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Updated: June 21, 2025
Suddenly there is a great noise in front of the house. Shouts are heard. There is a tremendous to do, and amid the tumult I hear a voice. Good Heavens! I cannot be mistaken. That is Kinko's voice! I recognize it. Am I in my right senses? Zinca jumps up, springs to the window, opens it, and we look out. There is a cart at the door.
"Not at all; and you may rest assured I will neglect nothing which will enable you to arrive dry and in one piece at Mademoiselle Zinca Klork's in short, in a perfect state of preservation!" "Again I thank you," said Kinko, pressing my hands. "Believe me, you will not find me ungrateful." "Ah! friend Kinko, I shall be paid, and more than paid!" "And how?"
But when my box is in the railway station at Pekin, I have still to get to the Avenue Cha-Coua " "What does it matter, will not the fair Zinca Klork come and call for it?" "No. I advised her not to do so." "And why?" "Women are so impressionable! She would want to see the van in-which I had come, she would claim the box with such excitement that suspicions would be aroused.
I would have watched it on to the cart, and I would have accompanied it to the Avenue Cha Coua, I would even have helped in carrying him up to Mademoiselle Zinca Klork! And what a double explosion of joy there would have been when Kinko jumped through the panel to fall into the arms of the fair Roumanian! But no!
I light a wax vesta, and as I am sheltered from the wind, the flame keeps upright. By its light what do I read? The case containing the wild beast is the very one with the address: "Mademoiselle Zinca Klork, Avenue Cha-Coua, Pekin, China." Fragile, my wild beast! Keep from damp, my lion! Quite so!
"Monsieur," says mademoiselle, "we are going to get married as soon as the formalities are complied with; and if it is not abusing your confidence, will you do us the honor and pleasure of being present?" "At your marriage certainly. I promised my friend Kinko I would." Poor girl! I cannot leave her like this. I must tell her everything. "Mademoiselle Zinca Kinko "
Besides, it will be a pleasure to me to make the acquaintance of Mademoiselle Zinca Klork. I will be there when they deliver the box, the precious box. I will help her to get the nails out of it " "The nails out of it, Monsieur Bombarnac? My panel? Ah, I will jump through my panel!" A terrible clap of thunder interrupted our conversation.
But he is alive, and that is the essential point. But we must not waste an hour, for if the police is not perfect in China, it is at least prompt and expeditious. Soon caught, soon hanged and it will not do for them to hang Kinko, even metaphorically. I offer my arm to Mademoiselle Zinca, and I lead her to my carriage, and we return rapidly towards the Hotel of the Ten Thousand Dreams.
There I find Major Noltitz and the Caternas, and by a lucky chance young Pan-Chao, without Dr. Tio-King. Pan-Chao would like nothing better than to be our interpreter before the Chinese authorities. And then, before the weeping Zinca, I told my companions all about Kinko, how he had traveled, how I had made his acquaintance on the journey.
"By relating, as soon as I can do so without danger to you, the particulars of your journey from Tiflis to Pekin. Think now what a heading for a column: 'A LOVER IN A BOX! ZINCA AND KINKO!! 1,500 LEAGUES THROUGH CENTRAL ASIA IN A LUGGAGE VAN!!!" The young Roumanian could not help smiling. "You need not be in too much of a hurry!" he said. "Never fear!
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