Strange to say the I.G. was not present at the meeting, and therefore reaped none of the kudos for his hard work.  It was not for lack of invitation, however.  The Chinese certainly urged him to come.  Li Hung Chang, for instance, spoke continually of what he had done, and not an official but was sincerely grateful and would gladly have pushed him forward.  A vainer man, a lighter character, must have yielded to the temptation to satisfy his vanity, but he had the strength to refuse, saying, “Being a foreigner, my presence would only complicate matters.”

The Court, however, did not allow his efforts to go unrewarded.  They telegraphed another high if queer-sounding honour from Si-an.  Thenceforth he was to be addressed as Kung-pao, or Guardian of the Heir-Apparent,—­who, by the way, does not exist; not that in China this trifling fact makes his guardians any less important or honourable.  The Empress-Dowager herself was well aware that the importance of these Peace Negotiations could not be overestimated.  She knew that his promptness in urging the return of Prince Ching probably saved the dynasty—­that had Count Waldersee arrived before any Chinese officials had taken action, it is impossible to say what might not have happened; and to further show her Imperial approbation she summoned him to a private audience on her return to Peking and said so.

[Illustration:  PEKING PEACE PROTOCOL, 1901.

Left to right (seated) Secretary of Japanese Legation Baron d’Anthouard, Secretary of French Legation Baron (now Count) Komura, Japanese Minister M. Knotel, Minister for the Netherlands Marquis Salvago-Raggi, Minister for Italy M de Giers, Minister for Russia M. de Cologan, Minister for Spain Baron Czikann de Wahlborn.  Minister for Austria M. Joostens, Minister for Belgium Baron Momin, Minister for Germany Sir Ernest Satow, Minister for Great Britain Mr. Rockhill, Minister for the United States M. Beau, Minister for France.]

To him she showed her softest side, melted into kindness and consideration, complimented him in her velvet voice, and went so far as to say, when some question of the future came up, “We owe the possibility of a new beginning to the help you have given our faithful Ministers.”  Last of all she paid him a greater tribute still.  When on enquiring where he lived, and being told by Prince Kung on his knees and in deeply apologetic tones, “Since the little accident in 1900, when Sir Robert’s house was burned, he has been living behind Kierulff’s shop,” her eyes filled with tears, and with real regret in her voice she said, “How can we look you in the face?”

CHAPTER X

SOME QUIET YEARS—­A CHANGE OF MASTERS—­INSOMNIA—­A FAREWELL AUDIENCE—­AN HONOUR AND ITS ADVERTISEMENT—­AH FONG AND OTHERS—­DEPARTURE FROM PEKING—­“A SMALL, INSIGNIFICANT IRISHMAN”