v YELLOW RIVER 73
Here Miao excelled himself—he demanded the cap-
tain of the guard, and insisted on better accommoda-
tion. The captain, who was very young and em-
barrassed, admitted that there were no better inns in
the town. He suggested we might call on the magis-
trate and stay at the yamen. But it was much too late
for social calls. At last he had an inspiration, and led
us down the street to the house of a friend of his—a
cotton merchant, and one of the wealthiest men in
the town.
Heavy doors opened in an unprepossessing shop-
front, and we passed through into a court where piles
of cotton glimmered whitely against the grey walls.
The owner of the house was away; but we were re-
ceived by his nephew, who did the honours with grave
courtesy. We slept that night on a tiled k'ang, in a
room with a carved ceiling and polished furniture.
Even Miao, who knew China from all sides, was
amazed at the luxury of our quarters. We were
grateful for our welcome; but the contrast between
the wealth of this household and the stark poverty
of the villages through which we had passed was a
revelation. There are few countries in the world
where the "two nations" of rich and poor are so
clearly distinguished as in China.
The next morning we saw the friendly captain and
asked him about the river crossing at Yu Men K'ou.
He assured us there would be no difficulty in crossing
the river; it was frozen hard above the pass, so that
we could walk across with ease. There should be no
trouble with the authorities.
I had the feeling then that he was letting us down
lightly, rather than spoil the impression of friendly
welcome that had been established. But we were