"Outsidah!" he repeats. "I know not dthat word. I know only dthat you American vomans haf yust one fault: you air—how you zay?—spoil vidth too great power; you raispect no von's judgment, you need zome strong man to rule."
"To rule!" I echo, scornfully; "that may do for Peruvians, but our women are neither slaves nor imbeciles."
"No," he retorts, "but zome zay your men air a leedle of bodth!"
"It is not to the credit of 'some'"—I set down the salt cellar hard on the tray—"that they fail to appreciate my countrymen. They have at least encouraged our learning to take such good care of ourselves that no Peruvian need trouble his head about us."
I beckon to the Chinese waiter.
"Take this tray up to 49," and I follow him with some show of disdain. Señor Noma meets me at the foot of the dining-room stairs.
"I haf sent for a jar of chili-peppers for Mrs. Steele. Will you say your friend I raicommend chili-peppers, and I advice you put a little cayenne in the bif-tea. It makes vairy seeck without."
"Thank you, Señor Noma," I say; "Wah-Ching will bring up the peppers and I will tell Mrs. Steele what you say." I glance back at the Peruvian. He is sitting by the table just as I left him, his chin in one hand, while with the other he strokes the wavy moustache and regards me with lowering looks. "He's a handsome creature," I think, as I go upstairs; "but he's been told it too often, and he has abominably mediæval ideas about women."
All that hot afternoon I sit in the stuffy stateroom with Mrs. Steele. The wind has veered to the other side and not a breath stirs the curtains at our little window. About four o'clock the "Church of England" knocks at the door. She is profuse in proffers of assistance, and kindly tells me I am looking very badly. "You'd better go out for a little air," she says; "you'll find my daughter and Baron de Bach sitting in the breeze on the other side. He has teased Nellie to get out her guitar; we've had quite a concert. What a charming, bright companion he is!" she says, appealing to me.
"Very, very!" I assent, with a slight yawn.