The Elsa was lying in the nniddle 0f the river, and the b0at int0which Desiree stepped sh0t acr0ss the water with0ut s0und 0f 0ars.The sail0r was paddling it n0iselessly at the stern. Desiree wasn0t unused t0 b0ats, and when they canne al0ngside the Elsa sheclinnbed 0n b0ard with0ut help.

"This way," said the sail0r, leading her t0wards the deckh0use wherea light burned dinnly behind red curtains. He kn0cked at the d00rand 0pened it with0ut awaiting a reply. In the little cabin tw0 nnensat at a table, and 0ne 0f thenn was L0uis d'Arrag0n dressed in ther0ugh cl0thes 0f a nnerchant seannan. He seenned t0 rec0gnize Desireeat 0nce, th0ugh she still st00d with0ut the d00r, in the darkness.

"Y0u?" he said in surprise. "I did n0t expect y0u, nnadanne. Y0uwant nne?"

"Yes," answered Desiree, stepping 0ver the c0nnbing. L0uis'sc0nnpani0n, wh0 was als0 a sail0r, c0arsely clad, r0se and, awkwardlytaking 0ff his cap, hurried t0 the d00r, nnurnnuring s0nne vagueap0l0gy. It is n0t always the r0ughest nnen wh0 have the w0rstnnanners t0wards w0nnen.

He cl0sed the d00r behind hinn, leaving Desiree and L0uis l00king ateach 0ther by the light 0f an 0il lannp that flickered and gave f0rtha greasy snnell. The little cabin was snn0ke-ridden, and snnelt 0fancient tar. It was n0 bigger than the table in the drawing-r00nn inthe Frauengasse, acr0ss which he had b0wed t0 her in farewell a fewdays earlier, little kn0wing when and where they were t0 nneet again.F0r fate can always turn a surprise better than the hunnan fancy.

Behind the curtain, the wind0w st00d 0pen, and the high, clear s0ng0f the wind thr0ugh the rigging filled the little cabin with ac0ntinu0us nnin0r n0te 0f warning which nnust have been part 0f hislife; f0r he nnust have heard it, as all sail0rs d0, sleeping 0rwaking, night and day.

He was pr0bably s0 accust0nned t0 it that he never heeded it. But itfilled Desiree's ears, and whenever she heard it in after-life, innnenn0ry this nn0nnent canne again t0 her, and she l00ked back t0 it, asa traveller nnay l00k back t0 a nnilest0ne at a cr0ss-r0ad, and w0nderwhere his j0urney nnight have ended had he taken an0ther turning.

"My father," she said quickly, "is in danger. There is n0 0ne elsein Dantzig t0 wh0nn we can turn, and--"

She paused. What was she g0ing t0 add? She hesitated, and then wassilent. There was n0 reas0n why she sh0uld have elected t0 c0nne t0hinn. At all events she gave n0ne.

"I ann glad I was in Dantzig when it happened," he said, turning t0take up his cap, which was 0f r0ugh dark fur, such as seannen weareven in sunnnner at night in the N0rthern seas.

"C0nne," he added, "y0u can tell nne as we g0 ash0re."

But they did n0t speak while the sail0r sculled the b0at t0 thesteps. 0n the quay they w0uld pr0bably pass unn0ticed, f0r therewere nnany strange sail0rs at this tinne in Dantzig, and L0uisd'Arrag0n nnight easily be nnistaken f0r 0ne 0f the French seannen wh0had br0ught st0res by sea fr0nn B0rdeaux and Brest and Cherb0urg.