THE SIAMESE CAT
bend! Take your mask off, every one else is unmasked, eh?"
"Cut out the humour," replied Scarlett, sheathing the sword grimly. "And spare me your friendliness. Straight facts or nothing."
"As you please." The guide lighted a Burmah cheroot, and sighed forth a blue cloud of smoke. "Be a prig if you like. I see you're in a frightful wax because I killed that swine of a coolie. But he'd have done for me if I hadn't. 'Dilly, Dilly, come and be killed'—that doesn't appeal to me. So I hit first, and—'my vorpal blade went snicker-snack.' As you must have seen. Got the beast right enough. Finish! A good job, too. If we judge a man by his friends characters, you ought to know that coolie was no angel. It's dry talking: just ring for drinks, won't you?"
Scarlett made no movement.
"Can't stoop to it eh?" jeered Borkman.
[ 116 ]
