3 1822 01036 2473 UNIVERSITY 9f CALIFORhOA SAN DW69 *- I ! 6037 0757 15 1921 3 1822 01036 2473 PR 015-7 is- I N THE CLAWS OF THE DRAGON NEW BORZOI FICTION SPRING 1921 PAN, by Knut Hamsun ZELL, by Henry G. Aikman HOWARDS END, by E. M. Forster DEBATABLE GROUND, by G. B. Stern THE WINE OF LIFE, by Arthur Stringer GROWTH OF THE SOIL, by Knut Hamsun THE HOUSE BY THE RIVER, by A. P. Herbert BLISS, AND OTHER STORIES, by Katherine Mansfield IN THE CLAWS OF THE DRAGON BY GEORGE SOULIE DE MORANT NEW YORK ALFRED A KNOPF 1921 COPYRIGHT, 1921, BY ALFRED A. KNOPF, INC. PRINTED IN THH UNITED STATES OF AMERICA I EALLY, these Westerners are not reasonable beings!" said the Duke of Krong, Ambas- sador of China in France, to his First Secretary, Ming- ni, Viscount of Lin. The Ambassador was fat, as became a Chinese dig- nitary of his rank, his Wealth, and his age. His long eyes were always half shut, as if to sharpen his vision. A few stiff hairs, scattered over the lower parts of his round face, did duty as a beard. He was receiving the guests for the inauguration of his newly built Chinese palace in the Rue de Babylon ; and he examined them critically. "Look at the costumes of the barbarians!" he con- tinued. "Can you imagine anything more uncom- fortable, hideous, and ridiculous? or, I must add, more shockingly immodest? The men display their shirts: think of that! What should you say if we displayed our shirts? And that absurd black waist- coat with a tail, which they call an evening coat! The men look exactly like those white-breasted black fowl of the Polar seas, the penguins." "It certainly could not be much worse," assented Ming-ni. "But their every-day costumes are not so bad." [7] In the Claws of the Dragon "Yes," sneered the Duke, "their hard collars, four or five inches high! I tell you, a whole population which dresses like that is not led by Reason, but by the wildest and lowest impulses." Ming-ni's face became expressionless. He did not over-much enjoy these remarks: he had to recognize that they were perfectly just and sensible, but still they touched only a very small part of a civilization which, after ten years of study, he had learned to un- derstand. The Duke, like many European diplomats, could not speak or read a word in the language of the coun- try to which he had been accredited as Ambassador. That did not prevent his being confident, like those same diplomats, that he possessed a complete and im- mediate knowledge of the population with which he had no direct, and very little indirect, contact. He relied on his First Secretary to do all the work, and disagreed politely but firmly with him about every detail which involved the "men of the Ocean." Ming-ni, then, put on the face of a statue, which indeed he resembled anyway, thanks to his thin straight nose, his firm mouth, and his even, colourless complexion. "And the women!" resumed the Duke vindictively. "More than half naked! showing their shoulders to everybody! Oh! there is next to nothing between them and the nakedness of savages. In the heat of summer, that would be reasonable enough, though rather primitive but in winter! And yet they would In the Claws of the Dragon be frightfully shocked if the men went round half naked, as they do themselves." Ming-ni was saved the trouble of answering by the arrival of another group of guests. These, ap- proaching, held out their hands to their host; but the old man merely kept his fists close to each other and waved them up and down two or three times, accord- ing to the Chinese custom. The visitors, a little at a loss, bowed awkwardly and moved away. "They ought to know that we civilized folk do not shake hands. A dirty and stupid custom," grumbled the Ambassador. Just then came two ladies. The elder, evidently the mother, addressed Ming-ni in a tone which be- trayed a certain consciousness of her own importance. "Excuse me, Monsieur," she said. "You speak French, do you not?" "Yes, Madame," he answered. "My friend who was to present us to His Excel- lency is not here, and I have not had the pleasure of meeting the Duke before. It seems a trifle awkward for us to be under his roof in the circumstances. May I ask you to introduce us? Baroness and Made- moiselle de Rosen." "Assuredly, Madame," said Ming-ni, with a slight bow. Then, turning toward the Ambassador, he said in Chinese: "0 Duke, Great Man! here are two women who desire to have their names mentioned lo your distinguished ears." [9] In the Claws of the Dragon "Never mind their names, Elder Brother," re- plied the old man. "I can never catch these bar- barous noises." The elder lady bowed majestically and with an im- perious air proffered her hand. The Duke answered by