ney in that little witch just now? As the
American business man says, 'There's money in it.' Don't forget we're in
the dollar land, where you can't rest until the ground has been
completely exhausted and the last nugget of gold has been extracted."

Frederick was outraged. He felt like taking his hat and running away. In
his present mood, he could scarcely conceive why he had come to meet
these people. To turn the conversation and give vent to his spite and ill
humour, and also for a nobler reason, he suddenly began to speak of the
maid, Rosa, denouncing the American newspapers for having said almost
nothing of the heroic girl.

"It would be of far more importance to me to do something for her than
for any other woman. I'm not a man to bargain and haggle; but if a
collection was made and they did not collect for Rosa, then they
neglected a true heroine of the _Roland_."

"What do you mean by that? What do you mean?" Fleischmann demanded
somewhat rudely, afraid of losing his booty.

Here Bulke intervened.

"Remember, Mr. Fleischmann, Rosa was the first to see you. If Rosa hadn't
dragged you out of the water--she's as strong as a bear--the rest of us
in the boat might merely have struck you over the head with our oars and
let you sink."

"You're talking nonsense, you numskull," said Fleischmann, withdrawing
and turning toward the wall with the pictures. "I keep seeing nothing but
those two moonstruck oxen." He referred to one of the wonderful
Daubignys.

Frederick paid and took leave, declining, as politely as he could, their
proposition that they all lunch together.

XIII

When alone on the street, Frederick felt some disgust with himself for
lacking humour. Were those innocent men to blame if he happened to have
rasped nerves? Since it was Frederick's way, as soon as he perceived that
he had done a wrong, to set resolutely to work to undo it to the full
extent of his ability, he decided, after coming to the conclusion that
the fault had been his, to lunch with his shipmates after all. He had
been walking about eight minutes. He now turned back, accelerating his
pace, and within five minutes the sign of the Hoffman House was again in
sight. Broadway as usual was crowded, and the two endless chains of
yellow cable cars with short spaces between were perpetually moving by
each other. It was cold and windy. There was a great din and bustle on
the streets, and into the din and bustle Frederick saw his frie