The Girl from Hong-Kong: A Story of Adventure Under Five Suns — page 178: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

172 FEE GIRL- FROM HONG-KONG. , Ashe pushes his way: past the eager porters who appear to handle any: possible luggage, Terry is- con-’ fronted ‘by the functionary who has-the honor to preside ever this quiet yet elegant establishment. Of course he talks French—everybody uses that -when traveling, as it-is the language of diplomacy par excel- lence. .So he descends upon this urbane proprietor very | much as the wild Cossacks are wont.to sweep down upon their foes, and such is the vehemence of his first fusillade of queries that he rather rattles mine host. Sb The American banker and his party are at his heuse, most certainly, recruiting after a'‘most exhausting jour- ney from the wilds of heathen Persia, undertaken- with some outrageous notion that such a trip would savor' of romance and give: one of ‘the number a royal chance to make pen sketches by the way. Was the baron with them? Certainly, and. at this: very hour was showing them the many ‘glorious sights of: his native city, in company with his wife—— ‘His wife?’? snaps Donahue, with the sudden vehe- mence of a spring-trap flying shut, ‘‘are you sure “it was his wife??’.. ~ io _ “Pardon, monsieur, it was my mistake; I should have said his sister.” Bi ‘‘Ah! yes, that is more like it—of course the baren’s- sister—what a fool I was not to know it. . And when-do- comicbooks.com