a meaningless smile and once more flourished his fists. But the lady, not satisfied with that, continued to offer her hand. Overcome by such insistence, the Ambassador diffidently gave her his plump fingers, leaving them, however, for no more than a second at her disposal. The younger lady, who had noticed his reluctance, merely made a curtsey. "A sensible girl," said the old man, relieved. "Take her into the other room and give her some sweets or cakes; these Western women are even fonder of them than our own women- folk. Do you remember that last reception of ours? Three of these helpless creatures were caught in the rush when the door to the dining-room was opened. They were crushed and fainted, and we had all we could do to revive them." The young lady's grey-blue eyes were turned on Ming-ni with unmistakable admiration and sympathy. Her fair hair and delicately pink-and-white complex- ion enhanced her beauty of feature. But the dic- tates of Confucius enjoin men from looking at women not of their own family. "What the eyes see not, the heart desireth not." Ming-ni, demurely averting [10] In the Claws of the Dragon his eyes, obeyed the order of his superior with the same impassive countenance. "May I now introduce myself?" he said. "I am the Viscount of Lin." He bowed and shook hands with the two ladies. "Since your friend is not here," he added, "will you not allow me to conduct you? Should you like to join the dancers first, or to see the conservatories ? " He offered his arm to the mother. She was sur- prised not to detect in his manner the hint of self- denial to which she was accustomed in young men on such occasions. There was not even the glance of regret which they always involuntarily gave her daughter. "My friend tells me that you have the most beau- tiful and striking conservatories in Paris," said Ma- dame de Rosen. "You shall judge our humble efforts for your- self," he answered. And they mingled with the crowd. The Duke of Krong had decided that everything in the Embassy must be Chinese. All his staff retained the gorgeous and flowing costumes of the East. All the palace furniture was of deeply carved ebony, with incrustations of mother-of-pearl and mottled marble. Ancient pictures, on silk made brown by the cen- turies, covered the walls. Thick carpets, with blue boughs on a golden ground, brought from Yarkend or Khotan, deadened the noise of footsteps. In the Claws of the Dragon The visitors behaved as in a museum, stopping be- fore the various treasures, admiring or criticizing aloud. Many hardly restrained themselves from do- ing the same before the young secretaries in their glittering embroidered robes. Ming-ni walked on, erect, impassive, and enigmatic. A two-eyed peacock feather was inserted at the top of his hat, under the blue sapphire button which was the insigne of his rank. It trailed on his back and covered the beginning of his long, thick, and intensely black plaited hair which, by the way, was not his own, for he had had his own hair cut short in the Western fashion. They traversed the crowded rooms and, turning the corner of a passage, found themselves suddenly in a strikingly novel yet restful setting. The conserva- tories consisted of several rooms intersecting one an- other at various angles. The Chinese gardener, in- stead of trying to realize a preconceived idea of the schools, had given free play to his own fancy and used to the utmost all the opportunities offered him. Here, a glade curved among bamboos. There, a tiny mountain scene contained wild crags and a little val- ley, in which a temple and a pagoda were half hidden under ancient dwarf pines. The hills round about were reflected in a pond over whose surface nelumbos and nymphaeas flaunted their broad leaves and regal flowers. Cunningly contrived gaps in the foliage and shrubbery allowed the beholder to see those walking [12] In the Claws of the Dragon at the farthest point of the conservatories. The il- lusion of distance was enhanced by an adroit use of perspective. Seats were fashioned in the most extra- ordinary shapes, so as not to give any idea of their actual size in relation to the landscape. Madame de Rosen gave a little well-bred exclama- tion of delight. "Look, Monique," she said to her daughter. "Those magnolias! That strange red star of a flower! And that pagoda! I simply adore it all." "It is truly wonderful," said Mademoiselle de Rosen. By the time they had reached the end of the last of the conservatories the subject was exhausted. Monique turned to her escort and asked: "Do you dance?" "Oh, no I mean yes!" said Ming-ni, remembering his duties. "May I ask you to give me your next dance?" "Certainly, with pleasure. Perhaps