Ah Fe, without examining the apartment, saw that it was scantily furnished.
Ah Fe, without removing his eyes from blank vacancy, saw that both Mrs.
Tretherick and Carry were poorly dressed.

Yet it is my duty to state that Ah Fe's long fingers closed promptly and firmly over the half-dollar which Mrs.Tretherick extended to him.
Then he began to fumble in his blouse with a series of extraordinary contortions.

After a few moments, he extracted from apparently no particular place a child's apron, which he laid upon the basket with the remark: "One piecee washman flagittee." Then he began anew his fumblings and contortions.

At last his efforts were rewarded by his producing, apparently from his right ear, a many-folded piece of tissue paper.

Unwrapping this carefully, he at last disclosed two twenty-dollar gold pieces, which he handed to Mrs.
Tretherick.
"You leavee money topside of blulow, Fiddletown.