any
other part of the building?"

At that the laugh among the people in the room and about the doorway grew
louder,--it seemed so good a joke that anyone should take those wax
figures for living people--and a burly German, taking pity on Walter's
stupidity, said; "Mine frient, dose vos vax beobles, ha, ha, ha! dey don't
can't say nodings."

With that the laughter grew louder, and another German, evidently
good-naturedly desirous to relieve Walter's embarrassment, spoke, turning
as he did so to the first speaker:

"Dat vasn't no sign de young shentlemans vas dumb; he don't can't help it;
he t'ot dey vas life beoples."

"Nefer you mine dose silly fellows, young shentleman, dey doan' know
noddings."

The words seemed to come from the lips of the waxen man, and struck the
crowd with astonishment. "I would tell you vat you vants to know," he
added, "but I pees von stranger in dose barts mineself."

Then the woman seemed to speak: "Come to de dable, mine frient, and eat
somedings mit us."

"Thank you, very much," returned Walter, "you are most kind and
hospitable, but I cannot think of intruding upon your hospitality." And
with a bow directed toward her and her spouse, he turned and left the
room, the rest of his party following and leaving the little crowd of
Germans gazing at each other and the waxen figures in wide-eyed,
open-mouthed astonishment.

"Papa," complained little Ned as they left the German quarter, "I'm so
tired and sleepy."

"Hungry, too, papa's boy, aren't you?" was the kindly enquiring rejoinder.
"Well, papa will take you back to our floating home, and leave you there
with your nurse to be fed and have a good, long nap. I think Elsie would
like to go too. Wouldn't you, daughter?"

The little girl gave a glad assent, and arranging with his wife and older
daughters where to meet them on his return, the captain set off with the
two little ones for the _Dolphin_.

CHAPTER VII.

Captain Raymond was not gone very long, and on his return found the others
sitting quietly listening to the music of the German band. But they were
ready to go at his invitation and test the excellence of the fare to be
obtained at the Woman's Building.

"There are _cafes_ at each end of the roof covered with Oriental awnings,"
he said, "and surely we may expect as good fare at a woman's establishment
as anywhere else."

"I think we certainly should," said Rosie in a sprightly tone; "and there
must be a lovely