第4章

"Shegavemealookattheword"republicans"whichIimaginedfullofundyinghate。Butanhourorsoafterwards，aswedrewuptoletthebaggagemulesgofirstalonganarrowpathskirtingaprecipice，shelookedatmewithsuchawhite，troubledfacethatIfeltagreatpityforher。

""Senorofficer，"shesaid，"Iamweak，Itremble。Itisaninsensatefear。"Andindeedherlipsdidtremblewhileshetriedtosmile，glancingatthebeginningofthenarrowpathwhichwasnotsodangerousafterall。"IamafraidIshalldropthechild。Gasparsavedyourlife，youremember……Takeherfromme。"

"Itookthechildoutofherextendedarms。"Shutyoureyes，senora，andtrusttoyourmule，"Irecom-

mended。

"Shedidso，andwithherpallorandherwasted，thinfaceshelookeddeathlike。Ataturnofthepathwhereagreatcragofpurpleporphyryclosestheviewofthelowlands，Isawheropenhereyes。I

rodejustbehindherholdingthelittlegirlwithmyrightarm。"Thechildisallright，"Icriedencourag-

ingly。

""Yes，"sheanswered，faintly；andthen，tomyintenseterror，Isawherstanduponthefoot-rest，staringhorribly，andthrowherselfforwardintothechasmonourright。

"Icannotdescribetoyouthesuddenandabjectfearthatcameovermeatthatdreadfulsight。Itwasadreadoftheabyss，thedreadofthecragswhichseemedtonoduponme。Myheadswam。Ipressedthechildtomysideandsatmyhorseasstillasastatue。Iwasspeechlessandcoldallover。Hermulestaggered，sidlingclosetotherock，andthenwenton。Myhorseonlyprickeduphisearswithaslightsnort。Myheartstoodstill，andfromthedepthsoftheprecipicethestonesrattlinginthebedofthefuriousstreammademealmostinsanewiththeirsound。

"Nextmomentwewereroundtheturnandonabroadandgrassyslope。AndthenIyelled。Mymencamerunningbacktomeingreatalarm。ItseemsthatatfirstIdidnothingbutshout，"Shehasgiventhechildintomyhands!Shehasgiventhechildintomyhands!"TheescortthoughtIhadgonemad。"

GeneralSantierraceasedandgotupfromthetable。

"Andthatisall，senores，"heconcluded，withacourte-

ousglanceathisrisingguests。

"Butwhatbecameofthechild。General?"weasked。

"Ah，thechild，thechild。"

Hewalkedtooneofthewindowsopeningonhisbeautifulgarden，therefugeofhisolddays。Itsfamewasgreatintheland。Keepingusbackwitharaisedarm，hecalledout，"Erminia，Erminia!"andwaited。

Thenhiscautioningarmdropped，andwecrowdedtothewindows。

Fromaclumpoftreesawomanhadcomeuponthebroadwalkborderedwithflowers。Wecouldheartherustleofherstarchedpetticoatsandobservedtheamplespreadofherold-fashionedblacksilkskirt。Shelookedup，andseeingalltheseeyesstaringatherstopped，frowned，smiled，shookherfingerattheGen-

eral，whowaslaughingboisterously，anddrawingtheblacklaceonherheadsoastopartlyconcealherhaughtyprofile，passedoutofoursight，walkingwithstiffdignity。

"Youhavebeheldtheguardianangeloftheoldman——andhertowhomyouoweallthatisseemlyandcomfortableinmyhospitality。Somehow，senores，thoughtheflameoflovehasbeenkindledearlyinmybreast，Ihavenevermarried。Andbecauseofthatperhapsthesparksofthesacredfirearenotyetex-

tincthere。"Hestruckhisbroadchest。"Stillalive，stillalive，"hesaid，withserio-comicemphasis。"ButIshallnotmarrynow。SheisGeneralSantierra"sadopteddaughterandheiress。"

Oneofourfellow-guests，ayoungnavalofficer，describedherafterwardsasa"short，stout，oldgirloffortyorthereabouts。"Wehadallnoticedthatherhairwasturninggrey，andthatshehadveryfineblackeyes。

"And，"GeneralSantierracontinued，"neitherwouldsheeverhearofmarryinganyone。Arealcalamity!

