few moments before Hartley's eyes became accustomed to the sudden
change. Second-hand clothes hung on pegs around the room, and all kinds
of articles were jumbled together regardless of their nature. On the
floor was a litter of silk and silver goods, boxes, broken portmanteaux,
ropes, baskets, and on the counter nearest the door a tiny silver cage
of beautiful workmanship inhabited by a tiny golden bird with ruby eyes.

At the back of the shop and near the yellow circle of light thrown by
the candles, was a boy, naked to the waist, and immensely stout and
heavy. His long plait of hair was twisted round and round on his shaven
forehead, and he stood perfectly still, watching the officer out of
small pig eyes. He was chewing something slowly, turning it about and
about inside a small, narrow slit of a mouth, and his whole expression
was cunning and evil. Leh Shin followed Hartley's glance and saw the
boy, and the sight of him seemed to recall him to actual life, for he
spoke in words that sounded like stones knocking together and ordered
him out of the shop. The boy looked at him oddly for a moment; then
turned away, still munching, and lounged out of the room, stopping on
the threshold of a back entrance to take one more look at Hartley.

As a rule Hartley was not affected by the peculiarities of the people he
dealt with, but Leh Shin's assistant impressed him unpleasantly.
Everything he did was offensive, and his whole suggestion loathsome.
Hartley was still thinking of him when he looked at Leh Shin, who stood
blinking before him, awaiting his words patiently.

"Now, Leh Shin, I want to ask you a few questions. Do you sell lacquer
in this shop?"

The Chinaman indicated that he sold anything that anyone would buy.