at his forgetfulness, he hurried along the street,
determined to waste no time. On occasions he could relinquish his lazy,
slouching gait, and he would hurry always to obey the commands of
the king his son. A pleasant smile at the thought of the pleasure his
present would cause softened the sinister mould of his lips, and he sang
softly to himself as he moved quickly cityward.

Before he had gone many yards an oath broke in upon the music, and he
darted swiftly under the shadow of a wall; for coming forward him was
Amos the Jew. But the old man's sharp eyes detected the victim, and,
following Gregorio into his hiding-place, Amos laid his hand upon the
Greek.

"Why do you try to hide when we have so much to say to one another?"

Gregorio shook himself from the Jew's touch and professed ignorance of
the necessity for speech.

"Come, come, my friend, the money you borrowed is still owing in part."

"But you will be paid. We are saving money; we cannot put by all we
earn--we must live."

"I will be paid now; if I am not, you are to blame for the
consequences."

And with a courtly salute the Jew passed on. Now Gregorio had not
forgotten his debt, nor the Jew's threats, and he fully intended to
pay what he owed. But of course it would take time, and the man was
too impatient. He realised he had been foolish not to pay something on
account; but it hurt him to part with gold. He determined, however,
to send Amos something when he returned home. So good a watch had been
kept, he never doubted the child's safety. But it would be awkward if
Amos got him put in jail. So he reckoned up how much he could afford to
pay, and, having bought the toy, returned eagerly home. He ran upstairs,
singing a barcarole at the top of his voice, and rushed into the room,
waving the model ship above his head. "See here," he cried, "is the
ship! I have not forgotten it." But his shout fell to a whisper. The
room was empty.

With a heartbroken sob the man fell swooning on the floor.

IX--A DISCOVERY AND A CONSPIRACY

For long he lay stretched out upon the floor in a state of
half-consciousness. He could hear the mosquitos buzzing about his face,
he could hear, too, the sounds of life rise up from the street below;
but he was able to move neither arm nor leg, and his head seemed
fastened to the floor by immovable leaden weights. That his son was lost
was all he understood.

How long he lay there he scarcely knew, but it seemed to him