I won't go into the story, but
there were overwhelming reasons why they should think well of each
other; why Lee Fu should respect and honor Turner, and why Turner should
hold Lee Fu as his best friend.
"'I did not know of the plan until he had accepted,' Lee Fu was saying.
'I did everything in my power to dissuade him.'
"'Didn't Wilbur do the right thing?'
"'Oh, yes. But it is unthinkable, Captain, that he should command the
"Speedwell." The jealous gods have not yet shown their hand.'
"'Nonsense, Lee Fu!' I exclaimed, a little irritated. 'Since the thing
is done, hadn't we better try to be practical?'
"'Exactly,' said Lee Fu. 'Let us be practical. Captain, is it impossible
for the Caucasian to reason from cause to effect? There seems to be no
logic in your design; which explains many curious facts of history. I
have merely insisted that a man who would do one thing would do another,
and that, sooner or later, life would present to him another thing to
do.'
"'But I've known too many men to escape what you call destiny,' I argued
peevishly.
"'Have you?' inquired Lee Fu.
"That year I went into the Malay Archipelago for an extended cruise, was
gone seven months among the islands, and reached Hong Kong just ahead of
a bad blow. Typhoon signals were flying from the Peak as I came in; the
sky to the eastward had lowered and darkened like a shutter, and the
breeze had begun to whip in vicious gusts across the harbor.
Pages:
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150