But Oku was nothing if not discreet. He never allowed himself to hear
anything. When Fanny nodded he merely inquired politely:
"What kind--please?"
Jimmie grinned and licked his lips. Turning to his future wife he
asked:
"What do you like?"
"What kind do you?" she laughed, anxious to keep him in good humor.
"Martini suits me all right."
Oku bowed to the ground.
"Yes, miss. Two Martini cocktails. Excuse, please! Excuse!"
With another profound salaam and retreating backwards towards the door
as if in the presence of royalty, the Japanese butler made an
impressive exit.
Jimmie had watched Oku's every movement with the greatest amusement.
When he was out of earshot he remarked with a chuckle:
"Great little chink, that!"
Fanny laughed. Teasingly she said:
"He's not a Chinaman, Jim. Don't you know a Japanese when you see
one?"
"They all look alike to me," he grinned.
Profiting by the butler's absence, the shipping clerk started on a
tour of critical inspection of the salon. Looking around, he exclaimed
with enthusiasm:
"Say--this is some room, eh?"
Virginia had left the window and was admiring some water-colors on the
walls. Overhearing the exclamation, she looked up, her glance taking
in the whole room.
"Yes--it is beautiful," she said ecstatically.
Fanny, who had been diligently rubbing the back of her magnificent
gilt chair to see if it was real gold leaf, broke in:
"While this place was being built I read in the paper that Mr.
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