Gabriel gazed at Ah Fe intently--possibly because he was the last person who had spoken to his missing wife. Ah Fe returned the gaze, discharging all expression from his countenance, except a slight suggestion of the habitual vague astonishment always seen in the face of a newborn infant. Perhaps this peculiar expression, reminding Gabriel as it did of the phenomenon in the Welch family, interested him. But the few vague wandering questions he put were met by equally vague answers. Arthur rose in some impatience; Lawyer Maxwell wiped away the smile that had been lingering around his mouth. The interview was ended. Arthur and Maxwell passed down the narrow stairway arm in arm. Gabriel would have followed them with Ah Fe, but turning toward that Mongolian, he was alarmed by a swift spasm of expression that suddenly convulsed Ah Fe's face. He winked both his eyes with the velocity of sheet-lightning, nodded his head with frightful rapidity, and snapped and apparently dislocated every finger on his right hand. Gabriel gazed at him in open-mouthed wonder. "All litee!" said Ah Fe, looking intently at Gabriel. "Which?" asked Gabriel. "All litee! You shabbee 'all litee!' _She_ say 'all litee.'" "Who's _she_?" asked Gabriel, in sudden alarm. "You lifee!--shabbee?--Missee Conloy! She likee you--shabbee? Me likee you!--shabbee? Miss Conloy she say 'all litee!' You shabbee shelliff?" "Which?" said Gabriel. "Shelliff! Man plenty chokee bad man!" "Sheriff, I reckon," suggested Gabriel, with great gravity. "Um! Shelliff. Mebbe you shabbee him bimeby. He chokee bad man. Much chokee. Chokee like hellee! _He no chokee you._ No. Shabbee? She say 'shelliff no chokee you.' Shabbee?" "I see," said Gabriel, significantly. "She say," continued Ah Fe, with gasping swiftness, "she say you talkee too much. She say me talkee too much. She say Maxwellee talkee too much. All talkee too much. She say 'no talkee!' Shabbee? She say 'ash up!' Shabbee? She say 'dly up!' Shabbee? She say 'bimeby plenty talkee--bimeby all litee!' Shabbee?" "But whar ez she--whar kin I git to see her?" asked Gabriel. Ah Fe's face instantly discharged itself of all expression. A wet sponge could not have more completely obliterated all pencilled outline of character or thought from his blank slate-coloured physiognomy than did Gabriel's simple question. He returned his questioner's glance with ineffable calmness and vacancy, patiently drew the long sleeves of his blouse still further over his varnished fingers, crossed them submissively and Orientally before him, and waited apparently for Gabriel to become again intelligible.