ng. When Frederick lay on his
bed, he could see the yellow brass pendulum gleam back and forth behind
a small glass door. The dial was a curiosity. It was painted in garish
colors in a primitive style and represented a chubby-cheeked sun wearing
the Island of Heligoland as a crown. Below the face, little metal
sailing vessels connected with the clockwork swayed back and forth in
the same sober rhythm as the pendulum. This was designed to make the
tempest-tossed seafarer doubly sensible of the comforts of a solid
hearth.

"When was it," Frederick pondered, "that I listened to Mr. Garry's
cutting remarks, Mr. Samuelson's unsuccessful attack, and Lilienfeld's
wild sally against Puritan intolerance--a low, hypocritical battle
ostensibly fought for the salvation of a soul; in reality nothing more
than the clapperclawing of crows over a helpless hare. When was it? It
must have been years ago. But no, it was only last night that Ingigerd
appeared in public for the first time. So it cannot have been longer ago
than day before yesterday."

He had already received her first letter. He had laughed over it
heartily, and yet it had moved him. She was furious and complained
bitterly of his breach of faith. In one and the same breath, she said she
had been dreadfully deceived in him and had seen through him the very
moment she laid eyes on him when he came up to speak to her after her
dance in Berlin. In one sentence she tore his character to shreds, in the
next sentence urged him to return.

"I celebrated a tremendous triumph to-day. The audience lost their heads.
After the performance Lord ---- came up to congratulate me. He is a
handsome young Englishman, who is living over here because he had a
falling out with his father. But when the old man dies, he will inherit
the title of duke and millions."

"This story," Frederick thought, "is either a true story or a concoction.
If a concoction, then I have reason to assume that the little girl wants
to make me jealous and so has not lost interest in me. But the story need
not be an invention, either wholly or in part. For if an invention, it
will undoubtedly become a fact within three or four days, or, at the
utmost, within a week. Some rich rascal will come along and buy her."

Frederick shrugged his shoulders. He no longer felt the slightest impulse
to be the girl's protector, knight and saviour, or the faintest
solicitude for her probable fate.

The next morning he awoke in a s