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 ruled by your Mr. Tinkers even in your land of liberty, because all the world must submit to the same thing. Hyacinthe instructs me that owning riches means the control of wealth, and so it is power. Mr. Tinker gives me that impression. He is a man with power, and all that he really respects is the other men with power who rule your country with him."

To the incredulous playwright it seemed that she spoke with a kind of admiration. "Frankly, Madame Momoro, he conveys a very different impression to me. In fact, I'm afraid that what I see in him is not so much power as noisiness."

"Yes?" she said; and she laughed. "He is much, much less noisy to-day than he was last night! Oh, very much!"

"Did you hear him?" Ogle asked, a little surprised. "When I went down to my cabin rather late, you were playing cards in the lounge with your friends, and I wonder"

"Yes?" she said, as he paused. "You came through the lounge rather late? You noticed that I was there?"

He looked briefly into her eyes, which were somewhat metallic and inscrutable for the moment.