CHAPTER VII

In the form of a letter from Professor Spence to his friend, Dr.
John Rogers.

No letter yet from you, Bones; Bainbridge must be having the
measles. Or perhaps I am not allowing for the fact that it takes
almost a fortnight to go and come across this little bit of Empire.
Also Li Ho hasn't been across the Inlet for a week. He says
"Tillicum too muchy hole. Li Ho long time patch um."

On still days, I can hear him doing it. Perhaps my hostess is right
and we are not so far away from the beach as I fancied on the night
of my arrival. I'll test this detail, and many others, soon. For
today I am sitting up. I'm sure I could walk a little, if I were to
try. But I am not in a hurry. Hurry is a vice of youth.

And I am actually getting some work done. Bones, old thing, I have
made a discovery for the lack of which many famous men have died too
soon. I have discovered the perfect secretary!

These blank lines represent all the things which I might say but
which, with great moral effort, I suppress. I know what a frightful
bore is the man who insists upon talking about a new discovery.
Therefore I shall not indulge my natural inclination to tell you
just how perfect this secretary is. I shall merely note that she is