He cleared his throat, referred to the paper in his hand and propounded the first question as follows:
"Question number one: Are you a white or a Japanese girl?"
Answer from Sunny:
"I are white on my face and my honourable body, but I are Japanese on my honourable insides."
Muffled mirth followed this reply, and Professor Barrowes having both blown his nose and cleared his throat applied his glasses to his nose but was obliged to wait a while before resuming, and then:
"Question number two: Who were or are your parents? Japanese or white people?"
Sunny, her cheeks very red and her eyes very bright:
"Aexcuse me. I are god no parents or ancestors on those worl'. I sawry. I miserable girl wizout no ancestor."
"Question number three: You had parents. You remember them. What nationality was your mother? I believe Madame Many Smiles was merely her professional pseudonym. I have heard her variously described as white, partly white, half caste. What was she—a white woman or a Japanese?"
Sunny was thinking of that radiant little mother as last she had seen her in the brilliant dancing robes of the dead geisha. The questions were touching the throbbing cords of a memory that pierced. Over the sweet young face a shadow crept.