Good，patient，devotedtotheoldman。Asimplesoul。

ButIwouldnotadviseanyofyoutoaskforherhand，forifshetookyoursintohersitwouldbeonlytocrushyourbones。Ah!shedoesnotjestonthatsubject。Andsheistheowndaughterofherfather，thestrongmanwhoperishedthroughhisownstrength:

thestrengthofhisbody，ofhissimplicity——ofhislove!"

ANIRONICTALE

THEINFORMER

MR。Xcametome，precededbyaletterofintro-

ductionfromagoodfriendofmineinParis，spe-

cificallytoseemycollectionofChinesebronzesandporcelain。

MyfriendinParisisacollector，too。Hecollectsneitherporcelain，norbronzes，norpictures，normedals，norstamps，noranythingthatcouldbeprofitablydis-

persedunderanauctioneer"shammer。Hewouldreject，withgenuinesurprise，thenameofacollector。Never-

theless，that"swhatheisbytemperament。Hecollectsacquaintances。Itisdelicatework。Hebringstoitthepatience，thepassion，thedeterminationofatruecol-

lectorofcuriosities。Hiscollectiondoesnotcontainanyroyalpersonages。Idon"tthinkheconsidersthemsufficientlyrareandinteresting；but，withthatexcep-

tion，hehasmetwithandtalkedtoeveryoneworthknowingonanyconceivableground。Heobservesthem，listenstothem，penetratesthem，measuresthem，andputsthememoryawayinthegalleriesofhismind。

Hehasschemed，plotted，andtravelledalloverEuropeinordertoaddtohiscollectionofdistinguishedpersonalacquaintances。

Asheiswealthy，wellconnected，andunprejudiced，hiscollectionisprettycomplete，includingobjects(orshouldIsaysubjects?)whosevalueisunappreciatedbythevulgar，andoftenunknowntopopularfame。Oftrevolte)ofmoderntimes。Theworldknowshimasarevolutionarywriterwhosesavageironyhaslaidbaretherottennessofthemostrespectableinstitutions。Hehasscalpedeveryveneratedhead，andhasmangledatthestakeofhiswiteveryreceivedopinionandeveryrecognizedprincipleofconductandpolicy。Whodoesnotrememberhisflamingredrevolutionarypamph-

lets?TheirsuddenswarmingsusedtooverwhelmthepowersofeveryContinentalpolicelikeaplagueofcrimsongadflies。Butthisextremewriterhasbeenalsotheactiveinspirerofsecretsocieties，themysteriousunknownNumberOneofdesperateconspiraciessus-

pectedandunsuspected，maturedorbaffled。Andtheworldatlargehasneverhadaninklingofthatfact!

Thisaccountsforhimgoingaboutamongstustothisday，aveteranofmanysubterraneancampaigns，stand-

ingasidenow，safewithinhisreputationofmerelythegreatestdestructivepublicistthateverlived。"

Thuswrotemyfriend，addingthatMr。Xwasanen-

lightenedconnoisseurofbronzesandchina，andaskingmetoshowhimmycollection。

Xturnedupinduecourse。Mytreasuresaredis-

posedinthreelargeroomswithoutcarpetsandcurtains。

Thereisnootherfurniturethantheetagresandtheglasscaseswhosecontentsshallbeworthafortunetomyheirs。Iallownofirestobelighted，forfearofaccidents，andafire-proofdoorseparatesthemfromtherestofthehouse。

Itwasabittercoldday。Wekeptonourovercoatsandhats。Middle-sizedandspare，hiseyesalertinalong，Roman-nosedcountenance，Xwalkedonhisneatlittlefeet，withshortsteps，andlookedatmycollectionintelligently。IhopeIlookedathimintelligently，too。

Asnow-whitemoustacheandimperialmadehisnut-

browncomplexionappeardarkerthanitreallywas。Inhisfurcoatandshinytallhatthatterriblemanlookedfashionable。Ibelievehebelongedtoanoblefamily，andcouldhavecalledhimselfVicomteXdelaZifhechose。Wetalkednothingbutbronzesandporcelain。

Hewasremarkablyappreciative。Wepartedoncordialterms。

WherehewasstayingIdon"tknow。Iimaginehemusthavebeenalonelyman。Anarchists，Isuppose，havenofamilies——not，atanyrate，asweunderstandthatsocialrelation。Organizationintofamiliesmayanswertoaneedofhumannature，butinthelastin-

stanceitisbasedonlaw，andthereforemustbesome-

thingodiousandimpossibletoananarchist。But，in-

deed，Idon"tunderstandanarchists。Doesamanofthat——ofthat——persuasionstillremainananarchistwhenalone，quitealoneandgoingtobed，forinstance?

