I asked as firmly as I could what news there was of Old Pebble.

“No way, no way,” the owner irritably said.

Then he turned on the cook and asked with a cracking voice what the meaning was of the cook’s having moved his possessions into the after-cabin.

The boatmen were mostly standing now. Su-ling got up. I saw that our little party was over, and I felt very unhappy.

In a somewhat secretive way I murmured to Su-ling my thanks for all she had taught me.

“Don’t be polite,” she casually said. I sought in her eyes some sign of deeper feeling than her tossing out of this formula had contained, but she turned away and looked at the owner.

I stepped right in front of the Old Big and thanked him for the passage on his boat.

“You owe me money,” he said, looking me straight in the eyes.

“But I paid the agreed sum in advance,” I said. “I paid it all at Ichang.”

“You owe me for food,” he said in a surly way.

“It was agreed that food was included,” I protested. “You agreed to that.”

“Food is never included,” the owner said.

I did not want to argue. At my age I wanted a sentimental parting. “How much?” I asked.

“Two taels.”

“But that is impossible! That is half again the whole charge you made at Ichang.”

“I lost my Noise Suppressor,” the owner suddenly shouted, as if all his calamities were my fault. “I gave up a sampan. We have a bad mooring. The cook sleeps in my bed. What do you want, food for nothing?”

I paid the price and my guests sheepishly began to crowd out of the room. I could not engage Su-ling’s eyes.

“Until again!” I said as cheerfully as I could.

“Until again,” some of the boatmen mumbled, though they must have known, as I did, that there would never be an again.