, although he has a stiff,
discouraging sort of manner, and they say that, like the east wind, he
finds out all your weak points in the twinkling of an eye! He is just
and impartial, and no man is more respected in the whole of Burma than
George Gregory. I suppose you know that Gregory's is one of the
oldest-established houses here?"

Shafto nodded; he had learned this fact on board ship.

"We do a great trade and employ a number of young fellows, mostly from
public schools and universities. One or two other firms do not engage
gentlemen--for reasons that, perhaps, you may guess. Out of business
hours our house keeps a sharp eye on their employes. A young chap can
get into any amount of mischief in Rangoon--Rangoon is full of
temptations."

"Oh, is it?" muttered Shafto indifferently--what could its temptations
offer in comparison to London?

"Anyhow it seems a huge, stirring sort of place," he added, as he
watched motors, bicycles, and _gharries_ whirring past the entrance.

"Stirring! Why you may say so--it's humming like a hive day and night.
There are so many taps to turn in this wealthy country--timber, rice,
wolfram, jade, tin, oil, rubies. A man with a little capital, if he
does not lose his head, can make a fortune in ten years, especially in
paddy. Our particular trade is teak and paddy--that's rice, you know.
I expect your work will be on the wharf and pretty heavy at first."

"Well, anyway, it's an open-air job."

"Yes, you have the pull now; this is our cold season--October to March;
but the hot weather is no joke; as for the rains, you might as well
live in a steam laundry; we get a hundred inches here in Lower Burma."

"A hundred inches!" echoed Shafto, "you are not serious?"

"Yes; it pours down as if the sea were overhead, and goes on steadily
for days. Frogs flop round and round your room, and you can almost
hear the trees growing. In the rains the forests are a wonderful
sight, such dense masses of foliage and flowers. Can you imagine great
trees entirely covered with exquisite blooms, and garlands of pink and
lilac creepers interlacing the jungle?"

"How gorgeous! Perhaps I may see all this some day," said Shafto,
"after I have explored Rangoon itself."

"Well, I hope you may," assented his companion, "and now I want to ask
you a strange question."

"All right--ask away!"

"You have only been a few hours on shore, and I am curious to know if
you have received any impression