Part 24 (1/2)
”What is it?” Burroughs shouted from within.
”Time fo' gettee up, sah,” called the man, grinning at the can of shaving water he carried.
”What time is it?”
”No savvy allo plopa; time fo' gettee up all-same.”
”It's hardly light, confound you! Didn't I tell you I wanted a long sleep?”
”Plenty muchee solly, sah; time fo' gettee up. One piecee fella outside come look-see Ma.s.sa Bullows; he say he no can wailo[#] befo' he hab talkee cash pidgin[#] 'long-side Ma.s.sa Bullows.”
[#] Go away.
[#] Money matters.
”Send him to Sing Wen. You know perfectly well I don't do business in bed, you a.s.s. Any more of this foolo pidgin and you'll get the sack.”
”Ma.s.sa no unastan',” cried Chin Tai excitedly. ”This piecee man he say he come look-see Sing Wen evely day-lo; Sing Wen say he no can makee anyting fo' he; he muss waitee fo' ma.s.sa come back.”
”Who is the blackguard?”
”He velly 'spectable fella, sah; he belongey opium shop-lo Pa-tang side.”
”Oh! That's quite enough. Tell him to get out; I've nothing to do with him or his opium.”
”My tellum all that, sah; he say he stop plenty longee time; ma.s.sa no look-see he, ch'hoy! he cut float on door-step all-same.”
Extravagant as this threat might appear, Burroughs knew that it was by no means unheard-of for a Chinaman, smarting under a sense of injustice, to commit suicide on the threshold of the man who had injured him. He was considering whether he had not better get up and prevent the horrid deed, when Errington, who occupied the next room, came in by the communicating door.
”You're in for it, old chap,” he said, laughing. ”The receiver's as bad as the thief, you know, and there's going to be trouble about that moustache of yours.”
He picked up the moustache from the dressing-table, and dangled it before Burroughs' disgusted eyes.
”Hang it all!” cried Burroughs, ”I had absolutely nothing to do with it.
Sing Wen is the culprit.”
”Qui facit per alium----”
”Oh, shut up! He wasn't my agent.”
”You'll find it hard to prove that after giving him a hundred dollars.
Better see the fellow and save scandal. I'll stand by you, Moley.”
Burroughs got out of bed, muttering anathemas, threw on his dressing-gown, and went to the door, followed by Errington. The sight of the grinning China boy waiting there with his shaving-can exasperated him, and Chin Tai shrank against the wall before his master's glare.
They went down-stairs. On the step at the outer door squatted the sleek form of the highly respectable brother-in-law of Sing Wen's brother. He rose and kow-towed humbly.