Doeshelayhisheadonthepillow，pullhisbedclothesoverhim，andgotosleepwiththenecessityofthechambardementgeneral，astheFrenchslanghasit，ofthegeneralblow-up，alwayspresenttohismind?Andifsohowcanhe?Iamsurethatifsuchafaith(orsuchafanaticism)oncemasteredmythoughtsIwouldneverbeabletocomposemyselfsufficientlytosleeporeatorperformanyoftheroutineactsofdailylife。Iwouldwantnowife，nochildren；Icouldhavenofriends，itseemstome；andastocollectingbronzesorchina，that，Ishouldsay，wouldbequiteoutofthequestion。ButIdon"tknow。AllIknowisthatMr。XtookhismealsinaverygoodrestaurantwhichIfrequentedalso。

Withhisheaduncovered，thesilvertop-knotofhisbrushed-uphaircompletedthecharacterofhisphysi-

ognomy，allbonyridgesandsunkenhollows，clothedinaperfectimpassivenessofexpression。Hismeagrebrownhandsemergingfromlargewhitecuffscameandwentbreakingbread，pouringwine，andsoon，withquietmechanicalprecision。Hisheadandbodyabovethetableclothhadarigidimmobility。Thisfirebrand，thisgreatagitator，exhibitedtheleastpossibleamountofwarmthandanimation。Hisvoicewasrasping，cold，andmonotonousinalowkey。Hecouldnotbecalledatalkativepersonality；butwithhisdetachedcalmmannerheappearedasreadytokeeptheconversationgoingastodropitatanymoment。

Andhisconversationwasbynomeanscommon-

place。Tome，Iown，therewassomeexcitementintalkingquietlyacrossadinner-tablewithamanwhosevenomouspen-stabshadsappedthevitalityofatleastonemonarchy。Thatmuchwasamatterofpublicknowledge。ButIknewmore。Iknewofhim——

frommyfriend——asacertaintywhattheguardiansofsocialorderinEuropehadatmostonlysuspected，ordimlyguessedat。

HehadhadwhatImaycallhisundergroundlife。

AndasIsat，eveningafterevening，facinghimatdinner，acuriosityinthatdirectionwouldnaturallyariseinmymind。Iamaquietandpeaceableproductofcivilization，andknownopassionotherthanthepassionforcollectingthingswhicharerare，andmustremainexquisiteevenifapproachingtothemonstrous。

SomeChinesebronzesaremonstrouslyprecious。Andhere(outofmyfriend"scollection)，hereIhadbeforemeakindofraremonster。Itistruethatthismonsterwaspolishedandinasenseevenexquisite。Hisbeauti-

fulunruffledmannerwasthat。Butthenhewasnotofbronze。HewasnotevenChinese，whichwouldhaveenabledonetocontemplatehimcalmlyacrossthegulfofracialdifference。HewasaliveandEuropean；hehadthemannerofgoodsociety，woreacoatandhatlikemine，andhadprettynearthesametasteincook-

ing。Itwastoofrightfultothinkof。

Oneeveningheremarked，casually，inthecourseofconversation，"There"snoamendmenttobegotoutofmankindexceptbyterrorandviolence。"

Youcanimaginetheeffectofsuchaphraseoutofsuchaman"smouthuponapersonlikemyself，whosewholeschemeoflifehadbeenbaseduponasuaveanddelicatediscriminationofsocialandartisticvalues。

Justimagine!Uponme，towhomallsortsandformsofviolenceappearedasunrealasthegiants，ogres，andseven-headedhydraswhoseactivitiesaffect，fantasti-

cally，thecourseoflegendsandfairy-tales!

