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attitude, saying that the old spider, the old wolf, the old devil wanted to sell munitions but

didn't want them used.

But they had been used, and Zaharoff had had to live and see them used—and evidently that

had been bad for his subconscious mind! Zaharoff had attended the Armistice Day

ceremonies and laid a wreath on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He had thought about that

soldier, and now Lanny knew what he had thought! Had he guessed that the national hero of

France might be a Jew? Or was it that the national hero really had been a Jew? Was Zaharoff

himself a Jew, or part Jew? Lanny didn't know, and wasn't especially interested. There were

few people in Europe who didn't have Jewish blood, even those who despised the outcast

race. For two thousand years the Jews had been scattered over the old Continent like

thistledown in the wind; and the most carefully tended family trees don't always show what

pollen has fallen upon them.

X

Lanny thought: What is the old man going to make of this? He can hardly believe that I

planted it on him; that I knew about his uncle Antoniades! No, he will know that the thing

must be genuine, and when he cools off he will realize that he wasn't quite

a gentleman. Maybe he'll want to beg Tecumseh's pardon and have another try for the

duquesa.

Lanny decided that this would be interesting; so he sat down and wrote a note to be mailed

in Dieppe:

My dear Sir Basil:

I am truly sorry that the seance turned out to be so disturbing. I want to assure you that I am

not telling anyone about it. I have seen many inaccuracies appear at sittings, and I have no

interest in spreading them. You may count upon me in this.

Also he wrote a note to Rick, as follows:

I wish you would see if you can find someone to do a job of research for me; that is, go

through the records of Old Bailey prison during the 1870's and see if there is an entry of a

prisoner by the name of Sahar, or Zahar, or Zaharoff. I enclose check for ten pounds to start it

off, and if you will let me know the cost from time to time, I'll send more. Please say nothing

about this, except to the dependable person you employ.

It wasn't going to be so easy to keep quiet about that afternoon's events. Beauty's curiosity had

been aroused, and Irma's also. Fortunately Lanny had time to get over his own excitement,

and to let Madame get over her bad feelings. He told his family that he had tried an

experiment with someone who was interested, but the tests had not been conclusive, there

were certain matters which had to be looked up, and then a second test might be made; he

would tell them all about it later on. This was far from satisfactory, but he stuck to it, and

pretty soon there were other seances, and other matters to talk about. Every now and then

Beauty or Irma would say: "By the way, whatever became of that Dieppe affair?" Lanny would

answer: "It hasn't been settled yet."

From Zaharoff he received no reply.

XI

The trim white Bessie Budd steamed away—or, to be exact, was propelled by crude oil, burning

in a Diesel engine. At Bremerhaven the owner and his younger son were waiting, both proud

and happy—the latter especially so, because he was a father and his fatherhood was new and

shiny. How Freddi adored that gentle, sweet wife, and how he shivered with delight while gazing

upon the mite of life which they had created! Nearly three months had passed since he had

seen them both, and a newborn infant changes a lot in that time. The other Robins, including

Bess and the nursemaid, stood by when Freddi came aboard, sharing his happiness, of which he

made quite a show, not being an Anglo-Saxon.

They all had a right to share, because this lovely infant was a prize exhibit of their dairy farm,

so carefully supervised. Both father and grandfather had to certify themselves free of all diseases

before they came on board, and there were to be no contaminating kisses, no demoralizing

pettings, pokings, or ticklings. Wash your hands before you permit an infant to clutch your

finger, for you can observe that the first thing he does is to convey your collected germs to his

mouth.

Freddi had worked tremendously hard all year, and had got himself the coveted title of

doctor. He was a handsome fellow, not quite so tall as his brother, but having the same large

dark eyes and serious expression. He lacked Hansi's drive—he was never going to be a famous

man, only an earnest student and teacher, a devoted husband and father. Not so Red as Hansi

and Bess, but nearer to Lanny's shade; he still had hopes of the German Social-Democrats, in

spite of the timidity and lack of competence they were displaying. Freddi had said that he was

studying bourgeois economics in order to be able to teach the workers what was wrong with it.

Already he and a couple of his young friends had set up a night school along the lines of

Lanny's project in the Midi. A non-party affair, both the Socialists and the Communists took

potshots at it, greatly to Freddi's disappointment. The workers were being lined up for class

war, and there was no room for stragglers between the trenches.

Johannes had bad news for them. Business conditions in Germany were such that it was

impossible for him to set out across the Atlantic. He wanted them to go without him, and

the rest of the Robin family were willing to do this because of the promises they had made. But

the Budds knew that the purpose for which the yacht existed was to get Papa away from

business cares, and they knew that the Robins would have a hard time enjoying themselves

without him. Beauty talked it over with Lanny and his wife, and they agreed not to accept

such a sacrifice. Irma would be sorry to miss seeing her mother, but, after all, it was easier to

transport one stout queen mother across the ocean than to put a whole establishment ashore on

Long Island. Irma said she really didn't have much pleasure in any sort of social life when

she had to keep within four-hour time limits and have Miss Severne look grim if she came in

hot and tired from any sort of exercise. Irma's smart young friends would all laugh at her and

make jokes about cows. So it was better to stay on the yacht, where no explanations or

apologies had to be made and where Rahel backed you up by her good example. "Jewish

women seem to be much more maternal," said Irma. "Or is it because she is German?"

XII

It was decided that the Bessie Budd would loaf about in the North Sea and its adjoining

waters so as to come back quickly and take its owner aboard whenever he was free. There

would be regattas during the summer, and concerts and theaters in near-by cities and towns; art

galleries to be visited—yes, one could think of worse ways of spending two or three months

than on a luxury yacht based on Bremerhaven. The ship's library included Heine's

Nordseebilder, also musical settings of some of these poems. Rahel would sing, Freddi would

tootle, Hansi would scrape and scratch, Lanny and his sister would rumble and thump,

Marceline would caper and prance, and Irma and Beauty and Johannes would raid the

orchestra for a fourth hand at bridge.

The Bessie Budd steamed, or was propelled, to Copenhagen, where the party inspected the

royal palace and attended a performance at the royal theater—the latter being comfortably

within the young mothers' time limit. Lanny studied the sculptures in the Thorvald sen

museum. Many interesting works of man to be seen, but not many of nature in these low, flat