It was not a successful residence." "I know nothing about Mr.Lyne," interrupted Milburgh, sensing that Ling Chu in some way associated him with Thornton Lyne's misadventures.
"Good!" said Ling Chu, tapping the flat blade of his knife upon his palm.
"If you had lived in China--in the real China--you might have a dim idea of our people and their characteristics.

It is said that the Chinaman does not fear death or pain, which is a slight exaggeration, because I have known criminals who feared both." His thin lips curved for a second in the ghost of a smile, as though at some amusing recollection.

Then he grew serious again.
"From the Western standpoint we are a primitive people.

From our own point of view we are rigidly honourable.

Also--and this I would emphasise." He did, in fact, emphasise his words to the terror of Mr.Milburgh, with the point of his knife upon the other's broad chest, though so lightly was the knife held that Milburgh felt nothing but the slightest tingle.
"We do not set the same value upon the rights of the individual as do you people in the West.