ced that her English was perfect. She spoke with great precision and
avoided adverbial mistakes with painful care.

She had had a great deal to think about lately, Otoyo continued, and she
was reading a book of Charles Dickens, the English novelist. It was very
difficult.

With an impetuous gesture, Molly rose and pushed the chair out of the
way. Then she sat flat on the floor beside Otoyo, and took one of the
little plump brown hands in hers.

"Otoyo, you're unhappy. Something has happened and you're praying to
Catholic saints and Fuji and Buddha all at once. Isn't it so?"

"The saints are very honorable gentlemen," answered Otoyo quickly. "Mrs.
Murphy has told me many things of their goodness. And Fuji is the
mountain that brings comfort to all Japanese people. Holy men dwell on
Fuji and pilgrims climb to the summit each year to worship. And Buddha,
he is a great god," she added. "He is kind to lonely little Japanese
girl."

As she neared the end of her speech her voice was as faint and thin as a
sick child's, but she steadily repressed all emotion, for no well-bred
Japanese lady is ever seen to weep.

"Otoyo, my dear, my dear, what can have happened?" cried Molly,
turning the averted face toward her so that she might look into
the almond-shaped eyes. "I can't bear to see you so miserable.
It makes me unhappy, too. Don't you know that you are one of the
dearest friends I have in the world and that we all love you?"

"It is not easy to believe that is true," said Otoyo, looking at her
with an expression of mingled reproach and incredulity. "I cannot
believe it is so, Mees Brown."

A look of utter amazement came into Molly's face. It had never entered
her head that Otoyo was angry with her.

"What is that? Say it again, Otoyo. I can't believe my own ears."

"I say it is not easy to believe that is true," said Otoyo, repeating
her words with the precision of a Japanese.

Molly rose to her feet, and grasping Otoyo's hands pulled her up.

"I can't talk sitting on the floor, Otoyo. Come over here and sit on the
bed where I can look at you. Now, tell me exactly what you meant by that
speech."

The two girls now sat face to face on the bed and there was a look of
sternness in Molly's eyes that Otoyo had never seen there before.
Otoyo's eyes dropped before her gaze and she began plucking at the
Japanese crepe of her kimono.

"You must speak, Otoyo," Molly insisted.

There was a long silence and then Otoyo lo