ed him with eyes that
had no expression in them. The position was embarrassing, to say the
least of it. Was it possible that his mission was going to prove
futile after all, and that, for the good he was to get out of it, he
might just as well not have wasted his time by calling at Hong-kong at
all? For upwards of thirty most uncomfortable seconds the two men
stood watching each other. Then Browne spoke.

"You are quite sure, I suppose," he asked, "that you do not know the
gentleman in question? I certainly understood from him that you had
been acquainted with each other for many years."

The German shook his head. Then he said slowly, "Perhaps, mein frien,
if you would mit me come, I will talk mit you ubon the madder. So many
men do say dot they know Johann Schmidt. But Johann do not know dem.
If you to mine office would come, we will talk mit each other dere."

Browne accordingly followed him behind the curtain to which I have
alluded. There he found, to his surprise, a most comfortable and, I
might almost add, luxurious apartment. The walls were hung with
pictures of considerable merit, interspersed with innumerable curios,
collected from almost every country in the Farther East. In any other
place the room might have ranked as a fairly noteworthy apartment; but
here, surrounded by so much that was sordid--nay, almost barbaric--it
was little short of unique. Pointing to a long bamboo chair which
fitted a corner beneath an enormous Cantonese dragon, used for burning
pastilles, the German bade Browne seat himself. Before the latter did
so, however, he handed the German the letter with which Herr Sauber had
furnished him. The other took it, cut the flap of the envelope with a
jade paper-knife, and, drawing forth the contents, placed an enormous
pair of spectacles upon his nose, and read them thoroughly. Upwards of
five minutes had elapsed between the time Browne had given him the
letter until he spoke again. These long delays were having a bad
effect upon the young man's temper; they strained his nerves to
breaking-pitch. He felt that this phlegmatic individual would not
hurry himself, even if another's existence depended upon it. To all
intents and purposes he had united in his person the apathy of the
Asiatic with the stolidity of the Teuton.

"Now dat I look ubon it, I do remember Herr Sauber," the other replied.
"It was once dat we very good friends were, but it is many years dat I
heard of him