."

"Not to-night, anyway. She--you see----"

"She'd jolly you, you mean. Of course. But We may as well have it
over."

"Not to-night," Clyde repeated. She was uncomfortably conscious of her
confidences to Kitty Wade, made without much thought.

They approached the house from the rear, passing by the kitchen, whence
issued the sound of voices.

"Let's take a peep at Feng's company?" Casey suggested.

The kitchen was built apart from the house, but attached to it by a
covered way. Standing in the outer darkness, they could look in through
the open window without risk of being seen, and were close enough to
overhear every word.

Feng was resting from the labours of the day, sitting smoking on the
kitchen table. Facing him, a pipe between his wrinkled lips, sat old
Simon. His face was expressionless, but his eyes, black, watchful, were
curiously alert.

"What foh you come, Injun?" Feng demanded. "Wantee glub? Injun all time
_hiyu_ eat, all same hobo tlamp. S'pose you hungly me catch some
_muckamuck_. Catch piecee blead, catch col' loast beef--loast
_moosmoos_!"

"You catchum," Simon agreed. "Casey--where him stop?"

"Casey!" Feng's features expanded in a grin. "Him stop along gal--_tenas
klootchman_, you savvy. Go walkee along gal. P'laps, bimeby, two, tlee
hou', him come back."

Simon grunted gutturally. "Ya-as," he drawled.

"_Hiyu_ lich gal," Feng proceeded. "Have _hiyu_ dolla'. You bet. She
one _hiyu_ dam' plitty gal, savvy?"

"Hush!" Clyde whispered, as Casey would have put an end to this risky
eavesdropping. "I didn't think that Feng had such good taste. I'm
getting compliments from everybody to-night. I'm really flattered. I
want to hear some more."

"Better not," he advised apprehensively.

"But I want to."

"Ya-as," Simon drawled again. "_Hyas kloshe tenas klootchman_--ah-ha.
What name you callum?"

"Missee Clyde Bullaby," Feng replied, making a manful attempt at
Clyde's surname, which was quite beyond his lingual attainments.

"Clyde!" Simon repeated, in accents of incredulity. "Me savvy 'Clyde.'
Him big man-horse _hyas skookum_ man-horse. Him _mammook_ plow,
_mammook_ haul wagon!"

"You _hyas_ damfool Injun!" said his host politely. "Missee Clyde
Chlistian gal's name, catchum in Chlistian Bible; all same Swede Annie,
all same Spokane Sue, all same Po'tland Lily."

Simon digested this information with preternatural gravity. "Ya-as,"
said he. "Casey like Clyde?"

"Clyde likee Casey,"