“Hughie Fay? Like that?”
“Yes.”
“What a lovely name!.... You—I know you won't understand! It's so hard to—I am young, of course. I've been sort of in wrong. I guess you think I'm a pretty wild lot. I seem to have been trying about everything. But until to-night—oh, there's no use pretending I'm not hit all of a heap. I am. I never saw anything like her—never in my life. I don't know what the pater would say—me falling for a Manchu girl—you think I'm crazy, don't you?”
“No.”
“Perhaps I am. My head's racing. Just watching her in there makes my pulse jump. I get bewildered. Tell me—she was all Chinese the—the other time—all painted up. Big head-dress with flowers on it. Why did she do that?”
“Out of respect to her father. The rouge and the head-dress were according to Oriental custom.” He looked directly down at the boy, and added, deliberately, “Veneration of parents is the finest thing in Chinese life. I sometimes think we have nothing so fine in America.”
The boy's eyes fell. He mumbled. “Ouch! You landed there, I guess.” Then he raised his eyes. “I can't help myself—whatever I am—but I can start fresh, can't I? That's what I'm going to do, anyhow—start fresh.” He squared himself. His lip quivered.
“Will you take me in there to the viceroy, and translate my apology?”
Doane stood a moment in silence. Then he replied, quietly, “Yes.” And led the way into the social hall. He found himself watching, like a spectator, the little scene.... the viceroy rising, with a quiet smile, a gentle old man, awaiting with perfect courtesy of bearing whatever might be forthcoming; Rocky Kane, seeming younger than before, with, in fact, the appearance of an excited boy, the wild look still in his eyes but the face set with supreme determination. Doane observed now that he had a good forehead, wide and not too high. The nose was slightly aquiline, like his father's. The eyes, so dark now, were normally blue; the mouth sensitive; the skin fine in texture.
“Tell him”—thus the boy—“tell him I acted like a dirty cad, that I know better, and—and ask his pardon.”