t' come to f'r half 'n hour. I said I'd give ton er Crown Derby for
bashket champagne 'n' she didn't speak to me rester 'zhe week. Jush
shows how shum people--"

"Nein!"

"Eh?"

"It vasn't shina."

"By zhove, you 'rouse my cur'os'ty, Woffski. If 'tain't picshur er
piece pottery, wha' deuce is't?"

"You shall see."

"Myst'ry! Well, I'm great boy f'r myst'ries. Hullo! Zis, zh' place?"

They had walked through Twenty-ninth Street, into Second Avenue, and had
reached the center of a gloomy and dismal block. Directly in front of
the gloomiest and most dismal house of all Bludoffski had suddenly
stopped, and in answer to Mr. O'Royster's exclamation, he drew from his
pocket a latch-key and opened the side door.

The entry was dark, but the glimmer of a light was visible at the end of
the hall. He did not speak, but motioned with his hand an invitation for
Mr. O'Royster to go in. It was accepted, not, however, without a slight
manifestation of reluctance. Mr. O'Royster's senses were somewhat
clouded, but the shadows of the entry were dark enough to impress even
him with a vague feeling of dread.

Bludoffski shut the door behind them carefully and drew a bolt or two.
Then he led the way down the hall toward the light. As they advanced
voices were heard, one louder than the rest, which broke out in rude
interruption, dying down into a sort of murmuring accompaniment.

When they reached the end of the hall Bludoffski opened another door and
they entered a large beer saloon. At a score of tables men were sitting,
many apparently of German birth. They were smoking pipes, drinking beer,
and listening to the hoarse voice of an orator standing in the furthest
corner of the room.

He was a little round man with little round eyes, a little round nose, a
little round stomach, and little round legs. Though very small in
person, his voice was formidable enough, and he appeared to be
astonishingly in earnest.

Bludoffski's entrance created a considerable stir. Several persons began
to applaud, and some said, "Bravo! bravo!" One sharp-visaged and angular
man with black finger-nails, spectacles, and a high tenor voice, cried
out with a burst of enthusiasm, "Hail! Dear apostle uf luf!" a sentiment
that brought out a general and spontaneous cheer. Mr. O'Royster,
apparently under the impression that he was the object of these
flattering attentions, bowed and smiled with the greatest cheerfulness
and murmured something about this b