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them insensible."

"I've heard those stories until I've been made sick. But there are just as many violent men of

the other side, and there have been provocations over the years. The Reds did the same thing

in Russia, and they tried to do it in Germany—"

"It's not only the Communists who are being tortured, darling; it's pacifists and liberals, even

church people; it's gentle idealists, like Freddi—and surely you know that Freddi wouldn't have

harmed any living creature."

IV

Irma had to put down her powder-puff, but was still sitting on the stool in front of her

dressing-table. She had many things that she had put off saying for a long time; and now,

apparently, was the time to get them off her mind. She began: "You might as well take the

time to understand me, Lanny. If you intend to plunge into a thing like this, you ought to

know how your wife feels about it."

"Of course, dear," he answered, gently. He could pretty well guess what was coming.

"Sit down." And when he obeyed she turned to face him. "Freddi's an idealist, and you're

an idealist. It's a word you're fond of, a very nice word, and you're both lovely fellows, and you

wouldn't hurt anybody or anything on earth. You believe what you want to believe about the

world—which is that other people are like you, good and kind and unselfish—idealists, in short.

But they're not that; they're full of jealousy and hatred and greed and longing for revenge. They

want to overthrow the people who own property, and punish them for the crime of having

had life too easy. That's what's in their hearts, and they're looking for chances to carry out

their schemes, and when they come on you idealists, they say: 'Here's my meat!' They get

round you and play you for suckers, they take your money to build what they call their

'movement.' You serve them by helping to undermine and destroy what you call capitalism.

They call you comrades for as long as they can use you, but the first day you dared to stand

in their way or interfere with their plans, they'd turn on you like wolves. Don't you know

that's true, Lanny?"

"It's true of many, I've no doubt."

"It would be true of every last one, when it came to a show down. You're their 'front,' their

stalking horse. You tell me what you heard from Göring's mouth—and I tell you what I've

heard from Uncle Jesse's mouth. Not once but a hundred times! He says it jokingly, but he

means it—it's his program. The Socialists will make their peaceable revolution, and then the

Communists will rise up and take it away from them. It'll be easy because the Socialists are so

gentle and so kind—they're idealists! You saw it happen in Russia, and then in Hungary—didn't I

hear Karolyi tell you about it?"

"Yes, dear—"

"With his own mouth he told you! But it didn't mean much to you, because it isn't what you

want to believe. Karolyi is a gentleman, a noble soul—I'm not mocking—I had a long talk with

him, and I'm sure he's one of the most high-minded men who ever lived. He was a nobleman

and he had estates, and when he saw the ruin and misery after the war he gave them to the

government. No man could do more. He became the Socialist Premier of Hungary, and tried to

bring a peaceful change, and the Communists rose up against his government—and what did

he do? He said to me in these very words: 'I couldn't shoot the workers.' So he let the

Communist-led mob seize the government, and there was the dreadful bloody regime of that

Jew—what was his name?"

"Bela Kun. Too bad he had to be a Jew!"

"Yes, I admit it's too bad. You just told me that you didn't invent Mein Kampf and you didn't

invent the Brownshirts. Well, I didn't invent Bela Kun and I didn't invent Liebknecht and that

Red Rosa Jewess who tried to do the same thing in Germany, nor Eisner who did it in

Bavaria, nor Trotsky who helped to do it in Russia. I suppose the Jews have an extra hard time

and that makes them revolutionary; they haven't any country and that keeps them from being

patriotic. I'm not blaming them, I'm just facing the facts, as you're all the time urging me to do."

"I've long ago faced the fact that you dislike the Jews, Irma."

"I dislike some of them intensely, and I dislike some things about them all. But I love Freddi,

and I'm fond of all the Robins, even though I am repelled by Hansi's ideas. I've met other

Jews that I like—"

"In short," put in Lanny, "you have accepted what Hitler calls 'honorary Aryans.'" He was

surprised by his own bitterness.