Iseemedsuddenlytohearabovethefestivebustleandclatterofthebrilliantrestaurantthemutterofahungryandseditiousmultitude。

IsupposeIamimpressionableandimaginative。I

hadadisturbingvisionofdarkness，fullofleanjawsandwildeyes，amongstthehundredelectriclightsoftheplace。Butsomehowthisvisionmademeangry，too。

Thesightofthatman，socalm，breakingbitsofwhitebread，exasperatedme。AndIhadtheaudacitytoaskhimhowitwasthatthestarvingproletariatofEuropetowhomhehadbeenpreachingrevoltandviolencehadnotbeenmadeindignantbyhisopenlyluxuriouslife。

"Atallthis，"Isaid，pointedly，withaglanceroundtheroomandatthebottleofchampagnewegenerallysharedbetweenusatdinner。

Heremainedunmoved。

"DoIfeedontheirtoilandtheirheart"sblood?

AmIaspeculatororacapitalist?DidIstealmyfortunefromastarvingpeople?No!Theyknowthisverywell。Andtheyenvymenothing。Themiserablemassofthepeopleisgeneroustoitsleaders。WhatI

haveacquiredhascometomethroughmywritings；notfromthemillionsofpamphletsdistributedgratistothehungryandtheoppressed，butfromthehundredsofthousandsofcopiessoldtothewell-fedbourgeoisie。Youknowthatmywritingswereatonetimetherage，thefashion——thethingtoreadwithwonderandhorror，toturnyoureyesupatmypathos……orelse，tolaughinecstasiesatmywit。"

"Yes，"Iadmitted。"Iremember，ofcourse；andI

confessfranklythatIcouldneverunderstandthatinfatuation。"

"Don"tyouknowyet，"hesaid，"thatanidleandselfishclasslovestoseemischiefbeingmade，evenifitismadeatitsownexpense?Itsownlifebeingallamatterofposeandgesture，itisunabletorealizethepowerandthedangerofarealmovementandofwordsthathavenoshammeaning。Itisallfunandsenti-

ment。Itissufficient，forinstance，topointouttheattitudeoftheoldFrencharistocracytowardsthephilosopherswhosewordswerepreparingtheGreatRevolution。EveninEngland，whereyouhavesomecommon-sense，ademagoguehasonlytoshoutloudenoughandlongenoughtofindsomebackingintheveryclassheisshoutingat。You，too，liketoseemis-

chiefbeingmade。Thedemagoguecarriestheamateursofemotionwithhim。Amateurisminthis，that，andtheotherthingisadelightfullyeasywayofkillingtime，andfeedingone"sownvanity——thesillyvanityofbeingabreastwiththeideasofthedayafterto-morrow。

Justasgoodandotherwiseharmlesspeoplewilljoinyouinecstasiesoveryourcollectionwithouthavingtheslightestnotioninwhatitsmarvellousnessreallycon-

sists。"

Ihungmyhead。Itwasacrushingillustrationofthesadtruthheadvanced。Theworldisfullofsuchpeople。AndthatinstanceoftheFrencharistocracybeforetheRevolutionwasextremelytelling，too。I

couldnottraversehisstatement，thoughitscynicism——alwaysadistastefultrait——tookoffmuchofitsvaluetomymind。However，IadmitIwasimpressed。I

felttheneedtosaysomethingwhichwouldnotbeinthenatureofassentandyetwouldnotinvitediscussion。

"Youdon"tmeantosay，"Iobserved，airily，"thatextremerevolutionistshaveeverbeenactivelyassistedbytheinfatuationofsuchpeople?"

"IdidnotmeanexactlythatbywhatIsaidjustnow。Igeneralized。Butsinceyouaskme，Imaytellyouthatsuchhelphasbeengiventorevolutionaryactivities，moreorlessconsciously，invariouscountries。

Andeveninthiscountry。"

"Impossible!"Iprotestedwithfirmness。"Wedon"tplaywithfiretothatextent。"

"Andyetyoucanbetterafforditthanothers，perhaps。Butletmeobservethatmostwomen，ifnotalwaysreadytoplaywithfire，aregenerallyeagertoplaywithaloosesparkorso。"

"Isthisajoke?"Iasked，smiling。

"Ifitis，Iamnotawareofit，"hesaid，woodenly。

"Iwasthinkingofaninstance。Oh!mildenoughinaway……"

Ibecameallexpectationatthis。Ihadtriedmanytimestoapproachhimonhisundergroundside，sotospeak。Theverywordhadbeenpronouncedbetweenus。Buthehadalwaysmetmewithhisimpenetrablecalm。

