"You know," murmured Kilfane, "old Sin Sin has his uses, Lola. Those
doors are perfectly made."
"Pooh!" scoffed the woman, with a flash of her dark eyes; "he is half
a ship's carpenter and half an ape!"
She moved along the passage, her arm linked in that of Sir Lucien. The
others followed, and:
"Is she truly married to that dreadful Chinaman?" whispered Mollie
Gretna.
"Yes, I believe so," murmured Kilfane. "She is known as Mrs. Sin Sin
Wa."
"Oh!" Mollie's eyes opened widely. "I almost envy her! I have read
that Chinamen tie their wives to beams in the roof and lash them with
leather thongs until they swoon. I could die for a man who lashed me
with leather thongs. Englishmen are so ridiculously gentle to women."
Opening a door on the left of the corridor, Mrs. Sin displayed a room
screened off into three sections. One shaded lamp high up near the
ceiling served to light all the cubicles, which were heated by small
charcoal stoves. These cubicles were identical in shape and
appointment, each being draped with quaint Chinese tapestry and
containing rugs, a silken divan, an armchair, and a low, Eastern
table.
"Choose for yourself," said Mrs. Sin, turning to Rita and Mollie
Gretna. "Nobody else come tonight.
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