“It was a member of the Dragon family,” continued Yuan, “who invented the south-pointing needle, gun-powder, anæsthetics, and the flying chariot. It would be idle to pretend that we have not even now at our disposal matters of still greater ingenuity, so that it has for a long time past been the custom to regard this neighbourhood as one where it is not unreasonable to flatter our quite unexpressed desire to enjoy the pleasures of unmolested contemplation. There have, of course, been those who were rash enough to ignore the tradition. Thus, generation by generation, we have built our pavilions, set our hands to these valleys and turned them into our pleasure garden, with summer-houses for the use of the visitors who have honoured our possessions by sharing them. And the desires of our visitors are, of course, flattered equally with our own.” Hence the respect accorded to the visitors on their journey. Ambrose received a glance from Lychnis. “And hasn’t anybody ever got away with some of the boodle?” asked Sprot. “To a very great extent we are unmolested because of the respect which is paid, in this country, to intelligence. And no doubt many suppose that because we spend a great deal of time in apparently idle contemplation no wealth is produced. But visitors have had the curious desire to remove precious articles to their own homes, and they have, as you put it, got away. But that—do I divine the more interior workings of your mind?—was because we did not stop them, as, indeed, why should we?” “I presume,” said Sprot, suddenly going turkey-cock red, “that one has complete liberty of movement here?” “Until one transgresses the ordinary laws of ceremony,” answered Yuan. “What I mean to say is——” began Sprot. Lord Sombrewater enjoined silence on him, and exchanged explanatory and understanding glances with Yuan. But Sprot meant to assert himself. “What I mean to say is, that we are British. The might of the British Empire——” “If I may anticipate your remarks,” said Yuan, “there is, in a sense, no British Empire. There is only myself and a few friends.” Lord Sombrewater resumed his attitude of attentive politeness, and Hsiao transferred his inspired contemplation to the other half of the melon. “No Br——!” began Sprot. “It is possible that occasion may serve to demonstrate that we have here facilities for the complete destruction of any empire that ever was, except the empire of contemplative activity. But what have we to do with the making or unmaking of empires? It breaks into the day so.” “I take it,” said Lord Sombrewater at last, “that you have in your hands discoveries of which you make no use—no industrial use, shall I suggest?” “Precisely. We use them only for our convenience and for the convenience of visitors—as, for instance, you will, I am sure, agree that our fireworks have an unrivalled variety and brilliance.” “Marvellous!” said Quentin. “I love fireworks.” “And we have done much to improve the weather.”