again, as he slept, and the outside world grew from grey to green, and
from green to misty gold. The sunlight flamed on the spire of the
Pagoda, it danced up the brown river and threw long shadows before its
coming, those translucent shadows that no artist has ever yet been able
to paint. It turned the mohur trees blood-red, and the grass to shining
emerald green, and Mangadone looked as though it had just come fresh
from the hands of its Creator.

Mhtoon Pah, recovered from his fit, was in his shop early, and he
himself went out to cleanse the effigy outside with a white duster, and
to set his wares in order. It was a good day for sales, as a liner had
come in and brought with it many rich Americans, and Mhtoon Pah was glad
to sell to such as they. His stock-in-trade was beautiful and
attractive, and in the centre of the table, where the unset stones
glittered and shone on white velvet, there stood a bowl, a gold lacquer
bowl of perfect symmetry and very great beauty. He poised it on his
hands once or twice and examined it carefully. As it was already sold it
was not to remain in the curio shop, but Mhtoon Pah was a careful man,
and he desired that Mrs. Wilder should fetch it herself; besides, he
liked her car to stand outside his shop, and he liked her to come in and
look at his goods. Very few people who came in to look, went away
without having bought several things they did not in the least want.
Mhtoon Pah knew exactly how to lure by influence, and he knew that Mrs.
Wilder could no more turn away from a grey-and-pink shot silk than Eve
could refuse the forbidden fruit.

He spread out a sea-blue Mandarin's coat, embroidered with peaches, and
small, crafty touches of black here and there, and looked at it with the
loving eye of a connoisseur. His whole shop was a fountain of colour,
and he was not unworthy of it in his silk petticoat. A ray of sunlight