"Andatthesametime，"Mr。Xcontinued，"itwillgiveyouanotionofthedifficultiesthatmayariseinwhatyouarepleasedtocallundergroundwork。Itissometimesdifficulttodealwiththem。Ofcoursethereisnohierarchyamongsttheaffiliated。Norigidsystem。"

Mysurprisewasgreat，butshort-lived。Clearly，amongstextremeanarchiststherecouldbenohier-

archy；nothinginthenatureofalawofprecedence。

Theideaofanarchyrulingamonganarchistswascomforting，too。Itcouldnotpossiblymakeforefficiency。

Mr。Xstartledmebyasking，abruptly，"YouknowHermioneStreet?"

Inoddeddoubtfulassent。HermioneStreethasbeen，withinthelastthreeyears，improvedoutofanyman"sknowledge。Thenameexistsstill，butnotonebrickorstoneoftheoldHermioneStreetisleftnow。

Itwastheoldstreethemeant，forhesaid:

"Therewasarowoftwo-storiedbrickhousesontheleft，withtheirbacksagainstthewingofagreatpublicbuilding——youremember。Woulditsurpriseyouverymuchtohearthatoneofthesehouseswasforatimethecentreofanarchistpropagandaandofwhatyouwouldcallundergroundaction?"

"Notatall，"Ideclared。HermioneStreethadneverbeenparticularlyrespectable，asIrememberedit。

"Thehousewasthepropertyofadistinguishedgovernmentofficial，"headded，sippinghischampagne。

"Oh，indeed!"Isaid，thistimenotbelievingawordofit。

"Ofcoursehewasnotlivingthere，"Mr。Xcontinued。

"Butfromtentillfourhesatnextdoortoit，thedearman，inhiswell-appointedprivateroominthewingofthepublicbuildingI"vementioned。Tobestrictlyaccurate，ImustexplainthatthehouseinHermioneStreetdidnotreallybelongtohim。Itbelongedtohisgrown-upchildren——adaughterandason。Thegirl，afinefigure，wasbynomeansvulgarlypretty。Tomorepersonalcharmthanmereyouthcouldaccountfor，sheaddedtheseductiveappearanceofenthusiasm，ofindependence，ofcourageousthought。Isupposesheputontheseappearancesassheputonherpicturesquedressesandforthesamereason:toassertherindividu-

alityatanycost。Youknow，womenwouldgotoanylengthalmostforsuchapurpose。Shewenttoagreatlength。Shehadacquiredalltheappropriategesturesofrevolutionaryconvictions——thegesturesofpity，ofanger，ofindignationagainsttheanti-humanitarianvicesofthesocialclasstowhichshebelongedherself。

Allthissatonherstrikingpersonalityaswellasherslightlyoriginalcostumes。Veryslightlyoriginal；justenoughtomarkaprotestagainstthephilistinismoftheoverfedtaskmastersofthepoor。Justenough，andnomore。Itwouldnothavedonetogotoofarinthatdirection——youunderstand。Butshewasofage，andnothingstoodinthewayofherofferingherhousetotherevolutionaryworkers。"

"Youdon"tmeanit!"Icried。

"Iassureyou，"heaffirmed，"thatshemadethatverypracticalgesture。Howelsecouldtheyhavegotholdofit?Thecauseisnotrich。And，moreover，therewouldhavebeendifficultieswithanyordinaryhouse-

agent，whowouldhavewantedreferencesandsoon。

Thegroupshecameincontactwithwhileexploringthepoorquartersofthetown(youknowthegestureofcharityandpersonalservicewhichwassofashionablesomeyearsago)acceptedwithgratitude。ThefirstadvantagewasthatHermioneStreetis，asyouknow，wellawayfromthesuspectpartofthetown，speciallywatchedbythepolice。

"ThegroundfloorconsistedofalittleItalianrestau-

rant，oftheflyblownsort。Therewasnodifficultyinbuyingtheproprietorout。Awomanandamanbelongingtothegrouptookiton。Themanhadbeenacook。Thecomradescouldgettheirmealsthere，unnoticedamongsttheothercustomers。Thiswasanotheradvantage。ThefirstfloorwasoccupiedbyashabbyVarietyArtists"Agency——anagencyforper-

formersininferiormusic-halls，youknow。Afellow-

calledBomm，Iremember。Hewasnotdisturbed。Itwasratherfavourablethanotherwisetohavealotofforeign-lookingpeople，jugglers，acrobats，singersofbothsexes，andsoon，goinginandoutalldaylong。

