“There's Wainwright,” whispered Porter, who closed the procession.
“Where?” I asked, a dim remembrance of the mission on which I had sent
him in pursuit of the snake-eyed man giving the information a sinister
twist.
Porter gave a chirrup, and Wainwright halted at the door.
“He's just passed up the alley here,” said Wainwright in a low voice.
“Who? Terrill?” I asked.
“Yes,” said Wainwright. “I've kept him in sight all the evening.”
“Hasn't he seen you?” asked Porter. “I spied you as soon as you turned
the corner.”
“Don't know,” said Wainwright; “but something's up. There he goes now. I
mustn't miss him.” And Wainwright darted off.
I looked searchingly in the direction he took, but could see no sign of
the snake-eyed enemy.
The presence of Terrill gave me some tremors of anxiety, for I knew that
his unscrupulous ferocity would stop at nothing. I feared for the moment
that some violence might threaten the party, and that perhaps Luella
was in danger. Then I reflected that the presence of Doddridge Knapp's
daughter was a protection against an attack from Doddridge Knapp's
agents, and I followed the party into the heathen temple without further
apprehensions.
The temple was small, and even in the dim, religious light that gave an
air of mystery to the ugly figure of the god and the trappings of the
place, the whole appeared cheap--a poor representative of the majesty
of a religion that claims the devotion of four hundred million human
beings.
“That's one of the richest carvings ever brought into this country,”
said Corson, pointing to a part of the altar mounting. “Tin thousand
dollars wouldn't touch one side of it.”
“You don't say!” cried Mrs. Bowser, while the rest murmured in the
effort to admire the work of art. “And is that stuff burning for a
disinfectant?”
She pointed to numerous pieces of punk, such as serve the small boy on
the Fourth of July, that were consuming slowly before the ugly joss.
“No, ma'am--not but they needs it all right enough,” said Corson, “but
that's the haythen way of sayin' your prayers.”
This information was so astonishing that Corson was allowed to finish
his explanation without further remarks from Mrs. Bowser.
“I'll show you the theater next,” said he, as he led the way out of the
temple with Mrs. Bowser giving her views of the picturesque heathen in
questions that Corson found no break in the conversation long enough to
answer. As I lingered for a moment in some depression of spirit, waiting
for the others to file out, a voice that thrilled me spoke in my ear.
“Our guide is enjoying a great favor.” It was Luella, noticing me for
the first time since the expedition had started.
“He has every reason to be delighted,” I returned, brightening at the
favor I was enjoying.
“Foreign travel is said to be of great value in education,” said Luella,
taking my arm, “but it's certainly stupid at times.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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