a gentleman. Maybe he’ll want to beg Tecumseh’s pardon and have another try for the duquesa.
Lanny decided that this would be interesting; so he sat down and wrote a note to be mailed in Dieppe:
My dear Sir Basiclass="underline"
I am truly sorry that the seance turned out to be so disturbing. I want to assure you that I am not telling anyone about it. I have seen many inaccuracies appear at sittings, and I have no interest in spreading them. You may count upon me in this.
Also he wrote a note to Rick, as follows:
I wish you would see if you can find someone to do a job of research for me; that is, go through the records of Old Bailey prison during the 1870’s and see if there is an entry of a prisoner by the name of Sahar, or Zahar, or Zaharoff. I enclose check for ten pounds to start it off, and if you will let me know the cost from time to time, I’ll send more. Please say nothing about this, except to the dependable person you employ.
It wasn’t going to be so easy to keep quiet about that afternoon’s events. Beauty’s curiosity had been aroused, and Irma’s also. Fortunately Lanny had time to get over his own excitement, and to let Madame get over her bad feelings. He told his family that he had tried an experiment with someone who was interested, but the tests had not been conclusive, there were certain matters which had to be looked up, and then a second test might be made; he would tell them all about it later on. This was far from satisfactory, but he stuck to it, and pretty soon there were other seances, and other matters to talk about. Every now and then Beauty or Irma would say: "By the way, whatever became of that Dieppe affair?" Lanny would answer: "It hasn’t been settled yet."
From Zaharoff he received no reply.
XI
The trim white Bessie Budd steamed away—or, to be exact, was propelled by crude oil, burning in a Diesel engine. At Bremerhaven the owner and his younger son were waiting, both proud and happy—the latter especially so, because he was a father and his fatherhood was new and shiny. How Freddi adored that gentle, sweet wife, and how he shivered with delight while gazing upon the mite of life which they had created! Nearly three months had passed since he had seen them both, and a newborn infant changes a lot in that time. The other Robins, including Bess and the nursemaid, stood by when Freddi came aboard, sharing his happiness, of which he made quite a show, not being an Anglo-Saxon.
They all had a right to share, because this lovely infant was a prize exhibit of their dairy farm, so carefully supervised. Both father and grandfather had to certify themselves free of all diseases before they came on board, and there were to be no contaminating kisses, no demoralizing pettings, pokings, or ticklings. Wash your hands before you permit an infant to clutch your finger, for you can observe that the first thing he does is to convey your collected germs to his mouth.
Freddi had worked tremendously hard all year, and had got himself the coveted title of doctor. He was a handsome fellow, not quite so tall as his brother, but having the same large dark eyes and serious expression. He lacked Hansi’s drive—he was never going to be a famous man, only an earnest student and teacher, a devoted husband and father. Not so Red as Hansi and Bess, but nearer to Lanny’s shade; he still had hopes of the German Social-Democrats, in spite of the timidity and lack of competence they were displaying. Freddi had said that he was studying bourgeois economics in order to be able to teach the workers what was wrong with it. Already he and a couple of his young friends had set up a night school along the lines of Lanny’s project in the Midi. A non-party affair, both the Socialists and the Communists took potshots at it, greatly to Freddi’s disappointment. The workers were being lined up for class war, and there was no room for stragglers between the trenches.
Johannes had bad news for them. Business conditions in Germany were such that it was impossible for him to set out across the Atlantic. He wanted them to go without him, and the rest of the Robin family were willing to do this because of the promises they had made. But the Budds knew that the purpose for which the yacht existed was to get Papa away from business cares, and they knew that the Robins would have a hard time enjoying themselves without him. Beauty talked it over with Lanny and his wife, and they agreed not to accept such a sacrifice. Irma would be sorry to miss seeing her mother, but, after all, it was easier to transport one stout queen mother across the ocean than to put a whole establishment ashore on Long Island. Irma said she really didn’t have much pleasure in any sort of social life when she had to keep within four-hour time limits and have Miss Severne look grim if she came in hot and tired from any sort of exercise. Irma’s smart young friends would all laugh at her and make jokes about cows. So it was better to stay on the yacht, where no explanations or apologies had to be made and where Rahel backed you up by her good example. "Jewish women seem to be much more maternal," said Irma. "Or is it because she is German?"
XII
It was decided that the Bessie Budd would loaf about in the North Sea and its adjoining waters so as to come back quickly and take its owner aboard whenever he was free. There would be regattas during the summer, and concerts and theaters in near-by cities and towns; art galleries to be visited—yes, one could think of worse ways of spending two or three months than on a luxury yacht based on Bremerhaven. The ship’s library included Heine’s Nordseebilder, also musical settings of some of these poems. Rahel would sing, Freddi would tootle, Hansi would scrape and scratch, Lanny and his sister would rumble and thump, Marceline would caper and prance, and Irma and Beauty and Johannes would raid the orchestra for a fourth hand at bridge.
The Bessie Budd steamed, or was propelled, to Copenhagen, where the party inspected the royal palace and attended a performance at the royal theater—the latter being comfortably within the young mothers' time limit. Lanny studied the sculptures in the Thorvald sen museum. Many interesting works of man to be seen, but not many of nature in these low, flat islands and inlets, once the haunt of fishermen and pirates. Having loaded themselves up with culture, they returned Johannes to Bremerhaven, and then set out behind the Frisian islands, visiting Norderney, where a hundred years previously an unhappy Jewish poet had written immortal verses. Sei mir gegrusst, du eiviges Meer!
Back to port, where the owner of the yacht joined them again, bringing with him a large packet of mail. Included was a letter from Rick to Lanny, as follows:
With regard to your request concerning the Old Bailey, these records are not available, so I had a search made of the criminal reports in the Times. Under the date of January 13, 1873, appears an entry numbered 61: "Zacharoff, Zacharia Basilius, agent pledging goods intrusted to him for sale." In the Times of January 17 appears a column headed "Criminal Court," beginning as follows: "Zacharia Basilius Zacharoff, 22, was indicted for that he, being an agent intrusted by one Manuel Hiphentides of Constantinople, merchant, for the purpose of sale with possession, among other goods, 25 cases of gum and 169 sacks of gall of the value together of £ 1000, did unlawfully and without any authority from his principal, for his own use make a deposit of the said goods as and by way of pledge."
Rick’s letter gave a summary of the entire account, including the statement: "Subsequently, by advice of his counsel, the prisoner withdrew his plea of Not Guilty and entered a plea of Guilty." Rick added: "This is interesting, and I am wondering what use you intend making of it. Let me add: Why don’t your spirits give you things like this? If they would do so, I would begin to take them seriously!"