"That's a mean crack, Lanny, and I think we ought to talk kindly about this problem. It isn't a

simple one."

"I want very much to," he replied. "But one of the facts we have to face is that the things you

have been saying to me are all in Mein Kampf, and the arguments you have been using are the

foundation stones upon which the Nazi movement is built. Hitler also likes some Jews, but he

dislikes most of them because he says they are revolutionary and not patriotic. Hitler also is

forced to put down the idealists and the liberals because they serve as a 'front' for the Reds,

But you see, darling, the capitalist system is breaking down, it is no longer able to produce goods

or to feed the people, and some other way must be found to get the job done. We want to do it

peaceably if possible; but surely the way to do it cannot be for all the men who want it done

peaceably to agree to shut up and say nothing, for fear of giving some benefit to the men of

violence!"

V

They argued for a while, but it didn't do any good; they had said it before, many times, and

neither had changed much. In the course of four years Irma had listened attentively while her

husband debated with many sorts of persons, and unless they were Communists she had nearly

always found herself in agreement with the other persons. It was as if the ghost of J. Paramount

Barnes were standing by her side telling her what to think. Saying: "I labored hard, and it

was not for nothing. I gave you a pleasant position, and surely you don't wish to throw it

away!" The ghost never said, in so many words: "What would you be without your money?" It

said: "Things aren't so bad as the calamity-howlers say; and anyhow, there are better

remedies." When Lanny, vastly irritated, would ask: "What are the remedies?" the ghost of the

utilities king would fall silent, and Irma would become vague, and talk about such things as

time, education, and spiritual enlightenment.

"It's no good going on with this, dear," said the husband. "The question is, what are we going

to do about Freddi?"

"If you would only tell me any definite thing that we can do!"

"But that isn't possible, dear. I have to go there and try this and that, look for new facts and

draw new conclusions. The one thing I can't do, it seems to me, is to leave Freddi to his fate.

It's not merely that he's a friend; he's a pupil, in a way. I helped to teach him what he believes;

I sent him literature, I showed him what to do, and he did it. So I have a double obligation."

"You have an obligation to your wife and daughter, also."

"Of course, and if they were in trouble, they would come first. But my daughter is getting

along all right, and as for my wife, I'm hoping she will see it as I do."

"Do you want me to come with you again?"

"Of course I want you; but I'm trying to be fair, and not put pressure upon you. I want you

to do what seems right to you."

Irma was fond enough of having her own way, but wasn't entirely reconciled to Lanny's

willingness to give it to her. Somehow it bore too close a resemblance to indifference. "A

woman wants to be wanted," she would say.

"Don't be silly, darling," he pleaded. "Of course I want your help. I might need you badly

some time. But ought I drag you there against your will, and feeling that you're being imposed

on?"

"It's a horrid bore for me to be in a country where I don't understand the language."

"Well, why not learn it? If you and I would agree not to speak anything but German to each

other, you'd be chattering away in a week or two."

"Is that what I do in English, Lanny?" He hastened to embrace her, and smooth her ruffled

feelings. That was the way they settled their arguments; they were still very much in love, and

when he couldn't bring himself to think as she did, the least he could do was to cover her

with kisses and tell her that she was the dearest woman in the world.

The upshot of the discussion was that she would go with him again, but she had a right to

know what he was going to do before he started doing it. "Of course, darling," he replied.

"How else could I have your help?"

"I mean, if it's something I don't approve of, I have a right to say so, and to refuse to go

through with it."

He said again: "Haven't you always had that right in our marriage?"

VI

Johannes had established himself in New York, where he was running errands for Robbie,

and incidentally trying to "pick up a little business," something he would never fail to do

while he lived. Lanny phoned to his father, who motored in, and the four had a long conference

in Johannes's hotel room. They threshed out every aspect of the problem and agreed upon a code

for communicating with one another. They agreed with Lanny that if Freddi was a prisoner of

the government, the Minister-Präsident of Prussia knew it, and there could be no gain in

approaching him, unless it was to be another money hold-up. Said Johannes: "He is doubtless

informed as to how much money Irma has."

