"Well, to tell you the truth, I don't trust him," he blurted out.
"But Papa likes him," said Billie, simply, feeling that her father's sanction was as good as a royal stamp of approval.
"Oh, yes, of course. Everybody likes him. It isn't that."
"Then what are you driving at?"
"Good heavens, I don't know what I am driving at. Only, you see, I introduced Yoritomo to the family and something happened the other day that made me uneasy. It seemed to me that I ought to warn you not to get too thick with him—that is—not you but Miss Brown. You see, Japanese are different—they take things more seriously—" Nicholas plunged deeper and deeper in.
"Can't you tell me what happened?"
"That's the queer part. There's nothing really to tell. It was one of those little incidents that mean everything or nothing. I couldn't tell Mr. Campbell because it was too insignificant, but I thought I might make a clean breast of it to you and you could warn Miss Brown—well—not to talk too much to Yoritomo. She might tell him something—"
"But Nancy hasn't any secrets to tell, Mr. Grimm."
"I thought you promised to call me Nicholas? I didn't say she had, but these Japanese are the wiliest people. They will use you without your knowing you are being used. Couldn't you just tell Miss Nancy to be careful without explaining why? Don't girls ever do that? Just say that Yoritomo's a Jap, and Japs are deep people and she had better not tell him all she knows."
Billie laughed.