mother will sit here and wait for us won't you, mama?" "I suppose so," answered her mother resignedly. It irked her to resume the thankless and uninteresting role of chaperon. Ming-ni bowed to her and offered his arm to Mon- ique. They two slowly retraced their steps toward the orchestra, from which subdued harmonies drifted lo their ears with the sadness peculiar to all gay music heard from afar. [13] In the Claws of the Dragon "Why did you say 'no' when I asked you if you danced?" asked the young girl suddenly. "Why, are you sure I said 'no'?" he answered non- committally. "Quite sure," she insisted. "And you do you care for dancing? You do, of course: every young lady does," pursued the diplo- mat. "No ! I don't like dancing at all. Shall we sit down somewhere, then?" "With pleasure." The seat which they found was small for two, though they did not notice the fact until they were seated. Then neither ventured to remark upon it. So they found themselves squeezed uncomfortably against each other, a position not favourable to con- versation, especially between persons who are not very well acquainted. They fell silent. A faint, sweet perfume awoke Ming-ni's attention. For the first time he stole a direct glance at this lovely young foreigner. Her blue-grey eyes were lustrous in the dimness. A mysterious light emanated from her clear skin. He thought of the Duke's testiness on the subject of low dresses; and inwardly he smiled. For his own part, he did not disapprove of the custom quite so decidedly. The result was sometimes worth the tribute of to put it mildly a passing glance. The silence was still not broken between them. Then, suddenly, they both broke it at once. "I [14] In the Claws of the Dragon should like very much to go to China," said she. "Should you like to go to China?" he asked. They both laughed at the coincidence of thoughts. "And now," said Monique, "will you not tell me why you first said 'no' when I asked you if you danced? I will not accept another evasive answer," she added, smiling. "Why, then," he replied evenly, "if you insist on the truth, men never dance in China. We like well enough to watch professional dancers, but we con- sider dancing as conducive to vanity and unseemli- ness, not to say immodesty." "Not such a false view, either, perhaps," mused the girl. "Physical activities and all kinds of sports are nat- urally destructive to the life of the mind, and every scholarly person must avoid them," he continued. "The primitive instincts and animal impulses are strong enough already: they need no training or ex- ercising. If we want to rise above our natural plane of beasts, we must live most fully in the spirit." "And is it living in the spirit that has made the Ambassador so fat?" asked Monique archly. He laughed and changed the subject. "I greatly admire your beautiful city," he began. "Ah, but can you find beauty in these dark, dirty, muddy streets, these rows of prison-like houses with streaks of coal-dust spreading over the walls?" "Well," he conceded, "they may be a little lacking [15] In the Claws of the Dragon in form and colour outwardly even a little gloomy, by comparison with our gayer palaces and houses. But inside they are very comfortable, not to say beau- tiful. Those great halls such as one finds in some of the residences " "Oh, don't remind me of the great salons, with their tawdry little five-o'clock teas!" "And Parisian society is extremly gay and enjoy- able," he went on, unabashed. "Parisian society? Which part of it? There is hardly any such thing in Paris. Some persons col- lect a few notabilities and have a salon, yery much as certain bandmasters compose a potpourri by piecing together a few familiar tunes. And of course there are always good friendships. But can these be called 'society'?" "Whatever one calls them, these social gatherings are by no means disagreeable," he returned suavely. "Oh, but do you think so?" There was a touch of disdain in her manner. "Conversation is reduced to a few stereotyped remarks, always on the same sub- jects. Even the pleasure of telling scandalous stor- ies about absent persons is more than balanced by the certainty of being libelled unmercifully oneself as soon as the door closes behind one." "But, at least, it is very easy to get away. One can go anywhere, see new things." "Yes but one comes back! You see, to live any- where but in Paris is called by such circles burying [16] In the Claws of the Dragon oneself alive. To live outside France is to be an ab- solute exile. Both possibilities are dreaded as if all die life and merit of the whole world were concen- trated in the little group to which one happens to belong." "Well, if they