They had not heard me come up. I told them I was sorry to
intrude.
"'Not at all! Not at all,' said Jones.
"The secretary backed away into a corner and watched me like a wary cat.
In fact, they both were visibly on their guard.
"'I am come,' I told them, 'to let you know that my servant has
deserted--gone off.'
"At first they looked at each other as if they had not understood what I
was saying; but very soon they seemed quite concerned.
"'You mean to say your Chink's cleared out?' said Ricardo, coming
forward from his corner. 'Like this--all at once? What did he do it
for?'
"I said that a Chinaman had always a simple and precise reason for what
he did, but that to get such a reason out of him was not so easy. All he
told me, I said, was that he 'didn't like'.
"They were extremely disturbed at this. Didn't like what, they wanted to
know.
"'The looks of you and your party,' I told Jones.
"'Nonsense!' he cried out, and immediately Ricardo, the short man,
struck in.
"'Told you that? What did he take you for, sir--an infant? Or do you
take us for kids?--meaning no offence. Come, I bet you will tell us next
that you've missed something.'"
"'I didn't mean to tell you anything of the sort,' I said, 'but as a
matter of fact it is so.'
"He slapped his thigh.
"'Thought so. What do you think of this trick, governor?'
"Jones made some sort of sign to him, and then that extraordinary
cat-faced associate proposed that he and their servant should come out
and help me catch or kill the Chink.
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