Thepolicepaidnoattentiontonewfaces，yousee。Thetopfloorhappened，mostconveniently，tostandemptythen。"

Xinterruptedhimselftoattackimpassively，withmeasuredmovements，abombeglaceewhichthewaiterhadjustsetdownonthetable。Heswallowedcarefullyafewspoonfulsoftheicedsweet，andaskedme，"DidyoueverhearofStone"sDriedSoup?"

"Hearofwhat?"

"Itwas，"Xpursued，evenly，"acomestiblearticleonceratherprominentlyadvertisedinthedailies，butwhichnever，somehow，gainedthefavourofthepublic。

Theenterprisefizzledout，asyousayhere。Parcelsoftheirstockcouldbepickedupatauctionsatconsider-

ablylessthanapennyapound。Thegroupboughtsomeofit，andanagencyforStone"sDriedSoupwasstartedonthetopfloor。Aperfectlyrespectablebusi-

ness。Thestuff，ayellowpowderofextremelyunappe-

tizingaspect，wasputupinlargesquaretins，ofwhichsixwenttoacase。Ifanybodyevercametogiveanorder，itwas，ofcourse，executed。Buttheadvantageofthepowderwasthis，thatthingscouldbeconcealedinitveryconveniently。Nowandthenaspecialcasegotputonavanandsentofftobeexportedabroadundertheverynoseofthepolicemanondutyatthecorner。

Youunderstand?"

"IthinkIdo，"Isaid，withanexpressivenodattheremnantsofthebombemeltingslowlyinthedish。

"Exactly。Butthecaseswereusefulinanotherway，too。Inthebasement，orinthecellarattheback，rather，twoprinting-presseswereestablished。AlotofrevolutionaryliteratureofthemostinflammatorykindwasgotawayfromthehouseinStone"sDriedSoupcases。Thebrotherofouranarchistyoungladyfoundsomeoccupationthere。Hewrotearticles，helpedtosetuptypeandpulloffthesheets，andgenerallyas-

sistedthemanincharge，averyableyoungfellowcalledSevrin。

"Theguidingspiritofthatgroupwasafanaticofsocialrevolution。Heisdeadnow。Hewasanengraverandetcherofgenius。Youmusthaveseenhiswork。Itismuchsoughtafterbycertainamateursnow。Hebeganbybeingrevolutionaryinhisart，andendedbybecomingarevolutionist，afterhiswifeandchildhaddiedinwantandmisery。Heusedtosaythatthebourgeoisie，thesmug，overfedlot，hadkilledthem。

Thatwashisrealbelief。Hestillworkedathisartandledadoublelife。Hewastall，gaunt，andswarthy，withalong，brownbeardanddeep-seteyes。Youmusthaveseenhim。HisnamewasHorne。"

AtthisIwasreallystartled。OfcourseyearsagoI

usedtomeetHorneabout。Helookedlikeapowerful，roughgipsy，inanoldtophat，witharedmufflerroundhisthroatandbuttonedupinalong，shabbyovercoat。

Hetalkedofhisartwithexaltation，andgaveonetheimpressionofbeingstrunguptothevergeofinsanity。

Asmallgroupofconnoisseursappreciatedhiswork。

Whowouldhavethoughtthatthisman……

Amazing!Andyetitwasnot，afterall，sodifficulttobelieve。

"Asyousee，"Xwenton，"thisgroupwasinaposi-

tiontopursueitsworkofpropaganda，andtheotherkindofwork，too，underveryadvantageousconditions。

Theywereallresolute，experiencedmenofasuperiorstamp。AndyetwebecamestruckatlengthbythefactthatplanspreparedinHermioneStreetalmostinvariablyfailed。"

"Whowere"we"?"Iasked，pointedly。

"SomeofusinBrussels——atthecentre，"hesaid，hastily。"WhatevervigorousactionoriginatedinHermioneStreetseemeddoomedtofailure。Somethingalwayshappenedtobafflethebestplannedmanifesta-

tionsineverypartofEurope。Itwasatimeofgeneralactivity。Youmustnotimaginethatallourfailuresareofaloudsort，witharrestsandtrials。Thatisnotso。Oftenthepoliceworkquietly，almostsecretly，defeatingourcombinationsbyclevercounter-plotting。

