The noise is simply a bawling summons to get ready his sedan-chair, and the scurrying of his coolies to be in their places when wanted.

There is another side to this quaint custom, which is often of inestimable advantage to a busy man.

A host, who feels that everything necessary has been said, and wishes to free himself from further attendance, may grasp his own cup and invite his guest to drink.
The same results follow, and the guest has no alternative but to rise and take his leave.

In ancient days visitors left their shoes outside the front door, a custom which is still practised by the Japanese, the whole of whose civilization--this cannot be too strongly emphasized--was borrowed originally from China.
It is considered polite to remove spectacles during an interview, or even when meeting in the street; though as this rather unreasonable rule has been steadily ignored by foreigners, chiefly, no doubt, from unacquaintance with it, the Chinese themselves make no attempt to observe it so far as foreigners are concerned.

In like manner, it is most unbecoming for any "read-book man," no matter how miserably poor he is, to receive a stranger, or be seen himself abroad, in short clothes; but this rule, too, is often relaxed in the presence of foreigners, who wear short clothes themselves.