They smiled.
But Slim Lim remained obdurate. He gazed into vacancy for several moments and then pretended to fall asleep.
I recited the purpose of my visit and waited patiently for the Lord of the Peacock Feather to deign to reply.
He did so at last; but without opening his eyes, speaking as if half in a dream:
“Barbarian, son of a barbarian, grandson of a barbarian, great-grandson of a barbarian, great-great-grandson of a barbarian, great-great-great-grandson of a barbarian——”
Well knowing that this was a mere ruse to waste the night in words, I resolved to put an end to it at once.
I sat down and interrupted Slim Lim’s long and dreary list by pretending to snore with that regularity which proves the accomplished sleeper.
He came to a sudden halt.
A deep silence now settled upon the scene, only broken by the nervous rattle of the ladies’ fans.
Slim Lim now began to realize that he had no ordinary mortal before him.