China -- History -- Revolution, 1911-1912 -- Fiction; Love stories; River boats -- Fiction; Yangtze River (China) -- Fiction
“Oh,” he murmured, “indeed.” She looked out-and-out rich; and she was
surprisingly pretty, without a sign that she had ever known danger or
even care.
“Staying here?” she asked.
“No. I start back home Saturday.”
“So?.... Well, that'll be pleasant.” With a final glance of what seemed
almost like triumph she sailed away. And he knew that in taking the
pearls he had not taken all from her. Apparently, too, she meant him to
know it. That would be her moment of triumph. And that was all; not
a word was spoken regarding his violence or her threats.... He saw the
yellow porters carrying out her luggage of bright new leather.
He resumed his seat; twitched for a time with increasing nervousness;
got up and went aimlessly over to the desk; asked the Malay clerk for
mail.
A smiling little Japanese appeared, rather officious about a great lot
of bags and a trunk or two that were coming in. He had a familiar look;
even raised his hat and stepped forward with outstretched hand. It was
Kato.... And then Dawley Kane came in--tall, quiet, neatly dressed, his
nearly white mustache newly cropped.
To his pale son Dawley Kane said merely--“Well!”--as he took his hand;
and then was busy registering. That done, he asked: “Had dinner?” Rocky
shook his head. “I don't care for any.” Daw ley Kane's quietly keen eyes
surveyed his son. “What's the matter? Not well.”
“I'm well enough.”
“Sit down with me, can't you?” And turning to the attending Japanese he
said: “You'll excuse me Kato. I'll be dining with my son. And tell Mr.
Braker, please.... Just a minute Rocky, till I wash my hands.”
They were shown to a table in the great diningroom, where the cackling
was louder than in the lounge (they dine late on the coast)--where
blue-gowned waiters moved softly about as if there had never been a
revolution and wine glasses glistened and prettily bared shoulders
gleamed roundly under the electric lights.
And Rocky, seated gloomily opposite this powerful quiet man--who took
him unerringly in of course; dishearteningly, Rocky felt--found himself
in a depression deeper than any he had known before. His father was so
strong and he brought back with him the enveloping atmosphere of the
mighty, splendidly successful white world in which they both belonged--a
world that crushed the heart out of weaker peoples while it blandly
talked the moralities. He felt it as a Juggernaut. It had the amazingly
successful racial blend of character and plausibility. That would be the
British quality; and, more roughly and confusedly, the American.
“Getting rather interesting up the river.” remarked Dawley Kane, over
his soup. “How'd you get down?”
“On a junk.”
“Any trouble?”
“Oh--some.”
“Been here long?”
“Several days. I'm sailing Saturday.”
“Sailing?” Mr. Kane raised his eyebrows. “Where?”
“Home.”
“You decided not to consult me?”
“Oh.... Don't ride me, father! It's the next thing. I'm going back to
college.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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