ncts. It is loathsome to me. And their clumsy phrases
revealing the indifference, the obtuseness of their souls make me
shudder. In their eyes I see that calm selfish sense of their own
security to the damage of another person's security which is at the
bottom of a murderous madness that I myself experienced. Those men are
cold men, they are murderous men. And a brutal state of self-defence but
slightly veiled and suppressed is their permanent state."

"Your friends, it seems to me, must have behaved very badly," Miss Burns
said, laughing.

To this Frederick could not truthfully assent. He merely repeated:

"The way I feel about it is that they have taken the ship between their
teeth, the ship with all its timber and iron and its immense human cargo,
and chewed it to a pulp, and swallowed it down without leaving a trace
behind." He removed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair.

"If you really do wish to lunch with me, Doctor von Kammacher, you must
not have high-flown notions, like Mr. Ritter," said Miss Burns halting in
front of a tidy little restaurant.

They entered a low room with a red brick floor and panelled walls and
ceiling. Owing to the enormous timber resources of their country, the
Americans make a very free, though refined use of wood. The clean little
room was frequented by German barbers, riding-masters, coachmen, and
clerks. An inexpensive lunch and the usual American drinks were dispensed
at the bar. The corner where the proprietor sat was decorated with a
small collection of sporting pictures, well-known jockeys with their
horses, acrobats, and baseball champions. Something in his appearance
suggested that at night he had different customers to deal with than in
the daytime, that his athletic figure--he was neatly dressed, but in his
shirt sleeves--was meant to inspire respect in his clients. Frederick
still suffered from too much breeding, and he was secretly astonished
that Eva Burns ventured into such a place.

"You are late, Miss Burns. Aren't you feeling well?" inquired the host,
with an immobile mask-like seriousness of expression.

"Oh, yes, Mr. Brown. I'm always all right," Miss Burns answered brightly.
"Bring me my regular lunch. But the gentleman, I am afraid, will not be
satisfied with it. Perhaps you have something special for him?"

Frederick, however, insisted upon ordering the very same as Miss Burns.

"I give you fair warning," she said when they were alone, "I really do