"Why shouldn't she be quiet and modest?" said the General. "You must understand that she belongs to a class so accepted that it is not necessary for her to put forth any lures whatsoever. She does not have to exert herself. For five thousand years it has all been done for her. She has only to apply rouge and jewels, to conduct herself in a certain way, and fifty centuries of seduction act for her. You must admit, Miss Davis, we make life easy for women in China." "Isn't he the ladder?" said Mr. Shultz. "I told you he had humor." Megan rested her head on her hands, covering her ears to shut out Mr. Shultz's words. "I really want to go. I can't stand this sort of stuff you both talk, it is so artificial and confusing and it doesn't mean anything. I am tired of it." "Perhaps I'd better go," said Mr. Shultz, getting slowly to his feet. He looked Megan over as he ground his cigar into the ash-tray. Without another word he finished counting the chips, those of Mah-li, of the Captain and the General, then he took out a paper and pencil, made a note and handed it to the General. "Settle up to-morrow," he said. "Good night, Miss Davis. Now you and the General can have a little heart-to-heart talk." He strolled with a curious lightness of step over to the door and once more turned to look at her, a ponderous man with a heavy turtle-neck, but his eyes were youthful and insolent. "Don't forget your rings, Miss Davis," he drawled. When he had gone, Megan said to the General, "How did you ever get hold of him?" "Oh," said the General with the air of being suddenly confidential, "he came to me with a letter from a good friend of mine. He is a remarkable man. He does everything. He understands thoroughly all Western business methods because he has been connected at one time or another with various firms, and while he is not actually a graduate engineer he has had enough experience (he was with a company making some sort of quartz light and with one making radios) so that now he manages my arsenal and does it extremely well. I should say the prosperity of my province is largely due to his efficiency. I am very attached to him." "He is ill-bred," said Megan, "and he has no ideals; he is a thoroughly unscrupulous adventurer. If you knew the West better you would recognize that at once. Don't let his efficiency blind you." "He has two virtues besides his efficiency," said the General, "that are even more indispensable to me. He is courageous and he is loyal." "Loyal! And yet he talks about you as you heard him talk to-night!" "You don't understand. He was calling my attention to a betrayal. He was reminding me first how disliked I am in certain quarters, how great a bribe might be given, and to whom. He wanted to focus my distrust on a person whom it would not be possible for him to accuse directly."