But I wish you could have seen the old fellow’s eyes, Bones.  I think they might have told some tale to a medical mind.  Normally, his eyes are blurry like the rest of his fatherly face.  And their color, I think, is blue.  But just then they looked like no eyes I have ever seen.  A cold light on burnished steel is the only simile I can think of—­perfect hardness, perfect coldness, lustre without depth!  The description is poor, but you may get the idea better if I describe the effect of the look rather than the look itself.  The warm spot in my heart froze.  And it takes something fairly eerie to freeze the heart at its core.

From this, as a budding psychologist, I draw a conclusion—­there was something abnormal, something not quite human in that flashing look.  The conclusion seems somewhat strained now.  But at the time I was undoubtedly glad to see Li Ho.  Li Ho may be a Chink, but he is human.

You may gather that our “battle of the Glances” did not smooth my pillow here.  If the old chap didn’t want me to stay before, he is even less anxious for my company now.  But I am going to stay.  Aunt Caroline would call this stubbornness.  But of course it isn’t.  It is merely a certain strength of character and a business determination to carry out a business bargain.  Dr. Farr allowed me to engage board here and to pay for it.  I am under no obligation to take cognizance of his deeper feelings.

The only feelings which concern me in this matter are the feelings of his daughter.  If my staying were to prove a burden for her I could not, of course, stay.  But I see many ways in which I may be helpful, and I know that she needs and wants the secretarial work which I have given her.  Usually she holds her head high and one isn’t even allowed to guess.  But one does guess.  Her meagre ration of life is plain beyond all artifice of pride.

John, she interests me intensely.  She is a strange child.  She is a strange woman.  For both child and woman she seems to be, in fascinating combination.  But, lest you should mistake me, good old bone-head, let me make it plain that there is absolutely no danger of my falling in love with her.  My interest is not that kind of interest.  I am far too hard headed to be susceptible.  I can appreciate the tragedy of a charming girl placed in such unsavory environment, and feel impelled to seek some way of escape for her without being for one moment disturbed by that unreasoning madness called love.  Every student of psychology understands the nature and the danger of loving.  ’Every sensible student profits by what he understands.  You and I have had this out before and you know my unalterable determination never to allow myself to become the slave of those primitive and passing instincts.  Nature, the old hussy, is welcome to the use of man as a tool for her own purposes.  But there are enough tools without me.  The race will not perish because I intend to remain my own man.  But I shall have to evolve some way of helping Miss Farr.  She cannot be left here under these conditions.