"I can't. I'm busy."
"Now Anna II.," said Mr. Twist, walking beside her towards the pantry since she didn't stop but continued steadily on her way, "that's trifling with the facts. You've been in the garden. I saw you come in. Perhaps you'll tell me the exact line of business you've been engaged in."
"Waiting," said Anna-Felicitas placidly.
"Waiting? In the garden? Where it's pitch dark, and there's nobody to wait on?"
They had reached the pantry, and Anna-Felicitas gave an order to Li Koo through the serving window before answering; the order was tea and hot cinnamon toast for one.
"He's having his tea on the verandah," she said, picking out the most delicious of the little cakes from the trays standing ready, and carefully arranging them on a dish. "It isn't pitch dark at all there. There's floods of light coming through the windows. He won't come in."
"And why pray won't he come in?" asked Mr. Twist.
"Because he doesn't like Germans."
"And who pray is he?"
"I don't know."