“Of course,” answered Billie.  “But what of it?”

“Well,” began Nicholas slowly, “Yoritomo has been a good friend to me.  I have always liked him and looked up to him because he’s a deal cleverer than I am and a wonderful student,—­but lately,—­it’s hard to explain to you, Miss Bille, but I—­”

“Don’t you like him any more?”

“No, no, it isn’t that.”  Nicholas paused again and wiped beads of perspiration from his face.  He shifted his position and dug his hands into his pockets.  “I don’t think I can say it,” he said.  “I thought I could, but it’s too deuced hard.”

“Go on, you silly boy.”

“Well, to tell you the truth, I don’t trust him,” he blurted out.

“But Papa likes him,” said Billie, simply, feeling that her father’s sanction was as good as a royal stamp of approval.

“Oh, yes, of course.  Everybody likes him.  It isn’t that.”

“Then what are you driving at?”

“Good heavens, I don’t know what I am driving at.  Only, you see, I introduced Yoritomo to the family and something happened the other day that made me uneasy.  It seemed to me that I ought to warn you not to get too thick with him—­that is—­not you but Miss Brown.  You see, Japanese are different—­they take things more seriously—­” Nicholas plunged deeper and deeper in.

“Can’t you tell me what happened?”

“That’s the queer part.  There’s nothing really to tell.  It was one of those little incidents that mean everything or nothing.  I couldn’t tell Mr. Campbell because it was too insignificant, but I thought I might make a clean breast of it to you and you could warn Miss Brown—­well—­not to talk too much to Yoritomo.  She might tell him something—­”

“But Nancy hasn’t any secrets to tell, Mr. Grimm.”

“I thought you promised to call me Nicholas?  I didn’t say she had, but these Japanese are the wiliest people.  They will use you without your knowing you are being used.  Couldn’t you just tell Miss Nancy to be careful without explaining why?  Don’t girls ever do that?  Just say that Yoritomo’s a Jap, and Japs are deep people and she had better not tell him all she knows.”

Billie laughed.

“Why, yes, I could, I suppose, but I’m sure it’s not necessary.  She doesn’t know anything to tell.”

“Whew!” ejaculated Nicholas, fanning himself with his hat.  “I’d rather dig a tunnel through a mountain than have to do that again.  I decided I had to do it and I have been working it over in my mind for days.  First I thought of Miss Campbell, but she would have gone off her head about it.  Miss Brown wouldn’t have understood, either.  She would have been angry, I suppose.  So I decided to come to you.  I felt sure you would understand and know exactly what to do.”