believe that, it is true so far as they are concerned, and that is sufficient for their content- ment. But you seem, I should say, a little disillu- sioned. Why not go to China? You would see some- thing different from Paris, I can promise you!" "If it is at all like this conservatory, I would will- ingly live there all my life. But it could hardly be the same all over: China is so immense " "Only ten or twelve times as big as France," said Ming-ni simply. "So huge as that?" said the astonished girl. "And the population is more than thirteen times as numerous. But it really is a great deal like this con- servatory on a large scale." He began to talk about his country. It was noth- ing short of a revelation to Monique, to whom China had never been much more than a name in an atlas. She vaguely connected it with the porcelain vises, screens, embroideries, and other curios which she saw on so many tables and mantelpieces; but that was all. They were interrrupted presently by the Ambassa- dor himself, who, deprived of his Secretary and there- fore of his sole means of contact with his guests, had [17] In the Claws of the Dragon simply slipped away to the conservatories for a little quiet. "Did you give her those sweets?" he asked Ming-ni. "We talked about our country instead," answered the Secretary. "I wish the Great Man could have heard her opinion of these people here in the West." "Sensible girl. I told you, Elder Brother! Beautiful, too, in her way." The young girl coloured under the appraising glance of the old man. She felt as a fowl in the market might feel under the significant scrutiny of a cook. Ming-ni saved the situation. "His Excellency says that I am to conduct you to the dining-room." "Oh, does he?" she said, with slight relief. "How thoughtful!" But at that moment appeared Madame de Rosen, accompanied by a gentleman who bowed to Monique and claimed the dance just beginning. She shook hands with Ming-ni and went away. In her manner there was a hint of frank regret. [18] II EALLY, we might just as well have come away earlier," said Madame de Rosen to her daughter. They were on the way home in their motor- car. "I met only two people we knew." "I met them too, worse luck," commented Monique succinctly. "It is all very well for you to take that attitude," said her mother with some heat. "You go ahout and do as you please: you even dance with people you don't know. But I can assure you that it is no fun sitting gloomily in a corner and watching other people enjoying themselves." "Poor mother, you do have a dull enough time of it," answered the girl contritely. "That garden really was unique, though," said her mother, satisfied with this indirect acknowledgment of her pains. "And nobody would ever believe our ac- count of it, more's the pity." "Isn't it wonderful!" agreed Monique eagerly. "And all those Chinese with their beautiful robes. And their hats! really much nicer than top-hats, you know." "Somehow it reminded me of that reception at St. [19] In the Claws of the Dragon Cloud, in the second Empire the one at which I first met your father." "And you know, mother, China is a very big coun- try. I mean, it is much more important than we realize." "Possibly," answered her mother without enthusi- asm. "It is so far away: one never knows the reality of such remote places." The car stopped at their door. They went quickly up to their apartment. After a hasty kiss exchanged, each went into her own room. Monique lay awake for a long time. When at last she shut her eyes, it was to dream of wondrous exotic landscapes. On the morrow as soon as she was up, she looked along the bookshelves for works on the Far East. She found a few, and began to devour them. At her next dinner party she mentioned China to a young man who sat beside her, only to be chilled by his absolute unresponsiveness. He attempted a spicy anecdote, and was surprised in his turn to see that she was not amused. She went home very early that evening; and her next invitation she refused. Her mother was incensed. "What is this new non- sense?" she asked contemptuously. "Are you plan- ning to stay at home the rest of your life and read books of travel, like a child?" "Better read books of travel than spend one's time listening to the conversation of idiotic young men," re- torted Monique. [20] In the Claws of the Dragon "Men are stupid we know that well enough," her mother conceded. "But we have got to marry them and live with them, for all that. So what is the use of calling them names? If you don't go out, you will never have the chance to marry." "It does not strike me that it would be such a ter- rible loss," answered Monique. "Especially for the other party," she