Chapter 27 - Page 2

Caterna, "the millions
of his majesty!"

"Nothing could be truer," said Pan-Chao. "Unfortunately Kinko has
fallen into the hands of the police, and they have taken him to prison,
and it is not easy to get out of a Chinese prison."

"Let us be off," I replied, "and see the company."

"See here," said Madame Caterna, "is there any need of a subscription
to defray the cost of the affair?"

"The proposal does you honor, Caroline," said the actor, putting his
hand in his pocket.

"Gentlemen," said pretty Zinca Klork, her eyes bathed in tears, "do
save him before he is sentenced--"

"Yes, my darling," said Madame Caterna, "yes, my heart, we will save
your sweetheart for you, and if a benefit performance--"

"Bravo, Caroline, bravo!" exclaimed Caterna, applauding with the vigor
of the sub-chief of the claque.

We left the young Roumanian to the caresses, as exaggerated as they
were sincere, of the worthy actress. Madame Caterna would not leave
her, declaring that she looked upon her as her daughter, that she would
protect her like a mother. Then Pan-Chao, Major Noltitz, Caterna, and I
went off to the company's offices at the station.

The manager was in his office, and we were admitted.

He was a Chinese in every acceptation of the word, and capable of every
administrative Chinesery--a functionary who functioned in a way that
would have moved his colleagues in old Europe to envy.

Pan-Chao told the story, and, as he understood Russian, the major and I
took part in the discussion.

Yes! There was a discussion. This unmistakable Chinaman did not
hesitate to contend that Kinko's case was a most serious one. A fraud
undertaken on such conditions, a fraud extending over six thousand
kilometres, a fraud of a thousand francs on the Grand Transasiatic
Company and its agents.

We replied to this Chinesing Chinee that it was all very true, but that
the damage had been inconsiderable, that if the defrauder had not been
in the train he could not have saved it at the risk of his life, and at
the same time he could not have saved the lives of the passengers.

Well, would you believe it? This living China figure gave us to
understand that from a certain point of view it would have been better
to regret the deaths of a hundred victims--

Yes! We knew that! Perish the colonies and all the passengers rather
than a principle!

In short, we got nothing. Justice must take its course against the
fraudulent Kinko.

We retired while Caterna poured out all the locutions in his marine and
theatrical vocabulary.