r level. The
barges, of every size and kind, glided past. Sometimes the girls would
shower us with flower petals. One small boat paused before us. A girl
stood up to wave at me. Her hand, held up with the loose robe falling
back from her slim white arm, offered me a huge scarlet blossom. The
love offering. As I hesitated, her laughter rippled out. She tore the
mask from her face. Her red mouth was smiling; her eyes, provocative,
were dancing with mischief. She tossed the flower into my face as her
escort, with a shout of mock anger, pulled her back to him.

Their boats glided on.

Other boats passed; some with girls gayly strumming instruments of
music. One boat with a man strumming, and a girl on a small dais,
dancing with a whirl of black veils. As they came opposite to us another
man in the boat reached up and pushed the girl overboard. She fell into
the water with a scream of laughter; came up like a mermaid and they
pulled her aboard, the veils and her hair clinging to her.

At last Tarrano signified that we must go. It was upon me then to make
an effort to draw back, to keep Elza and Maida at the palace with Georg
and me. My heart was heavy with foreboding. Amid all this laughter and
music--pleasure of the senses reigning supreme here in the Great City
tonight--I could not miss a sense of impending evil. The _slaans_
propelling the boats were stolid and grim. Not for them, this dalliance.
Not for their women, this music and laughter, these daring costumes to
display their beauty. The _slaan_ women, drab with work, were slinking
about unnoticed. Often I would see a boat of them slip by, furtively, in
the shadows. Drab women, watching these beauties, resentful, sullen--and
with what purpose smouldering in their hearts I could only guess.

The very air--to me at least--seemed pregnant with impending evil. I
know that Georg felt it too. Often I had caught his eye as he regarded
me. Once he started to whisper to me aside, but like a flash, Tarrano
with his microphonic ear, turned to interrupt us.

I wanted to stay with Elza at the palace. Suddenly I was afraid of
Tarrano, more afraid for Elza than I had ever been. And who, and what
was this Red Woman? Maida knew, of course. Maida had been very solemn
for hours; thoughtful, almost grim.

And the _slaan_ in the water who said he did not blame us. He had warned
us to guard ourselves. But how? There were no weapons. On this night of
pleasure nothing would have been m