added, with a touch of false mod- esty. "You think of not marrying? You are absolutely mad! I would rather give you away to anybody than see you unmarried. My daughter unmarried!" Monique could not, of course, refuse all the invi- tations. Neither could she consistently refrain from mentioning the subject which was now filling her mind. In a very short time all her friends were aware of her latest whim and deferred to it, some of them calculatingly, some with genuine interest. The lady who had procured her the original invitation to the Chinese Embassy was highly pleased to see her enthusiasm and to have had something initially to do with it. She called with Monique upon the Duke of Krong's daughters. Conversation was somewhat difficult, for the young ladies were only begin- ning to study French. But they were all very pleased with one another. A few days afterward the same worthy lady arranged a dinner party, at which Mon- ique found herself sitting next Ming-ni. This time he was dressed in the simple unjform of an officer of the [21] In the Claws of the Dragon Guard. A turban of blue silk with figures chastely embroidered in gold encircled his thin, finely molded face. A short coat of dark blue silk with a dragon embroidered on the breast, a belt with jade ornaments, and high boots made of black silk with thick white felt soles, gave him an arrestingly distinguished ap- pearance. Madame de Rosen was not pleased to see the ob- vious delight of her daughter. She caught Monique looking intently at Ming-ni's thin, long, supple pale hands, and immediately afterward at the short, stubby, red, hairy hands of her neighbour on the other side. Monique's mother had to concede that the young diplomat's manners were perfect. Under his admir- ably polished reserve there certainly appeared an in- terest in this beautiful girl who was chatting with him in such simple and gracious friendliness. But he was so self-contained and aloof that Madame de Rosen did not know which of two things made her the more furious: his failure to show gratification over her daughter's attentions, or his demonstration that he was completely worthy of them. "The two remained together for the greater part of the evening. When Madame de Rosen considered that it was time to take her daughter home, she did not succeed in attracting her attention until after sev- eral attempts. The door had hardly closed behind them when she began: "You are absolutely mad! [22] In the Claws of the Dragon Compromising yourself with a Chinese, and in such a frightful manner! With a Frenchman it might not matter: it is more or less the custom. But with a Chinese ! Everybody noticed it." "Maybe," answered Monique indifferently. "But it was the first dinner party I ever really enjoyed." "Tcha!" said her mother, with an exasperated shrug. "One would think you had always martyred yourself." "I haven't very often enjoyed myself, anyhow." "No? Well, I can assure you that the persons who have to sit beside you enjoy themselves still less when you keep talking about your everlasting China." "That is very silly of them." "It is not silly at all. They live in their own coun- try and in their own time." "A jolly country and time to live in, I must say! I assure you, mother, I really can't go on for ever talking about Mrs. So-and-so's dresses and her last divorce- or her next one. Our contemporaries have destroyed everything that belongs to the past. Their new order of things is such a fizzle that our civiliza- tion will very likely disappear." "Let it disappear, then, my dear girl. We our- selves shall have disappeared long before that. In the meanwhile, we must live and marry. As for you, our family and fortune are such that you may aspire to any one. Don't play with your reputation for a mere passing fancy." [23] In the Claws of the Dragon There was a pause. No answer forthcoming, she continued: "You will see, as the years pass and you find yourself alone. You will be ready to marry anybody who comes along, then." "No. Not any ordinary man like most of those we meet." "Perhaps you will marry your Chinese, then?" sneered her mother. "And why not?" answered Monique simply. "Oh! do you mean it?" "Why not?" repeated her daughter. "He is a hun- dred times superior to the whole lot of the others." "Surely you do not think it really possible to marry a Chinese?" "Of course I do. As well a Chinese as any other foreigner." "You would have me going about with a Chinese for a son-in-law? I, for one, will never accept any such situation." And the estimable lady, more than ever disturbed and incensed, swept majestically from the room. She was all but capable of slamming the door shut behind her. [24] Ill <