Perhaps it was up to Irma to say: "I would gladly pay it all." But she didn't.

Instead, Robbie remarked to his son: "If you let anybody connected with the government

know that you are there on account of Freddi, they will almost certainly have you watched,

and be prepared to block you, and make trouble for anyone who helps you."

"I have a business," replied Lanny. "My idea is to work at it seriously and use it as a cover. I'll

cable Zoltan and find out if he'd be interested to give a Detaze show in Berlin this autumn.

That would make a lot of publicity, and enable me to meet people; also it would tip off

Freddi's friends as to where and how to get in touch with me. All this will take time, but it's

the only way I can think of to work in Hitler Germany."

This was a promising idea, and it pleased Irma, because it was respectable. She had had a very

good time at the London showing of Marcel's paintings. It was associated in her mind with

romantic events; getting married in a hurry and keeping the secret from her friends—she had felt

quite delightfully wicked, because nobody could be sure whether they were really married or

not. Also the New York show had been fun—even though the Wall Street panic had punctured

it like a balloon.

Lanny said that before sailing they should take some time and drum up business; if he had

American dollars to pay out for German art treasures, the most fanatical Nazi could find no

fault with him. Irma had so far looked upon the picture business as if it were the vending of

peanuts from a pushcart; but now it became part of a melodrama—as if she were dressing up

as the peanut vender's wife! But without really sacrificing her social prestige; for the richest

and most fastidious persons wouldn't suspect that the daughter of J. Paramount Barnes was

peddling pictures for the money. It would be for love of les beaux arts, a fine and dignified

thing.

When Lanny telegraphed some client that he and his wife were about to leave for Germany

and would like to motor out and discuss the client's tastes and wishes, the least the person

could do was to invite them to tea, and often it would be to spend the night in some showplace

at Bar Harbor or Newport, in the Berkshires or up the Hudson.

So, when the young couple boarded a steamer for Southampton, they really had an excellent

pretext for a sojourn in Naziland. They sailed on a German liner, because Irma had set out to

learn the language and wanted opportunities to "chatter." They landed in England because

their car had been stored there, and because Lanny wanted a conference with Rick before

taking the final plunge. Zoltan was in London, and had answered Lanny's cable with an

enthusiastic assent. He was a shrewd fellow, and knowing about Freddi Robin, had no trouble

in guessing what was in their heads; but he was discreet, and said not a word.

Beauty had gone back to Juan, and of course the young couple wanted to see little Frances, and

also to talk things over with the Robins and make them acquainted with the code. On the way

they stopped to see Emily and get her wise advice. One bright moonlit night they arrived at

Bienvenu, amid the powerful scent of orange and lemon blossoms. Kennst du das Land, wo

die Zitronen blüht? It seemed to Irma that she wanted nothing ever again but to stay in that

heaven-made garden.

For three days she was in ecstasies over their darling little girl, calling Lanny's attention to

every new word she had learned. Lanny, duly responsive, wondered what the little one made

of these two mysterious, godlike beings called mother and father, who swooped down into her

life at long intervals and then vanished in a roar of motors and clouds of dust. He observed

that the child was far more interested in the new playmate whom fate permitted her to have

without interruption. Baby Freddi was blooming like a dark velvet rose in the hot sunshine of

the Midi, for which he had been destined many centuries ago; fear was being forgotten, along

with his father. Irma withheld her thought: "I must get those two apart before they come to the

falling-in-love age!"

VII

All preparations having been made as for a military campaign, at the beginning of September

the young couple set out for Berlin by way of Milan and Vienna. Lanny knew of paintings in

the latter city, and the art business could be made more convincing if he stopped there. He

had written letters to several of his friends in Germany, telling of his intention to spend the

autumn in their country; they would approve his business purpose, for he would be contributing