“You understand him, sir?” inquired the man next the long haired stranger.
“Perfectly, perfectly. Did you ever hear anything more”—
“But I can’t understand a word he says.”
“Indeed! You are to be pitied. Ah, this seems like home. You see, I arrived from New York only an hour ago, and happening to hear of this meeting came here at once.”
“It is not possible that you are a Chinaman?”
“A Chinaman! What do you mean, Sir? I am from Boston.”
“From Boston, eh? How is it that you understand Chinese?”
“I don’t understand Chinese, sir. What do you mean?”
“Why, the man who is speaking is a missionary who has just returned from Hong Kong, and he is exhibiting his proficiency in the Chinese language by reading a chapter in the Bible in that tongue.”
The Bostonian’s face paled.