to the city, and then through the streets to the Quarter. In all, 337 officers and men, comprising guards specifically for the British, French, Italian, Japanese and Russian legations, marched in, led by a tiny contingent of the United States Marine Corps.
Fonthill and Jenkins watched them, silent among all the foreign residents around them who were waving and cheering the arrivals.
‘It’s not much, is it?’ sniffed Jenkins.
‘No, it’s not,’ Simon agreed. ‘And it’s a mixed bunch of nationalities, always difficult to command in action. Still, they look professional and I would back trained troops any day, however small, against a mob.’
A further contingent of fifty-two German and thirty-seven Austrian sailors arrived three days later and the presence of the troops had an almost magical effect on the city. The mobs outside the Quarter dispersed, the tension eased and those missionaries who had taken refuge within the Legation went back to their compounds in the city. Mrs Griffith, who with the rest of her party had attended the burial of her husband, began making plans to return home with her two sons.
Fonthill took advantage of this one evening to ask the old lady about Gerald. The young man had continually absented himself during the first days after their arrival, only returning for the eveningmeal at the hotel. Why, asked Simon, did he seem so antagonistic to his fellow ex-patriots in Peking?
Mrs Griffith smiled and nodded. ‘I understand your question,’ she said. ‘He can be dogmatic on the point sometimes. But, you know, Simon, he is a good boy at heart, even though his father used to despair of him sometimes.’
‘I’m sure he is, Mrs Griffith, but sometimes he almost seems to favour the Boxers. And where does he go during the daytime here?’
‘Well, you should know that, since he graduated from university here, he has wanted to join the Chinese foreign service.’ Her eyes, which had remained sad since their arrival, now briefly shone with pride. ‘Gerald is a very good Mandarin speaker, you know, even better than his father. He has made some very good friends at court and has always admired the Empress. He has had this ambition to serve this country, but, of course, it is terribly difficult for someone who is not born of Chinese parents to work in the court here. But he still has hopes.’
‘I see. But surely this is a difficult time to do that?’
‘Oh quite. But he feels that this is when he could be of most service. Seeing both sides, you see.’
Fonthill fought back the desire to answer ‘or just one’. Instead, he nodded and smiled acquiescence. ‘Well, I wish him luck,’ he said. ‘He is obviously a bright lad.’
She smiled. ‘Yes, isn’t he? He will be a great comfort to me, now that … now that Edward is gone.’
‘And Chang?’
‘Ah, Chang. He has been with us since he was a baby and we have always tried to treat him as one of our own – the same as Gerald.’Her brow clouded for a moment. ‘But in the last couple of years Gerald seems to have taken against his brother. It is something that had begun to worry Edward quite a lot. We had hoped that they would both go into the ministry together, you know.’
‘What now?’
Mrs Griffith pushed a stray strand of hair back into its bun. ‘Chang is still quite young, of course, but he may take holy orders. Perhaps, once he is ordained, he could take over his father’s mission. That would be nice, if it is God’s will.’
They were interrupted by the arrival of an agitated Alice. She sat next to Mrs Griffith and took up the old lady’s hand. ‘Bad news, I’m afraid. We have just heard that another two British missionaries have been murdered by the Boxers at a place about forty miles south of Peking.’
Mrs Griffith put her free hand to her mouth. ‘What are their names? We are sure to know them. Where, did you say?’
‘I don’t know, Aunt. But there is worse. The Boxers have made another raid on the
Fonthill and Jenkins watched them, silent among all the foreign residents around them who were waving and cheering the arrivals.
‘It’s not much, is it?’ sniffed Jenkins.
‘No, it’s not,’ Simon agreed. ‘And it’s a mixed bunch of nationalities, always difficult to command in action. Still, they look professional and I would back trained troops any day, however small, against a mob.’
A further contingent of fifty-two German and thirty-seven Austrian sailors arrived three days later and the presence of the troops had an almost magical effect on the city. The mobs outside the Quarter dispersed, the tension eased and those missionaries who had taken refuge within the Legation went back to their compounds in the city. Mrs Griffith, who with the rest of her party had attended the burial of her husband, began making plans to return home with her two sons.
Fonthill took advantage of this one evening to ask the old lady about Gerald. The young man had continually absented himself during the first days after their arrival, only returning for the eveningmeal at the hotel. Why, asked Simon, did he seem so antagonistic to his fellow ex-patriots in Peking?
Mrs Griffith smiled and nodded. ‘I understand your question,’ she said. ‘He can be dogmatic on the point sometimes. But, you know, Simon, he is a good boy at heart, even though his father used to despair of him sometimes.’
‘I’m sure he is, Mrs Griffith, but sometimes he almost seems to favour the Boxers. And where does he go during the daytime here?’
‘Well, you should know that, since he graduated from university here, he has wanted to join the Chinese foreign service.’ Her eyes, which had remained sad since their arrival, now briefly shone with pride. ‘Gerald is a very good Mandarin speaker, you know, even better than his father. He has made some very good friends at court and has always admired the Empress. He has had this ambition to serve this country, but, of course, it is terribly difficult for someone who is not born of Chinese parents to work in the court here. But he still has hopes.’
‘I see. But surely this is a difficult time to do that?’
‘Oh quite. But he feels that this is when he could be of most service. Seeing both sides, you see.’
Fonthill fought back the desire to answer ‘or just one’. Instead, he nodded and smiled acquiescence. ‘Well, I wish him luck,’ he said. ‘He is obviously a bright lad.’
She smiled. ‘Yes, isn’t he? He will be a great comfort to me, now that … now that Edward is gone.’
‘And Chang?’
‘Ah, Chang. He has been with us since he was a baby and we have always tried to treat him as one of our own – the same as Gerald.’Her brow clouded for a moment. ‘But in the last couple of years Gerald seems to have taken against his brother. It is something that had begun to worry Edward quite a lot. We had hoped that they would both go into the ministry together, you know.’
‘What now?’
Mrs Griffith pushed a stray strand of hair back into its bun. ‘Chang is still quite young, of course, but he may take holy orders. Perhaps, once he is ordained, he could take over his father’s mission. That would be nice, if it is God’s will.’
They were interrupted by the arrival of an agitated Alice. She sat next to Mrs Griffith and took up the old lady’s hand. ‘Bad news, I’m afraid. We have just heard that another two British missionaries have been murdered by the Boxers at a place about forty miles south of Peking.’
Mrs Griffith put her free hand to her mouth. ‘What are their names? We are sure to know them. Where, did you say?’
‘I don’t know, Aunt. But there is worse. The Boxers have made another raid on the
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