Anonymous - The Adventures of Grace and Anna

'This I accordingly did, and as you will remember, Anna, I left the package at your house, and told you that I was going somewhere on Saturday and would stop in for it on Saturday morning.

'Well, Saturday morning came, and I was up early and hurried to your house, after telling my folks that I was going on a “hike” out of town, and you, sleepy head'-this to the listening Anna-'as you were sound asleep, I secured my package, and going into the bathroom donned all of my new finery and left my old things neatly wrapped under the bath tub.

'I hurried to the restaurant, and early as it was I found Mr. Mott all ready and waiting for me, and whispering to me to slip downstairs and to wait around the corner, he dismissed me.

'I returned to the street, and turning the corner of- Street, which as you know is always quiet, I stood there for only a minute before a car drew up to the curb and to my surprise I saw Mr. Mott within it.

'He motioned me to enter and I hurriedly cast a glance around and did so and we were quickly whisked away by the driver.

'We drove for quite a while, and finally we stopped, and I saw we were in the Chinese quarter and were before a Chinese laundry. Was the dignified Mr. Ling a Chinese laundryman?

'I had not much time to think as Mr. Mott hustled me from the machine and into the shop, and no sooner were we in than we were into the back room out of observation. There was one man in the room, a Chinaman, and he manifested no surprise at our entrance but stood before Mr. Mott.

'Mr. Mott said something in Chinese and the man drew a cupboard out from the wall, and to my surprise an opening presented itself and Mr. Mott invited me to enter.

'I hesitated a moment, scared by the darkness of the opening, but thinking that I had come this far, I determined to proceed, and following Mr. Mott, entered the dark passage-way. After walking a few feet we came to an iron door, which he unlocked, and then I found we were in what I presumed to be the adjoining house.

'A few more steps and we came out into a long hallway, and a Chinese servant, a young girl, who was evidently awaiting us, smiled at me and bowed, and Mr. Mott, giving me into her care, suddenly took his departure, leaving me there in the quiet corridor.

' “Come,” said the Chinese girl in perfect English, “you are to follow me. I am Ling's servant and will conduct you to a room where you may arrange your toilet before meeting my master.”

'I was somewhat confused at the suddenness of all this, but followed the girl up the long winding stairs, and she conducted me into a room that was furnished with all the articles necessary for a careful toilet, and she then left me, gliding out of the room, her soft slippers making no sound on the heavy carpet.

'I gazed into the elegant mirror and arranged a few locks of my hair and dabbed my face with powder and anxiously awaited the return of the servant. In a few minutes she came back, and smiling again she led me out, down the hall, and coming to the door of another room, she whispered that she was about to conduct me into the presence of Mr. Ling. She threw open the door and motioned me to enter before her.

'The flood of light that came through the suddenly opened door startled me for an instant, but accustoming my eyes to the new scene I saw that it was a luxuriously furnished room, set out as a library, and seated in a large chair was Ki-Ling.

'He was attired in what I thought must be full Chinese costume, wearing a long kimono, and a small cap with a button topping it on his head, and he sat still, his oblique eyes ravishing my form from head to toe.

'“You may go, Santi,” he said shortly, “I shall ring for you if I want you.” And the Chinese girl made a low bow and left the room.

'He regarded me for a moment without a word, then, rising to his feet, he made a low bow and said, “I am pleased, dear Miss, to meet you again, and according to our dear friend, Mr. Mott, under such favourable circumstances to myself. I trust that the information that you imparted to Mr. Mott was right and correct, and that in coming here, you have determined to take advantage of the poor help that I can give you, and in return to offer yourself to my pleasure. Is that right, my dear?” And his eyes glistened with what I was sure was lust and sensuality.

' “Why, yes, Mr. Ling,” I said, somewhat nervously, I must admit, “I told Mr. Mott that I would-would be nice to you in the way you wish- and he gave me twenty-five dollars and told me…”

“That I would give you another seventy-five,” finished Mr. Ling, seeing that I was blushing with embarrassment. “Well, he is right, my dear, and now that you are here, I will outline the entertainment that I have arranged for your especial benefit.”

' “Entertainment?” I echoed, not knowing what in the world he meant by this. “Entertainment for me? I guess, Mr. Ling, that I am somewhat stupid, as I thought that I was to be here for your entertainment…”

'He smiled at this, and coming closer to me, motioned me to seat myself on a low couch that stood against the wall, and continued, “A girl like you, my dear, is worthy of much more than I, in my humble way, could furnish, but I have arranged in our own peculiar way, a slight form of Chinese entertainment that I am sure will in no way prove offensive to you. I suppose you have not as yet dined, and it is a little dinner that I have arranged, and at it I will have a number of my friends, who will, however, have nothing to do with the little matter that you and I have in mind.” And here he bent a significant glance on me, causing me to blush furiously and to turn my eyes from him. “And you may assure yourself, my dear Grace, that among those present, there are none that will in any way claim your attention, much less your kind services.”

'As he finished he again walked back to his seat and pulled a bell-cord; the silent Chinese girl again entered the room, and Ling telling me that it was his desire that I apparel myself in Chinese fashion, he entrusted me into her care and she again conducted me back to the room that I had so recently departed.

'Once within, she closed the door, and going to a closet, opened it and displayed to my eyes a number of Chinese robes, all wonderful in colour and design, and indicated that I was to select from them the one that I desired to wear.

'I gave a little cry of surprise, and looking them all over selected a wonderfully embroidered one, and she, laying it on the bed, then pulled open one of the drawers of a huge chest and unveiled to my eyes the most gorgeous selection of foamy, silken underclothing and many, many pairs of sheer spider-work silken stockings.

'Of these I also selected a number of things, and with the assistance of the girl, completely undressed to the skin and decked myself in my new apparel. She then produced a pair of tiny, list slippers, and putting them on my feet, brought a cute, bespangled hair ornament and then led me to the glass to observe the results of her labours.

'I gave a little cry of astonishment at the result, and it certainly did change my appearance a lot; now that I was ready she again led me back to the room of Ki-Ling.

'He was walking about the room and at the sight of me in my Chinese clothes, gave a little grunt of approval and dismissed the girl with a wave of his hand. He then rang a gong in the room, and after listening a moment offered me his arm; proceeding through another door that I had not noticed, we walked down a hall to a large dining-room in the centre of which was a low table decorated with flowers; silent Chinese attendants stood against the wall.

'To my surprise there were no chairs in the room, the guests seating themselves on huge cushions, and I saw all were dressed in Chinese fashion and some were wearing medals and decorations. I noticed that there were no other girls present. Ling led me to the head of the low table and allowed me to sink on the cushions beside him; the others sat down and the servants began to place before us a variety of dishes such as I had never seen, much less tasted before.