e her think of fanaticism, cruelty, and the
Middle Ages. The mildest of men in general, as she found later on,
rabidness seized him at the mere mention of Jews.

"Blood," he hissed, "from the veins of Christians, for the performance
of their unholy rites. Did the gracious one never hear of ritual
murders?"

"No," said Anna, shrinking back, the nearer he leaned towards her,
"never in my life. Don't tell me now, for it--it sounds interesting. I
should like to hear about it all another time. 'A Christian lady offers
her home,'" she went on quickly, scribbling that much down, and then
looking at him inquiringly.

"_Ach ja_," he said in his natural voice, leaning back in his chair and
reducing his eyes to their normal size, "I forgot again the
advertisement. 'A Christian lady offers her home to others of her sex
and station who are without means----'"

"And without friends, and without hope," added Anna, writing.

"_Gut, gut, sehr gut._"

"She has room in her house in the country," Anna went on, writing as she
spoke, "for twelve such ladies, and will be glad to share with them all
that she possesses of fortune and happiness."

"_Gut, gut, sehr gut._"

"Is the German correct?"

"Quite correct. I would add, 'Strictest inquiries will be made before
acceptance of any application by Herr Pastor Manske of Lohm, to whom all
letters are to be addressed. Applicants must be ladies of good family,
who have fallen on evil days by the will of God.'"

Anna wrote this down as far as "days," after which she put a full stop.

"It pleases me not entirely," said Manske, musing; "the language is not
sufficiently noble. Noble schemes should be alluded to in noble words."

"But not in an advertisement."

"Why not? We ought not to hide our good thoughts from our fellows, but
rather open our hearts, pour out our feelings, spend freely all that we
have in us of virtue and piety, for the edification and exhilaration of
others."

"But not in an advertisement. I don't want to exhilarate the public."

"And why not exhilarate the public, dear Miss? Is it not composed of
units of like passions to ourselves? Units on the way to heaven, units
bowed down by the same sorrows, cheered by the same hopes, torn asunder
by the same temptations as the gracious one and myself?" And immediately
he launched forth into a flood of eloquence about units; for in Germany
sermons are all extempore, and the clergy, from constant practice,
acquire a fatal f