Noarrests，nonoise，noalarmingofthepublicmindandinflamingthepassions。Itisawiseprocedure。

ButatthattimethepoliceweretoouniformlysuccessfulfromtheMediterraneantotheBaltic。Itwasannoyingandbegantolookdangerous。AtlastwecametotheconclusionthattheremustbesomeuntrustworthyelementsamongsttheLondongroups。AndIcameovertoseewhatcouldbedonequietly。

"MyfirststepwastocalluponouryoungLadyAmateurofanarchismatherprivatehouse。Shere-

ceivedmeinaflatteringway。IjudgedthatsheknewnothingofthechemicalandotheroperationsgoingonatthetopofthehouseinHermioneStreet。Theprint-

ingofanarchistliteraturewastheonly"activity"sheseemedtobeawareofthere。Shewasdisplayingverystrikinglytheusualsignsofsevereenthusiasm，andhadalreadywrittenmanysentimentalarticleswithferociousconclusions。Icouldseeshewasenjoyingherselfhugely，withallthegesturesandgrimacesofdeadlyearnestness。Theysuitedherbig-eyed，broad-browedfaceandthegoodcarriageofhershapelyhead，crownedbyamagnificentlotofbrownhairdoneinanunusualandbecomingstyle。Herbrotherwasintheroom，too，aseriousyouth，witharchedeyebrowsandwearingarednecktie，whostruckmeasbeingabsolutelyinthedarkabouteverythingintheworld，includinghimself。Byandbyatallyoungmancamein。Hewasclean-shavedwithastrongbluishjawandsomethingoftheairofataciturnactororofafanaticalpriest:thetypewiththickblackeyebrows——youknow。Buthewasverypre-

sentableindeed。Heshookhandsatoncevigorouslywitheachofus。Theyoungladycameuptomeandmurmuredsweetly，"ComradeSevrin。"

"Ihadneverseenhimbefore。Hehadlittletosaytous，butsatdownbythesideofthegirl，andtheyfellatonceintoearnestconversation。Sheleanedforwardinherdeeparmchair，andtookhernicelyroundedchininherbeautifulwhitehand。Helookedattentivelyintohereyes。Itwastheattitudeoflove-making，serious，intense，asifonthebrinkofthegrave。Isupposeshefeltitnecessarytoroundandcompleteherassumptionofadvancedideas，ofrevolutionarylawlessness，bymakingbelievetobeinlovewithananarchist。Andthisone，Irepeat，wasextremelypresentable，notwith-

standinghisfanaticalblack-browedaspect。Afterafewstolenglancesintheirdirection，Ihadnodoubtthathewasinearnest。Astothelady，hergestureswereunapproachable，betterthantheverythingitselfintheblendedsuggestionofdignity，sweetness，condescension，fascination，surrender，andreserve。Sheinterpretedherconceptionofwhatthatprecisesortoflove-makingshouldbewithconsummateart。Andsofar，she，too，nodoubt，wasinearnest。Gestures——butsoperfect!

"AfterIhadbeenleftalonewithourLadyAmateurIinformedherguardedlyoftheobjectofmyvisit。I

hintedatoursuspicions。Iwantedtohearwhatshewouldhavetosay，andhalfexpectedsomeperhapsun-

consciousrevelation。Allshesaidwas，"That"sserious，"

lookingdelightfullyconcernedandgrave。Buttherewasasparkleinhereyeswhichmeantplainly，"Howexciting!"Afterall，sheknewlittleofanythingexceptofwords。Still，sheundertooktoputmeincom-

municationwithHorne，whowasnoteasytofindunlessinHermioneStreet，whereIdidnotwishtoshowmyselfjustthen。

"ImetHorne。Thiswasanotherkindofafanaticaltogether。IexposedtohimtheconclusionweinBrusselshadarrivedat，andpointedoutthesignificantseriesoffailures。Tothisheansweredwithirrelevantexaltation:

""Ihavesomethinginhandthatshallstriketerrorintotheheartofthesegorgedbrutes。"

