"Certainly. I have always trusted Hwei, but Tung-yu did not know, and hence his desire to procure the fan. Hwei was here on the night poor Miss Wharf was killed, and dropped the joss stick. You have been clever enough to make use of it. Well, now you both know where the packet is?"
"The packet?"
"Of papers which mean my life--papers connected with the Boxers, which the Mandarin Hop Sing would give much to possess."
"We know that the packet is hidden in a tree," said Rupert, "but which tree we cannot guess."
"Ah," Lo-Keong slipped the beads through his fingers, "here is a piece of jade with a gold band round it."
"The third bead----"
"Consequently the third tree. We will look for the packet, as soon as I explain myself. The packet must be safe, as you have the fan, and I know, Mr. Ainsleigh, you are my friend, as I was the friend of your father before you."
"What," Rupert threw back his head. "I understood from Dr. Forge, that you were my enemy."
Lo-Keong frowned. "Ah! he goes as far as that," said he, then paused a moment. "I will explain."
Olivia would have interrupted, but he threw out a long arm in an imperious manner, and began his story without further preamble, playing with the fan all the time.