When Chow had been disposed of, the porter formerly charged Nicholas with entering the mansion at night for the purpose of robbery. "Who art thou boy; thy name, surname, and from what province?" said the mandarin kindly. "The mean name of thy unworthy servant is Nicholas, of the province of Fokien, from whence he has traveled on special affairs to a worthy merchant of Pekin, named Yang." "So far thy words are truth," said the mandarin, to the astonishment of Nicholas; "but what answer can the youth make to the charge of this man?" "That it is vile and false, and that the dog is a traitor in league with rebels, who happening to meet with thy servant last night at the same house, are fearful that he may have discovered their plots, and so hope to destroy him." At that moment there arose a great bustle in the court, and a cry of "Make way for the illustrious deputy-general of the nine gates," and a military mandarin, with a tiger painted on his breast, a gold button and a peacock's feather in his cap, both of which bespoke his high rank, entered the tribunal, and testified to the guilt of Nicholas, who recognizing in him the man who had been addressed the previous night by the title of general, exclaimed, "Behold, O Mandarin, one of the traitors." Great was the effect of the new comer upon the judge, for, not paying the least attention to the exclamation of Nicholas, he said, "Truly falsehood will not flow from the lips of the Heaven-appointed deputy-general. As for thee (turning to Nicholas,) vile dog, as thy guilt is now clear, thou shalt receive one hundred blows, and be banished for life." Now, while the mandarin was speaking, Chow happening to get a full view of the general's face, rushed through the crowd, crying, "It is the villain, it is the destroyer of my parents,' and in another moment he had clutched the general by the throat, thrown him upon the ground, and would have strangled him, but for the help of the footmen, who speedily seized him, bound his arms, and carried him with Nicholas to the prison. "This fancy, that every officer you meet is the destroyer of your parents, will prove thy destruction, my poor Chow," said Nicholas, as soon as they were alone in the prison. "There can be no doubt it is the villain, for saw you not the wound upon his cheek? but, alas! my trouble is the greater that I slew him not before we were shut up in a cage like two dogs for fattening." "Thy liberty at least was secure, but for thy foolish attack upon the mandarin of war." "By the vermillion pencil itself, Chow cares not for liberty, if they ruin his noble master."