Then Nicholas began to think upon his miserable position,--sentenced to be beaten with the bamboo to him worse than death, for, being born upon the coast, unlike most Chinese, he had never been subjected to such a degradation; and then to be banished for life, at the very commencement of his career,--it was horrible. Greater, however, was his anxiety for the safety of his father's letters. Could he but send a message to the merchant Yang,--alas! that was impossible. Should he give it to Chow? No; for he knew not what punishment awaited the boy for assaulting so great an officer. He was indeed at his wit's end, and he prayed to the Almighty for aid. "Let not the noble Nicholas be so sad, for truly the gods can never desert the innocent and unfortunate," said Chow, while tears of affection wetted his cheeks; adding, "I will pray of them to take my worthless life in exchange for thy liberty." "I can not, do not doubt thy affection, my good Chow, but place not my faith in these foolish deities; there is but One true God, whose Son died on the cross to save mankind, and in Him I trust in my hour of difficulty." "My master is of the religion of the Fan-Kwi (foreign devils.) Will their god aid him in the hour of his troubles?" replied Chow, despondingly. "Thou wilt see Chow," replied Nicholas, angrily. "Truly, but in the mean time the bamboo will cut us into strips like an umbrella in a storm," said Chow, making such queer contortions and grimaces, that in spite of his troubles Nicholas could not help laughing. "Then," he added, "thy servant has a scheme that will save thee, my generous master." "Open thy lips, O wise and prudent youth," said Nicholas. "The noble Nicholas has a father?" "Truly, a noble one." "Then, as Chow has neither father, mother, nor aught else, but hatred for his father's slayer and gratitude to the preserver of his life----" "What words are these?" said Nicholas, impatiently. "The good Nicholas has money; let him give it to Chow, and he will bribe the mandarin to slit him into ribbons in thy stead," said Chow, seriously. "Silence, Chow! this scheme of thine is offensive," said Nicholas, not without a tear at the boys devotion. "Alas! of what use is a friend if he will not be serviceable in the hour of need?" said Chow. Their conversation was interrupted by the opening of the door. "It is the illustrious Yang himself, who spoke good words to the boy-correcting mandarin; may he be turned into a bamboo himself in the next world," exclaimed Chow with a writhe of remembrance. "Thou art the son of the good merchant, my correspondent?" said Yang. "The face of the worthy merchant, is welcome in the hour of difficulty," said Nicholas. "That difficulty is past, for thou art released," replied Yang, leading him to a covered vehicle, into which Chow followed, and all three proceeded to the merchant's house, where they found a substantial meal awaiting them, a portion of which Chow carried with him to another apartment.