d assured himself repeatedly that the moment he landed in
Hong-Kong the whole episode would be relegated to oblivion. But
Hong-Kong was yet ten days away, and Percival saw no use in forgetting
before he had to. He went out to the courtyard and impatiently surveyed
the rain-soaked road.

"No come," said Sanno, cheerfully, from the step where he was keeping
watch. "Tea?"

Without waiting for an answer, he clapped his hands, calling, "_O
Cha!_"

Another small maiden in a cherry-blossom kimono, carrying a brazier full
of live coals, trotted around the corner and conducted Percival back to
his apartment. She proved even more irritating than the first one, for
during the tea-making she stopped many times to examine his cuff-links,
wrist-watch, and ring, making purring exclamations of delight over each
discovery. When he used his monocle she tried it also, and when he took
out his cigarette-case, she must examine every detail and help herself
to a cigarette into the bargain. Percival was acutely bored. He regarded
her as a persistent fly that refused to be brushed away. He sat with his
back against the paper screen, his stockinged feet rigidly extended,
drinking his tea as solemnly as if he had been in the most formal
drawing-room of Grosvenor Square.

The rainy afternoon closed in to twilight, and still the Weston party
did not come. Percival's impatience gave place to anger, but he doggedly
waited.

"Could they have gone back another way?" he demanded of Sanno.

"Way?" repeated Sanno.

Percival made a drawing on paper and tried to convey his meaning, but it
was useless.

"'Merican game?" asked Sanno, grinning.

At last, in desperation, Percival decided to return.

"Yaami Hotel, Kioto," he directed.

"Very sorry," said Sanno. "No come Kioto to-night. Big rain. Bridge him
very bad. Jinrikisha upset, maybe."

Percival declared this to be nonsense; he insisted that he would start
immediately. But as Sanno refused to bring out the jinrikisha, it was
not possible to carry out his intention. Then the Honorable Percival,
who was not used to being crossed, lost his temper, and the entire
household came out to see him do it. Sanno and the proprietor watched
him with bland and smiling faces, and the girls tucked their heads
behind their sleeves and laughed immoderately at his scowls and vehement
gestures.

Seeing that he was gaining nothing by argument, he stalked sullenly back
to his room, where active preparations w