Said peeped in at the door. He no longer wore his chauffeur's livery,
but was arrayed in a white linen robe, red-sashed, and wore loose, red
slippers; a tarboosh perched upon his shaven skull.
Pushing the door widely open, he entered with a tray upon which was
spread a substantial breakfast.
"Hurryup!" he muttered, as one word; wherewith he departed again.
Soames seated himself at the little table upon which the tray rested,
and endeavored to eat. His usual appetite had departed with his
identity; Mr. Lucas was a poor, twitching being of raw nerves and
internal qualms. He emptied the coffee-pot, however, and smoked a
cigarette which he found in his case.
Said reappeared.
"Ta'ala!" he directed.
Soames having learnt that that term was evidently intended as an
invitation to follow Said, rose and followed, dumbly.
He was conducted along the matting-lined corridor to the left; and now,
where formerly he had seen a blank wall, he saw an open door! Passing
this, he discovered himself in the cave of the golden dragon.
Ho-Pin, dressed in a perfectly fitting morning coat and its usual
accompaniments, received him with a mirthless smile.
"Good mowrning!" he said; "I twrust your bwreakfast was satisfactowry?"
"Quite, sir," replied Soames, mechanically, and as he might have replied
to Mr.
Pages:
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159