so yellow is the prevalent complexion. But
they are hospitable folks, those mighty merchants,
and the ball at the club-rooms in Victoria Town
promised to eclipse those which the governor
and the chief justice, and the 117th, in their
white-washed mess-room, and the admiral on board
his gaily lighted flag-ship, had given during the
past fortnight.
The ball was a splendid affair. The bands of three regiments had been culled for the choicest musicians ; Cantonese gardeners had furnished, despite hostilities between our Queen and the Brother of the Sun and Moon, a perfect bower of roses and tulips for the occasion. Every green thing on the island must have been cut down to furnish the verdant covering of the portico, and about a ship-load of the Wenham Lake Company's ice had been bespoken for the refreshment and refrigeration of the guests. As for the supper, Europe, India, and China had united their efforts and done their best. Gold and silver plate, wondrous porcelain, glass of England and Bohemia, crystal lamps, delicate viands, costly wines, obsequious waiters,—all that dollars and trouble could produce — and dollars and trouble can effect a good deal—were forthcoming, and all that was wanted to promote the happiness of the company was one breath of the cool healthy breeze from home.
But this the Hong Kong merchants could not give them, nor Fortnum and Mason supply. The ball went off very well. There were crowded rooms—crowded for colonial rooms, at least—and that is a great source of enjoyment, for people cannot take their pleasure thoroughly unless they are devoid of elbow room. There were not many ladies, to judge of matters by European standards. This Hong Kong ball was a very different affair from those county assemblies, where the daughters of clergymen and half-pay officers sit round the walls—a sea of neglected book-muslin—and where young Finch, the ensign, or Dick Wapshot, the Squire's son, looks round him with the air of a sultan, and tantalises the expectant misses before he makes one of them proud and happy by an in vitation to dance. No, in India or in China ladies are at a preminm, and learn their own real value. Where there is but one pair of fair shoulders and one pair of bright eyes to every dozen of red coats or blue ones, the disparity of the sexes tells entirely in the ladies' favour. Such was the case at Hong Kong, but there were handsome women present, and, however few, they attracted none the less admiration.
Among them, beyond comparison,—the belle of the ball-room,—was the beautiful Mrs. G——, a fair young wife, almost a bride, who had just come out from England with her husband, Captain G——, the junior captain of the Rifles. Captain G——, "Geordie," as we used to call him, had just got his promotion before sailing, and had been married less than a year. He was a fine manly fellow,—the best cricketer and oarsman in the Rifles, and a favourite with old and young, high and low. He deserved the Victoria Cross in the Crimea, everybody said. I don't know how he missed getting it; and the men swore by him, and would have followed him through fire and water. It was a great proof of poor Geordie's popularity that I don't think anybody grudged him his good luck in getting such a peerless wife as Mrs. G—— the beautiful new-comer, was considered. All the ensigns and middies, and half the lieutenants, naval and military, to say nothing of the parboiled young gentlemen in mercantile houses, were fairly raving about the angelic stranger. The foolish boys devoured her with their eyes, and wrote sonnets to her eyebrows, for aught I know, and she never moved along the little parade at band-time without an overwhelming escort, but no one ever said that Geordie was not worthy or the good luck he had found, and the great prize he had drawn in the lottery matrimonial — he, the "best fellow" in the service. I do not remember a more attached couple, and yet so free were they from the regular Edwin and Angelina pathos, the coram I3opulo demonstrations, that a superficial observer would have set Mrs. G—— down for a flirt, and Geordie for a careless fellow. Yet everybody knew how they loved each other— everybody, down to that stupid garrison Adonis, young Crammington, of the Horse Artillery, who has since owned to me that he penned nine copies of heart-breaking verses on pink paper, nine " perfumed billets," as the young booby called them, and never dared, somehow, to deliver to their destined recipient any one of these inestimable productions. However, on this night, at least, Mrs. G—— was in the highest spirits, and waltzed, and flirted, well to all appearance, and was the very centre of attraction, — the target of all eyes. Geordie, who knew her too well to be easily made jealous, was in very good spirits, too ; so were most people. It was a very gay night, all the gayer because active hostilities wero expected between John Chinaman, and his namesake and best customer, Mr. John Bull. Nothing gives so high a zest to life as a spice of danger, especially in that enervating tropical climate, and many who were destined to perish ingloriously by sun and malaria, were laughing and chatting gaily, with hearts beating high, over the expected campaign. At the buffet—where refreshments were in great demand — Captain G—— was the centre of a merry group who were drinking in libations of champagne to the future education of the flowery land—an education only to be prefaced and grounded by the exertions of those manly figures in red and blue, with the V. R. on their buttons, whom her Majesty had sent as schoolmasters to teach the celestial gentry respect for the law of nations. Mrs. G—— went through dance after dance, as the band played on with admirable taste and spirit, and still partners buzzed about her, and her little ivory memorandum-book was as filled with writing as a bank ledger. It was wonderful how actively the dancing
went on, and on such a night! Even for Hong Kong