"There are many mandarins in Manchuria. Manchuria is a large country."

"Are there more people than in Boston?" asked Charlie.

"I do not know how many there are in Boston--there are fifteen million
in the province of Manchuria."

"Did the mandarin live in great, wonderful, gorgeous splendor?" asked
Lucy.

Sky-High's eyes opened with a gleam. "His gifts are gold," he said.
"His dragons have teeth of gold. The monoliths in his garden are one
thousand, it may be two thousand years old. At the Feast of Lanterns he
covers the sky over his palace with fire. You should see his gardens and
the gables of his houses! It takes some minutes to speak his whole name."

"I wish I could look upon a man like that!" said Charlie. "I hope we
shall see that mandarin when we go to China."

"That will be easy," said Sky-High.

* * * * *

The family sailed away from the Pacific coast in the spring. Mr. and
Mrs. Van Buren really felt very glad to have such an intelligent servant
as Sky-High for their visit to the Chinese provinces, even though they
were to leave him behind at his home.

When they arrived at Hong Kong there was a surprise. Some officials at
the port appeared to recognize Sky-High, and brought to him an