from the scene of our luckless adventure, which had nearly ended disastrously.

I am glad to relate however, that two nights after this, the young lady, who proved to be the second wife of a small mandarin, living some miles away in the country, was pluckily rescued by Ah Shun and two of his accomplices, whilst she was again being removed from the house of her abductors, and was restored to her husband, who liberally rewarded her intrepid deliverers.

VI.—THE CITY OF SOOCHOW.

I

VERY naturally despaired of seeing poor Sêou Jâe again and at last abandoned the hopeless quest. Even Ah Shun, though a consummate master of his profession, was obliged to acknowledge himself baffled by the insidious cunning of her abductors.

Three weeks had thus passed without any tidings, when one evening, while I was reading near the open window of my sittingroom, a small piece of bamboo was thrown in with accurate aim from the road beneath, alighting on a small table beside me. I looked out, but could see no one, and on examining the missile, found it was hollow. In this tube a Chinese letter had been secreted.

It was very brief and hurriedly written on a rough piece of paper, and was from Sêou Jâe:

"Save me my heart is sick. They are carrying me away to Soochow in a boat-we are nearly there. They not are unkind, but if you receive this, try and rescue me."

I would try. There was no time to be lost. Writing off a couple of business letters, I ordered my brougham, and drove off to Ah Shun's house, but he was out.

Back I went, and told my boy, Ah Way, who was an intelligent young fellow, to prepare to accompany me to Soochow at once, and sent him out to purchase necessary provisions and hire a proper light-draft native house-boat for the journey.

I bundled a few things into a portmanteau, and, within an hour after receiving the letter, went aboard the boat, for which