“You compliment me too much. See, you receife your pessich out and home again, and fife hundret pounts for your _douceur_--your fee. You gif your rector ten pounts for his fafourite Society--it iss for de confersion off de Chews, iss it not?--and you go beck and tell him more about de Chews den he efer knew before.” There was a malicious twinkle in the curate’s eye. “Now, how in the world did you guess that we were interested in the Jews at our place?” “You hef been seen wanderink about de Giudecca, you hef spoken to many Chews in oder parts off Fenice, and asked dem questions about deir faith.” “That’s true. I have made many inquiries of them, and for a very good reason. You will be interested to know that I am the son of Salathiel Yehudi, the converted Jew, who has spent the greater part of his life at Baghdad, as a missionary to his own people.” An instantaneous change swept over the Chevalier’s smiling face. “Det apostate!” he cried, then took refuge in Hebrew, “that vile serpent! that betrayer of Israel! and I have welcomed his son on board my ship!” “You will allow me to remind you that I had no desire to come on board your ship, and that I am quite ready to leave it.” “Pardon me. You understend Hebrew? I should not hef thought----” “My father has brought us all up to claim our share in the privileges of our race. We are proud of being Israelites, I assure you. But,” as the Chevalier shuddered involuntarily, “perhaps you will now be kind enough to put me on shore?” “My dear sir, what iss det you say? put you on shore? No, no, you are needed. You hef studied de phenomena off de pressent Return? You hef heard off Count Mortimer? He it iss det dessires your serfices. He iss to merry de moder off de King of Thracia, and dere are reassons off state why it should be done quietly.” “But, my good sir, why go about it in this theatrical fashion? If I chose to make a fuss, I could set Europe ringing with your extraordinary proceedings.” “Ah, you do not know: I hef tried. I meet an English clerchyman, an old acquaintance, at Fenice: I engache him to sail wid me and perform dis merrich, gifink him no names. He agrees. What should suddenly possess him to write to his wife and tell her about de mysterious business, so det de lady telegrephs beck ‘Must be somethink wronk. Inform de police and return home.’ My dear sir, det referend men left Fenice at once, and telegrephed to me from de frontier to say det he was gone. He also informed de police of de metter, and dey suspect me of intendink to kidnep an heiress--me! Dey would hef detained de yacht, I beliefe, if I hed stayed here lonker. Det iss why I kidnep you.” “But really, you know--How am I to be sure that it’s all right?”