He'd got a model of
a pagoda made out of human teeth, and a big golden rug woven from
the hair of Circassian slave girls. Excuse this, Chief
Inspector; I know it is what you call the romantic stuff; but I
think it would have impressed you if you had seen it.
Anyway, I bought a little enamelled box, in accordance with Mr.
Isaacs's instructions, although whether I succeeded in convincing
Huang Chow that I knew anything about the matter is more than
doubtful. He got up from a sort of throne he sits on, and led
the way up a broad staircase to a private room above.
"Of course, you have brought the cash, Mr. Hampden?" he said.
He speaks quite faultless English. He walked up three steps to a
sort of raised writing-table in this upstairs room, and I counted
out the money to him. When he sat at the table he faced toward
the room, and I couldn't help thinking that, in his horn-rimmed
spectacles, he looked like some old magistrate. He explained
that he would pack the purchase for me, but that I must
personally take it away. And:
"You understand," said he, "that you bought it from a gentleman
who had purchased it abroad."
I said I quite understood. He bowed me out very politely, and
presently I found myself back in the office with Lala Huang.
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