XXXIX

Yeh Ling wrote:

“Dear Miss Ardfern: I am giving what you call a housewarming on Monday next. Will you not come? And please if you can, will you persuade Mr. Carver and Mr. Holland also to be my guests for this festivity?”

The girl wrote instantly accepting the invitation both on her own and Tab’s behalf.

“It is a great idea,” said the news editor, “there is a story in that house, Tab. Now, boy, see if for once in your young life you can turn in a really informative column! There is something gone wrong with your stuff lately, the night editors are complaining bitterly about the slush that finds its way into your literary efforts. You are not supposed to refer to the Secretary of State as ‘darling,’ and it is not usual to speak of a judge as ‘beloved.’ ”

Tab went very red.

“Do I do that, Jacques?” he asked conscience-stricken.

“You do worse than that,” said Jacques. “Now⁠—a good story about those pillars of Yeh Ling’s. Get a touch of the flaming east into your mundane exercises, will you?”

Tab promised faithfully that he would.

He had the unexpected pleasure of meeting Mr. Stott at the housewarming, and introducing that gentleman to Ursula. Mr. Stott had a particular interest in Yeh Ling’s fabric, for, as he explained some dozen times, he had put in the foundations.

“I owe you a very great deal, Mr. Stott,” said Ursula warmly. “Tab⁠—Mr. Holland has told me how splendidly brave you were on the night of the fire.”

Mr. Stott coughed.

“There is some talk in town of presenting me with a piece of plate,” he said deprecatingly, “I have done my best to stop it. I hate a fuss about a trifle of that description. The curious thing is, all my family have disliked that kind of fuss. Our family has always hated publicity. My father, who was perhaps the best minister in the Baptist movement, might have gone into the church and become a bishop⁠—in fact, they practically offered him a bishopric⁠—he was just the same. I remember⁠—”

Yeh Ling led them through the house, showing them his art treasures accumulated with some labour, and now seeing the light of day for the first time.

Ursula felt very happy, was childishly appreciative and enthusiastic over every beautiful little statuette, over every example of the naive painters’ art which Yeh Ling showed her.

“Yeh Ling,” she said, when they were alone for a second, “have you heard any news of Mr. Lander?”

He shook his head.

“Do you think he has got away to another country?” she asked.

“I think not,” said Yeh Ling.

“Do you know, Yeh Ling?” she said meaningly.

“I can only assure you, Miss Ardfern,” said Yeh Ling, waving the cool air into his face with a beautifully painted fan, “that I have never looked upon Mr. Lander’s face since the night I saw him at the Golden Roof.”

She was content with this, but⁠—

“Who was Wellington Brown?” she asked in a strained voice.

“Lady,” said Yeh Ling gently, “he is dead: it was better that he died so than in the way you feared.”

She passed her hand before her eyes and nodded.

“We Chinese forgive our fathers much,” said Yeh Ling, and left her to her grief.

From the house he took his guests to the terrace gardens, and then down the broad yellow avenue to the two massive grey pillars that stood guard at the entrance of his domain.

“You had a lot of trouble with these, I am sure,” said Stott, casting a professional eye upward.

“With only one,” said Yeh Ling, and his fan moved to and fro languidly. “With the Pillar of Grateful Memories there was a hitch. Somebody came into the ground one night whilst it was raining and let cement into the mould, cut off the hauling rope and did other trivial damage. My builder thought that the pillar would not set, but it has.”

He looked up at the smooth face of the concrete and his eyes rested some dozen feet above the ground.

“I have dedicated this to all who have helped me, to the old man Shi Soh, to you, Miss Ardfern⁠—to all gods western and eastern, to all who love and are loved.”

When his guests had gone, Yeh Ling, in his blue and gold satin dress of ceremony, came back to the pillar, and there was a little book in his hand. His finger was inserted midway.

The servant who accompained him he dismissed.

“I believe,” said Yeh Ling, “I shall be happier⁠—” He stood facing the pillar, bowed, then opening the book, he began to read in his deep rich voice. He was reading the service for the burial of the dead.

When he had finished he lit three joss sticks which stood in the blue vase the servant had carried, and placed them before the pillar, kowtowing deeply. Then from his capacious sleeve he produced some strips of gold paper suitably inscribed, and these he burnt.

“I think those are all the gods I know,” said Yeh Ling, dusting his fingers daintily.