gainst this complacent Christendom which took so much from the Jew
and gave so little. 'Shylocks!' he would mutter between his clenched
teeth as he played--'Shylocks all!'

IV

With no less punctuality did Rozenoffski pace the silent deck each
night in the hope of again meeting the red-haired Jewess. He had soon
recovered from her menial office; indeed, the paradox of her position
in so anti-Semitic a household quickened his interest in her. He
wondered if she ever listened to his playing, or had realized that
she had entertained an angel unawares.

But three nights passed without glimpse of her. Nor was her mistress
more visible. The Wilhammers kept royally to themselves in their
palatial suite, though the husband sometimes deigned to parade his
fangs in the smoking-room, where with the luck of the rich he won
heavily in the pools. It was not till the penultimate night of the
voyage that Rozenoffski caught his second glimpse of his red-haired
muse. He had started his nocturnal pacing much earlier than usual, for
the inevitable concert on behalf of marine charities had sucked the
loungers from their steamer-chairs. He had himself, of course, been
approached by the programme-organizer, a bouncing actress from
'Frisco, with an irresistible air, but he had defeated her hopelessly
with the mysterious sarcasm: 'To meet the Bright Lights?' And his
reward was to have the deck and the heavens almost to himself, and
presently to find the stars outgleamed by a girl's hair. Yes, there
she was, gazing pensively forth from the cabin window. He guessed the
mistress was out for once--presumably at the concert. His heart beat
faster as he came to a standstill, yet the reminder that she was a
lady's maid brought an involuntary note of condescension into his
voice.

'I hope Mrs. Wilhammer hasn't been keeping you too imprisoned?' he
said.

She smiled faintly. 'Not so close as Neptune has kept her.'

'Ill?' he said, with a shade of malicious satisfaction.

'It is curious and even consoling to see the limitations of Croesus,'
she replied. 'But she is lucky--she just recovered in time.'

'In time for what?'

'Can't you hear?'

Indeed, the shrill notes of an amateur soprano had been rending the
air throughout, but they had scarcely penetrated through his
exaltation. He now shuddered.

'Do you mean it is she singing?'

The girl laughed outright. 'She sing! No, no, she is a sensitive
receiver. She receives; she gives out noth