His brother Wun, making a few remarks in Chinese, excused himself and left.
"You will pardon me, Mr. Brady, for making it necessary for you to follow me here," said the merchant. "I wanted to find out whether the gods were propitious to our undertaking, as you would say. I have been so busy to-day that I got no chance until now."
"And the result?" asked Harry.
"We shall win out in the end, but not without trouble."
"Yon believe in your joss sticks, I see, Mr. Lung?"
"Firmly; and why should I not? For untold ages my people have employed them to predict the future."
"Does it always come out true as they say?"
"By no means. Just about as often as what is told us by people in this world comes true."
"Of what use to consult them then?"
"Listen! If you have a friend upon whom you rely, who you have known for years, and who has never lied to you, then you unhesitatingly believe him, do you not?"