Sin. From the attache case she took out a lacquered box, silken-lined
like a jewel-casket. It contained four singular-looking pipes, the
parts of which she began to fit together. The first and largest of
these had a thick bamboo stem, an amber mouthpiece, and a tiny,
disproportionate bowl of brass. The second was much smaller and was of
some dark, highly-polished wood, mounted with silver conceived in an
ornate Chinese design representing a long-tailed lizard. The
mouthpiece was of jade. The third and fourth pipes were yet smaller, a
perfectly matched pair in figured ivory of exquisite workmanship,
delicately gold-mounted.
"These for the ladies," said Mrs. Sin, holding up the pair. "You"--
glancing at Kilfane--"have got your own pipe, I know."
She laid them upon the tray, and now took out of the case a little
copper lamp, a smaller lacquered box and a silver spatula, her
jewelled fingers handling the queer implements with a familiarity bred
of habit.
"What a strange woman!" whispered Rita to Pyne. "Is she an oriental?"
"Cuban-Jewess," he replied in a low voice.
Mrs. Sin carefully lighted the lamp, which burned with a short, bluish
flame, and, opening the lacquered box, she dipped the spatula into the
thick gummy substance which it contained and twisted the little
instrument round and round between her fingers, presently withdrawing
it with a globule of chandu, about the size of a bean, adhering to the
end.
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