opposite to the scene, stood Mohr
endeavoring to discover the cause of this nocturnal assemblage.

A woman's sharp voice suddenly became audible above the confused
buzzing and murmuring.

"Let the wet lump bring us into trouble? No, indeed. We're too smart
for that. That's the third charming gift this week. First the drunken
harper, then the new born babe, and now--"

"Don't scream so, mother," said a sturdy young fellow, who had just
snatched the lantern from his neighbor's hand and turned its light full
on the face of the prostrate figure, "You'll bring the police upon us."

"That I will," cried the woman, "and at once. When we took that sewing
girl out of the water last Easter, and I put her in my own bed and made
a cup of tea to restore her to her senses--what did the wicked minx do?
Stole six pairs of gloves from a shop the very same day, and because
we'd had her with us, we too got nabbed by the police just as if we
were receivers of stolen goods. And I'm to get myself into trouble
again by my kindness to strangers! God forbid. Let the police take care
of the whole brood of suicides. Carl, put on something warm and run as
fast as you can, till you find a watchman. We've taken a strange woman
out of the water, who was dead as a door nail, and the rest of it."

"Stop," suddenly cried a hoarse voice. All turned toward the landing
and to their astonishment saw Mohr leap down the steps and rush across
the narrow wooden bridge to the deck. The next instant he had snatched
the lantern from the captain's hand and fallen on his knees beside the
lifeless form. The light fell brightly on the pallid face, whose half
parted lips seemed still quivering with the agony of departing life.
The heavy eyebrows were painfully contracted, and only a narrow strip
of the eyes gleamed under the wearily closed lids. This rigid, almost
masculine countenance, had obtained in death an expression of gentle,
child-like helplessness, which exerted a softening influence even on
the rude minds of the sailors. Mohr dropped the lantern, which was
extinguished in its fall. For an instant the deepest darkness prevailed
on deck.

When the boatman's wife, who had been completely silenced by the sudden
interruption, had lighted the lantern, Mohr started up.

"How long is it since you found this lady and drew her out of the
water?" he asked.

"Not half an hour. But no one can tell how long she's been floating,"
said the man to whom the boat belon