Pinchas unceremoniously turned the handle of the door and came in. The sub-editor immediately hurried out to get a cup of tea. Pinchas had fastened upon him the responsibility for the omission of an article last week, and had come to believe that he was in league with rival Continental scholars to keep Melchitzedek Pinchas's effusions out of print, and so Little Sampson dared not face the angry savant. Raphael, thus deserted, cowered in his chair. He did not fear death, but he feared Pinchas, and had fallen into the cowardly habit of bribing him lavishly not to fill the paper. Fortunately the poet was in high feather. 'Don't forget the announcement that I lecture at the Club on Sunday. You see, all the efforts of Reb Shemuel, of the Rev. Joseph Strelitski, of the Chief Rabbi, of Ebenezer vid his blue spectacles, of Sampson, of all the phalanx of English Men-of-the-Earth, they all fail. Ah, I am a great man.' 'I won't forget,' said Raphael wearily. 'The announcement is already in print.' 'Ah, I love you. You are the best man in the vorld. It is you who have championed me against those who are thirsting for my blood. And now I vill tell you joyful news. There is a maiden coming up to see you; she is asking in the publisher's office. Oh, such a lovely maiden!' Pinchas grinned all over his face, and was like to dig his editor in the ribs. 'What maiden?' 'I do not know, but vai-r-r-y beaudiful. Aha, I vill go! Have you not been good to _me_? But vy come not beaudiful maidens to _me_?' 'No, no, you needn't go,' said Raphael, getting red. Pinchas grinned, as one who knew better, and struck a match to rekindle a stump of cigar. 'No, no, I go write my lecture; oh, it vill be a great lecture. You vill announce it in the paper? You vill not leave it out like Sampson left out my article last week?' He was at the door now, with his finger alongside his nose. Raphael shook himself impatiently, and the poet threw the door wide and disappeared. For a full minute Raphael dared not look towards the door, for fear of seeing the poet's cajoling head framed in the opening. When he did, he was transfixed to see Esther Ansell's there, regarding him pensively. His heart beat painfully at the shock; the room seemed flooded with sunlight. 'May I come in?' she said, smiling. CHAPTER X ESTHER DEFIES THE UNIVERSE Esther wore a neat black mantle, and looked taller and more womanly than usual in a pretty bonnet and a spotted veil. There was a flush of colour in her cheeks, her eyes sparkled. She had walked, in cold sunny weather, from the British Museum (where she was still supposed to be), and the wind had blown loose a little wisp of hair over the small shell-like ear. In her left hand she held a roll of manuscript--it contained her criticisms of the May Exhibitions. Whereby hung a tale.