ew
plenty of Indians then," she finished shortly.

"And are there no Indians here at all?"

"There is an Indian reservation at North Vancouver. That is the
nearest. I do not think they are just what you are looking for. But
both in Vancouver and Victoria you can get in touch with men who can
direct you. Your journey need not be entirely wasted."

"But Dr. Farr himself--Is he not something of an authority?"

"Y-es. I suppose he is."

"What information the letters contained seemed to be the real thing."

"Oh, the letters were all right. I wrote them."

"You!"

"Didn't I tell you I was the secretary? My department is the
'information bureau.' I do not see the actual letters. There are always
personal bits which father puts in himself."

"Bits regarding boarding accommodation, etc.?"

She did not answer his smile, and her eyes grew hard as she nodded.

"Usually I can keep things from going that far. I can't quite see how
it happened so suddenly in your case."

"I happen to be a sudden person."

"Evidently. Father was quite dumbfounded when he knew you had actually
arrived. He certainly expected an interval during which he could invent
good and sufficient reasons for putting you off."

"Such as?"

"Such as smallpox. An outbreak of smallpox among the Indians is quite a
favorite with father."

"The old--I beg your pardon!"

"Don't bother. You are certainly entitled to an expression of your
feelings. It may be the only satisfaction, you will get. But aren't we
getting away from the question?"

"Question?"

"When do you wish Li Ho to take you back to Vancouver?"

Professor Spence opened his lips to say that any time would suit. It
was the obvious answer, the only sensible answer, the answer which he
fully intended to make. But he did not make it.

"Must I really go?" he asked. He was, so he had said himself, a sudden
person.

His hostess met his deprecating gaze with pure surprise.

"You can't possibly want to stay?"

"I quite possibly can. I like it here. And I'm horribly tired."

The hostility which had begun to gather in her eyes lightened a little.

"Tired? I noticed that you limped this morning. Is there anything the
matter with you?"

It was certainly an ungracious way of putting it. And her eyes, while
not exactly hostile, were ungracious, too. They would make anyone with
a spark of pride want to go away at once. The professor told himself
this. Besides, his only possible reason for wis