Many embraced the opportunity to see the Governor as he passed along, and endeavoured from the appearance of the man to form some opinion as to his capacity. One result, perhaps, of the judgment thus (hastily): formed is a rumour current on the streets for a couple of days that the Emperor has enlarged the sphere of the new Governor-General of Chihli, placing Yuan Shih-kai over the two pro-Fines, Shantung being thus within his domain. This is a case, I judge, where the wish is father to the thought. The people would like to have Yuan as a Court of Last Appeal. Therefore they would make Governor Chang his subordinate.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.