"There's nothing to be afraid of," said Glen. "If he is a nasty-looking beggar I daresay he's harmless."
Jim and Bill noticed her agitation and scowled at the Chinaman, who returned the challenge with a broad grin, showing his yellow teeth.
She trembled violently. Her hand shook as it clasped Glen's arm with a tight squeeze. He hurried her on; she was quite willing. It was not until they were inside the coffee house that she recovered.
"You don't like the Chinamen?" asked Glen.
"I hate them. They frighten me," she said.
I wonder why? thought Glen, as a maid came to show her her room.
She looked back and asked, "Where is your room?"
"Please don't go far away from me. Please don't."
"All right," replied Glen. "I'll see to that."
The maid smiled, but Glen's scowl quickly frightened it away.
"We'll have to fix something up," he said. "She'd better be somebody's sister. I'm too old; you take it on, Jim."
"Yes, Jim's most suitable. He's not much older--a matter of three or four years," agreed Bill.
Jim didn't like the relationship. Once it was established it might be difficult to induce her to change the feeling. He must accept, however; there was no excuse for not doing so.
"Very well, that's settled. I'll tell her about it," went on Glen. "Try and explain to her, but she's as simple as a child, and won't understand the reason for it."
She was tired. The maid, who regarded her curiously, saw she was weak, and asked her if she had been ill. She said she had been very ill, for a long time, and she wanted rest.
"Lie down on the bed. Let me take your boots on. I'll draw the curtain round, and you can have a sleep. It will do you good. Have you travelled far?"
"In the West. Some hundreds of miles away."
This excited the maid's compassion. She was a good-natured kind girl, but fond of admiration, and she had seen a great deal of life since she came out as an emigrant from the old country.
"I'll be back in a minute," she said as she left the room. She went to ask if she could remain with her for a short time, and receiving a reply in the affirmative returned, after telling Glen she had persuaded her to rest.
"She's my friend's sister," and he pointed to Jim. "She's been very ill; take care of her."