queer, oval case, and throw him to the fish."

"I think that is some instrument--some music thing."

"Might be a flute."

"Perhaps he is some really great musician," Mrs. Vanderlyn said,
speculatively. "They go everywhere in Germany. No doors are closed to
them. It wouldn't be at all surprising for a musician to travel as
he's doing. Such people are eccentric, and often so foolishly
improvident. Something about music makes them so. But they worship
them in Germany. They know the very _highest_ people."

Her son grasped at the suggestion. "Funny, isn't it--how crazy all the
lieber-deutchers are when they hear music! Hoch der Kaiser sets the
pace, himself."

"Yes, I know he does," said Mrs. Vanderlyn, a little shocked by his
irreverent way of making reference to Heaven's Chosen. "Poor things!"
Her sympathy was quite aroused, now. She became quite certain that the
steerage couple had highly influential friends abroad. "Would it
please him, do you think, if I should show the daughter some
attention?"

John knew that "some attention" from his mother to the emigrants would
mean a course of open patronage and he didn't wish to have her try
that on with that particular pair. He shook his head. "I don't believe
they'd stand for it," he said. "But if you could do them some real
kindness--a courtesy that wasn't--er--er--patronizing, it--"