r distributed them to Dennis and me, his wooden face
took a few wrinkles of contempt, and he added, "One nigger bringee.
Mister Macdonald, he send me."

After this explanation he stood quite still. Even his face was unmoved,
but his eyes went round and to every corner of the room. I was so
absorbed in watching him that Dennis was reading his letter aloud before
I had opened mine. But they were all alike, with the exception of our
names. They were on pink paper, and highly scented. This was Dennis
O'Moore's:

"_Hymeneal_.--Mr. Alfonso St. Vincent and Miss Georgiana Juba's
compliments are respectfully offered, and will be happy of Mr. Dennis
O'Moore's company on the occasion of the celebration of their nuptials.
Luncheon at twelve on the auspicious day, Saturday ----"

"Oh, botheration! It's six weeks hence," said Dennis. "Will we be here,
I wonder?"

"We'll go if we are." "Poor old Alfonso!" "Well done, Alfonso!" Such
were our sentiments, and we expressed them in three polite notes, which
the Chinaman instantaneously absorbed into some part of his person, and
having put the hand with which he took them to his head and bowed lowly
as before, he went away. And O'Brien, giving one vicious dust with his
coat-sleeve of the door-post, which Ah-Fo had contaminated by a passing
touch, followed the "heathen thief" to see him safe off the premises.

"That's a strange race, now----" began Alister, but I ran to the window,
for Dennis was on the balcony watching for the Chinaman, and remembering
the scene on the stelling, I anticipated fun.

"Hi, there! Fe-fo-fum, or whatever it is that they call ye!"

Ah-Fo looked up with a smile of delighted recognition, which, as Dennis
gave a few preliminary stamps, and began to whistle and shuffle,
expanded into such hearty laughter, that he was obliged to sit down to
it by the roadside.

"Look here, Dennis," said our host; "we shall have a crowd collecting if
you go on with this tomfoolery. Send him off."

"All right, old fellow. Beg your pardon. Good-bye, Te-to-tum."

It was not a respectful farewell, but there is a freemasonry of
friendliness apart from words. Dennis had a kindly heart toward his
fellow-creatures everywhere, and I never knew his fellow-creatures fail
to find it out.

"Good-bye," said Ah-Fo, lingeringly.

"Good-bye again. I say, old mandarin," added the incorrigible Dennis,
leaning confidentially over the balcony, "got on pretty well below
there? Or did O'Brien