We might say, as often as we liked, that we were not merchants—they insisted. In default of silk, drapery, or hardware, they would like our saddles; they turned them round and round in every way, finding them now perfectly magnificent, now abominable. At last, after long haggling and cross-questioning, they went off, promising to return. The visit of these five individuals occasioned much serious reflection; their manner of acting and speaking was not at all natural. Although they came one after the other, yet they seemed perfectly to understand each other, and to aim at the same end by the same means. Their desire of buying something from us was evidently a mere pretext for disguising their intentions: these people were rather swindlers or spies, than real merchants. “Well,” we said, “let us wait quietly; sooner or later we shall see clearly into this affair.” As it was dinner time, we sat down to table, or rather, we remained at the fireside, contemplating the pot, in which a good cut of beef had been boiling for some hours. Samdadchiemba, in his quality of steward, brought this to the surface of the liquid by means of a large wooden spoon, seized it with his nails, and threw it on the end of a board, where he cut it into three equal pieces; each then took his portion in his cup, and with the aid of a few rolls baked in the ashes, we tranquilly commenced our dinner without troubling ourselves very much about swindlers or spies. We were at our dessert—that is to say, we were about to rinse our cups with some buttered tea, when the two Lamas, the pretended merchants, made their re-appearance. “The Regent,” they said, “awaits you in his palace; he wants to speak to you.” “But,” cried we, “does the Regent, perchance, also want to buy our old saddles?” “It is not a question about either saddles or merchandise. Rise at once, and follow us to the Regent.” The matter was now beyond a doubt; the government was desirous of meddling with us—to what end? Was it to do us good or ill, to give us liberty, or to shackle us? to let us live or to make us die? This we could not tell. “Let us go to the Regent,” we said, “and trust for the rest to the will of our heavenly Father.” After having dressed ourselves in our best, and put on our majestic caps of fox-skin, we said to our apparitor, “We are ready.” “And this young man,” he said, pointing to Samdadchiemba, who had turned his eyes upon him with no very affectionate expression. “This young man, he is our servant, he will take care of the house in our absence.” “No, no, he must come too; the Regent wishes to see all three of you.” Samdadchiemba shook, by way of making his toilet, his great robe of sheepskin, placed, in a very insolent manner, a small black cap over his ear, and we departed all together, after padlocking the door of our lodging.