what the policeman said to you.’
Carter contrived to look embarrassed.
‘But I thought you said he was jealous and would not understand.’
She shrugged her shoulders, and smiled. The fear she had shown at the Pearl, when he had confided to her the supposititious remarks of an imaginary police officer, had apparently left her entirely. She seemed now quite at ease and unconcerned.
‘Personal matters that appear important,’ she remarked, ‘become trifles before events of general urgency. My friend, I think, was a little displeased, but any foolish jealousy he may have felt faded at the importance of my tidings.’
‘That is so,’ observed a quiet voice, which pronounced the sibilant sounds as though hissing them. ‘One cannot allow one’s own feelings to take precedence of bad news affecting one’s national activities.’
The stilted and precise English told Carter who the newcomer was, even before he turned to survey the man who had opened the door and entered the room so quietly. He had heard it before with its distinct hissing inflection. A short, stoutish man, wearing the costume and felt-soled shoes of a Chinese gentleman, stood eyeing the two through a pair of large, tinted spectacles. Carter recognised Yumasaki at once, despite this attire, a recently grown moustache, and the glasses which normally would have constituted quite an effective disguise. The Englishman had, on several occasions, had official dealings with the Japanese, when the latter had been consul in Hong Kong; had met him at social gatherings; had been present during Sir Leonard Wallace’s severe cross-examination of him regarding Japanese espionage in Hong Kong. Carter had no fears that his own disguise would be penetrated, but he knew he would have to retain all his wits about him, if he were to prevent any suspicion arising in the mind of the spy.
Yumasaki closed the door softly behind him, advanced towards the pseudo-American, and bowed low. Carter rose from his chair; held out his hand in friendly manner.
‘Glad to meet you, Mr – er—’ he began.
‘Shall we dispense with my name?’ came from the other, as he barely touched the hand extended to him. ‘It really does not matter.’
Carter shrugged his shoulders.
‘As you like,’ he returned. ‘I guess you mean me to take the name for granted anyhow; otherwise I don’t see that there’d be any point in you wanting to know what that police guy said to me.’
‘Let us be seated,’ suggested Yumasaki.
He waited until Carter had once again sunk into the comfortable depths of his chair; then followed suit in another directly opposite. The China Doll had not uttered a word since the appearance of the Japanese, but her soft eyes were watching him a trifle anxiously, Carter thought as he glanced at her, as though she sensed antagonism in the air. The Englishman himself felt this. Yumasaki’s manner was suave, and contained all the excessive politeness of his race but, behind it, there seemed to be a suggestion of something that was certainly not friendliness. Possibly jealousy lurked there, despite his words. The British Secret Service man resolved to put an end to any feeling of that kind at once.
‘Say,’ he remarked, ‘I want to tell you right now you’ve got no call to be jealous of me. I guess I fell for this lady all right, but I didn’t know she was engaged to you, and I’m not the sorta guy to butt in where I’m not wanted. I’d sure like to be friends with Miss China Doll, though, if she’s willing. You can’t object to that?’
‘My dear sir, I object to nothing,’ came the reply. ‘Shall we proceed to matters of greater moment? I understand a police officer interviewed you outside the dancing hall called theChina Doll. Will you kindly repeat to me exactly the statements he made to you?’
‘I don’t rightly know why I should,’ demurred Carter. ‘I guess I’m a bit muddled. The lady told me she was engaged to you – at least, I reckon
Carter contrived to look embarrassed.
‘But I thought you said he was jealous and would not understand.’
She shrugged her shoulders, and smiled. The fear she had shown at the Pearl, when he had confided to her the supposititious remarks of an imaginary police officer, had apparently left her entirely. She seemed now quite at ease and unconcerned.
‘Personal matters that appear important,’ she remarked, ‘become trifles before events of general urgency. My friend, I think, was a little displeased, but any foolish jealousy he may have felt faded at the importance of my tidings.’
‘That is so,’ observed a quiet voice, which pronounced the sibilant sounds as though hissing them. ‘One cannot allow one’s own feelings to take precedence of bad news affecting one’s national activities.’
The stilted and precise English told Carter who the newcomer was, even before he turned to survey the man who had opened the door and entered the room so quietly. He had heard it before with its distinct hissing inflection. A short, stoutish man, wearing the costume and felt-soled shoes of a Chinese gentleman, stood eyeing the two through a pair of large, tinted spectacles. Carter recognised Yumasaki at once, despite this attire, a recently grown moustache, and the glasses which normally would have constituted quite an effective disguise. The Englishman had, on several occasions, had official dealings with the Japanese, when the latter had been consul in Hong Kong; had met him at social gatherings; had been present during Sir Leonard Wallace’s severe cross-examination of him regarding Japanese espionage in Hong Kong. Carter had no fears that his own disguise would be penetrated, but he knew he would have to retain all his wits about him, if he were to prevent any suspicion arising in the mind of the spy.
Yumasaki closed the door softly behind him, advanced towards the pseudo-American, and bowed low. Carter rose from his chair; held out his hand in friendly manner.
‘Glad to meet you, Mr – er—’ he began.
‘Shall we dispense with my name?’ came from the other, as he barely touched the hand extended to him. ‘It really does not matter.’
Carter shrugged his shoulders.
‘As you like,’ he returned. ‘I guess you mean me to take the name for granted anyhow; otherwise I don’t see that there’d be any point in you wanting to know what that police guy said to me.’
‘Let us be seated,’ suggested Yumasaki.
He waited until Carter had once again sunk into the comfortable depths of his chair; then followed suit in another directly opposite. The China Doll had not uttered a word since the appearance of the Japanese, but her soft eyes were watching him a trifle anxiously, Carter thought as he glanced at her, as though she sensed antagonism in the air. The Englishman himself felt this. Yumasaki’s manner was suave, and contained all the excessive politeness of his race but, behind it, there seemed to be a suggestion of something that was certainly not friendliness. Possibly jealousy lurked there, despite his words. The British Secret Service man resolved to put an end to any feeling of that kind at once.
‘Say,’ he remarked, ‘I want to tell you right now you’ve got no call to be jealous of me. I guess I fell for this lady all right, but I didn’t know she was engaged to you, and I’m not the sorta guy to butt in where I’m not wanted. I’d sure like to be friends with Miss China Doll, though, if she’s willing. You can’t object to that?’
‘My dear sir, I object to nothing,’ came the reply. ‘Shall we proceed to matters of greater moment? I understand a police officer interviewed you outside the dancing hall called theChina Doll. Will you kindly repeat to me exactly the statements he made to you?’
‘I don’t rightly know why I should,’ demurred Carter. ‘I guess I’m a bit muddled. The lady told me she was engaged to you – at least, I reckon
Similar Books
