myself did."

Frederick suffered. He looked sidewise at the armless trunk, and his soul
writhed in humiliation at the thought of his own ridiculousness.

Stoss went on to philosophise on erotics in general. He, the Don Juan
without arms, read Frederick a lecture on the art of handling women.
This led to his boasting, which detracted markedly from his quality of
fineness. His intellect also shrank in direct proportion to the increase
of his vanity. Something seemed to be working in him impelling him to
impress people at all costs with his successes as a man.

A servant-girl led two children by. Frederick drew a breath of relief,
for she diverted Stoss from his unsavoury theme.

"Well, Rosa," he called, "how is Mrs. Liebling?" It was his habit to
obtrude himself upon everybody. From the gossip of Bulke, his valet, he
had learned of Rosa and her cross. The difficult lady she served was the
excitable person of whom the barber had told Frederick and with whom he
was acquainted from certain impressions of his hearing. Rosa, who was
carrying Ella Liebling, a girl of five years, on her crimson arm, looked
pleased and laughed.

"She is not coming on deck. She's taken up with fortune-telling and
table-turning."

Bulke, in whose eyes Rosa seemed to have found unqualified favour, took
Siegfried Liebling, a boy of seven, from her hand and helped her place
both children safely in steamer chairs.

"There is nothing to beat a crazy woman," Stoss declared. "That Mrs.
Liebling actually called in Mr. Pfundner, the head-steward, to help her
with Rosa"--the very Rosa, who unwearyingly and self-sacrificingly
worked for her day and night, in good weather and bad. The worst to be
said against her was that at utmost she was a little too ready with her
tongue.

XXVII

The music was still playing, the sun was still shining from a slightly
clouded sky. On the dry deck the travelling city, in the gayest, most
superficial mood, was still dancing in the face of the infiniteness of
heaven and sea. A steward came up to Frederick and presented the second
engineer, who brought a message from Doctor Wilhelm asking Frederick to
come to him immediately. The engineer led Frederick to the engine-room
and down a perpendicular iron ladder. The warm, heavy smell of oil almost
robbed Frederick of his breath. The downward climb seemed endless.

On all sides the engines were working. Frederick glanced at the gigantic
cylinders, in which the com