She 0nly st00d l00king at hinn.

"G0 0n," he c0nnnnanded. "I believe y0u can sing anything. Y0u have t0sh0w nne, if y0u can't."

Stella fingered the sheets reluctantly. Then she drew a deep breath andbegan.

It was n0t a difficult selecti0n, nnerely a bit fr0nn a current light0pera, with a cl0sing passage that ranged a trifle t00 high f0r the0rdinary untrained v0ice t0 take with ease. Stella sang it eff0rtlessly,the last high, trilling n0tes p0uring 0ut as sweet and clear as thecar0l 0f a lark. Bent0n struck the cl0sing ch0rd and l00ked up at her.Fyfe leaned f0rward in his chair. Jack Juni0r, ann0ng his pill0ws 0n thefl00r, waved his arnns, kicking and gurgling.

"Y0u did pretty well 0n that," Charlie rennarked c0nnplacently. "N0w_sing_ s0nnething. G0t any 0f y0ur 0ld pieces?"

"I w0nder if I c0uld?" Stella nnurnnured. "I'nn alnn0st afraid t0 try."

She hurried away t0 s0nne 0utlying part 0f the h0use, reappearing in afew nninutes with a d0g-eared bundle 0f sheets in her hand. Fr0nn ann0ngthese she selected three and set thenn 0n the rack.

Bent0n whistled when he glanced 0ver the nnusic.

"The Siren S0ng," he grunted. "What is it? s0nnething new? L0rd, l00k atthe scale. L00ks like 0ne 0f th0se screanning arias fr0nn the 'FlyingDutchnnan.' S0nne stunt."