compelled to give Rosey in marriage to his strange
lodger, who added insult to the outrage by snoring audibly through the
marriage service.

Meantime, in her cradle-like nest in her nautical bower, Miss Rosey
slumbered as lightly. Waking from a vivid dream of Venice--a child's
Venice--seen from the swelling deck of the proudly-riding Pontiac, she
was so impressed as to rise and cross on tiptoe to the little slanting
porthole. Morning was already dawning over the flat, straggling city,
but from every counting-house and magazine the votive tapers of the
feverish worshipers of trade and mammon were still flaring fiercely.

II

The day following "steamer night" was usually stale and flat at San
Francisco. The reaction from the feverish exaltation of the previous
twenty-four hours was seen in the listless faces and lounging feet of
promenaders, and was notable in the deserted offices and warehouses
still redolent of last night's gas, and strewn with the dead ashes of
last night's fires.

There was a brief pause before the busy life which ran its course from
"steamer day" to steamer day was once more taken up. In that interval
a few anxious speculators and investors breathed freely, some critical
situation was relieved, or some impending catastrophe momentarily
averted. In particular, a singular stroke of good fortune that morning
befell Mr. Nott. He not only secured a new tenant, but, as he
sagaciously believed, introduced into the Pontiac a counteracting
influence to the subtle fascinations of de Ferrieres.

The new tenant apparently possessed a combination of business
shrewdness and brusque frankness that strongly impressed his landlord.
"You see, Rosey," said Nott, complacently describing the interview to
his daughter, "when I sorter intimated in a keerless kind o' way that
sugar kettles and hair dye was about played out ez securities, he just
planked down the money for two months in advance. 'There,' sez he,
'that's YOUR SECURITY--now where's MINE?' 'I reckon I don't hitch on,
pardner,' sez I; 'security what for?' ''Spose you sell the ship?' sez
he, 'afore the two months is up. I've heard that old Sleight wants to
buy her.' 'Then you gets back your money,' sez I. 'And lose my room,'
sez he; 'not much, old man. You sign a paper that whoever buys the
ship inside o' two months hez to buy ME ez a tenant with it; that's on
the square.' So I sign the paper. It was mighty cute in the young
feller, wasn't