THE MISSIONARIES SAIL FOR MACAO. 95
perhaps for ever, and abandon them to the mercy of their enemies, then, indeed, it is a cruel grief. Perhaps no one who has not himself been a missionary among infidels, can imagine what Father Ricci felt at the moment when he left his mission, and was borne swiftly away on the rapid current of the Tiger river.
The missionaries waited two days at Canton, until it pleased a mandarin of the sea to place a junk at their disposal, and then they made sail for Macao. Before arriving there, however, they perceived a mandarin galley with two banks of oars, and bearing a yellow flag on its mast, making all speed towards them, and to their surprise it proved to be a messenger from the vice-roy sent to order them to return immediately to Tchao-King.
The Fathers did not hesitate a moment about complying with the command, for they feared they might otherwise never have an opportunity of returning to the interior of the empire, and they therefore got into the mandarin galley, and soon, to the astonishment of the multitude, rea[)i>fared at the port they had quitted. They were immediately commanded to present themselves at the tribunal of the viceroy, who, though he had quite made up his mind not to allow their residence at Tchao-King, meant to insist on their accepting the indemnity, in order to maintain the appearance of justice, and not leave room for any accusation of his havino: robbed the house of the stran^^er. He tried all sorts of methods, tricks, cajoleries, threats and rage ; but Father Ricci, who perfectly understood his Chinaman, remained firm and inflexible. He let his Excellency storm, and contented himself with steadily refusing the money, and calmly entered his protest against his