"AndthenIlearnedthat，byexcavatinginoneofthecellarsofthehouse，heandsomecompanionshadmadetheirwayintothevaultsunderthegreatpublicbuildingIhavementionedbefore。Theblowingupofawholewingwasacertaintyassoonasthematerialswereready。

"IwasnotsoappalledatthestupidityofthatmoveasImighthavebeenhadnottheusefulnessofourcentreinHermioneStreetbecomealreadyveryprob-

lematical。Infact，inmyopinionitwasmuchmoreofapolicetrapbythistimethananythingelse。

"Whatwasnecessarynowwastodiscoverwhat，orratherwho，waswrong，andImanagedatlasttogetthatideaintoHorne"shead。Heglared，perplexed，hisnostrilsworkingasifheweresniffingtreacheryintheair。

"Andherecomesapieceofworkwhichwillnodoubtstrikeyouasasortoftheatricalexpedient。Andyetwhatelsecouldhavebeendone?Theproblemwastofindouttheuntrustworthymemberofthegroup。

Butnosuspicioncouldbefastenedononemorethananother。Tosetawatchuponthemallwasnotverypracticable。Besides，thatproceedingoftenfails。Inanycase，ittakestime，andthedangerwaspressing。I

feltcertainthatthepremisesinHermioneStreetwouldbeultimatelyraided，thoughthepolicehadevidentlysuchconfidenceintheinformerthatthehouse，forthetimebeing，wasnotevenwatched。Hornewaspositiveonthatpoint。Underthecircumstancesitwasanunfavourablesymptom。Somethinghadtobedonequickly。

"Idecidedtoorganizearaidmyselfuponthegroup。

Doyouunderstand?Araidofothertrustycomradespersonatingthepolice。Aconspiracywithinacon-

spiracy。Youseetheobjectofit，ofcourse。WhenapparentlyabouttobearrestedIhopedtheinformerwouldbetrayhimselfinsomewayorother；eitherbysomeunguardedactorsimplybyhisunconcernedde-

meanour，forinstance。Ofcoarsetherewastheriskofcompletefailureandthenolesserriskofsomefatalaccidentinthecourseofresistance，perhaps，orintheeffortsatescape。For，asyouwilleasilysee，theHer-

mioneStreetgrouphadtobeactuallyandcompletelytakenunawares，asIwassuretheywouldbebytherealpolicebeforeverylong。Theinformerwasamongstthem，andHornealonecouldbeletintothesecretofmyplan。

"Iwillnotenterintothedetailofmypreparations。

Itwasnotveryeasytoarrange，butitwasdoneverywell，withareallyconvincingeffect。Theshampoliceinvadedtherestaurant，whoseshutterswereimmedi-

atelyputup。Thesurprisewasperfect。MostoftheHermioneStreetpartywerefoundinthesecondcellar，enlargingtheholecommunicatingwiththevaultsofthegreatpublicbuilding。Atthefirstalarm，severalcomradesboltedthroughimpulsivelyintotheaforesaidvault，where，ofcourse，hadthisbeenagenuineraid，theywouldhavebeenhopelesslytrapped。Wedidnotbotheraboutthemforthemoment。Theywereharm-

lessenough。ThetopfloorcausedconsiderableanxietytoHorneandmyself。There，surroundedbytinsofStone"sDriedSoup，acomrade，nick-namedthePro-

fessor(hewasanex-sciencestudent)wasengagedinperfectingsomenewdetonators。Hewasanab-

stracted，self-confident，sallowlittleman，armedwithlargeroundspectacles，andwewereafraidthatunderamistakenimpressionhewouldblowhimselfupandwreckthehouseaboutourears。Irushedupstairsandfoundhimalreadyatthedoor，onthealert，listening，ashesaid，to"suspiciousnoisesdownbelow。"BeforeI

hadquitefinishedexplainingtohimwhatwasgoingonheshruggedhisshouldersdisdainfullyandturnedawaytohisbalancesandtest-tubes。Hiswasthetruespiritofanextremerevolutionist。Explosiveswerehisfaith，hishope，hisweapon，andhisshield。Heperishedacoupleofyearsafterwardsinasecretlaboratorythroughtheprematureexplosionofoneofhisimproveddetonators。

"Hurryingdownagain，Ifoundanimpressivesceneinthegloomofthebigcellar。Themanwhopersonatedtheinspector(hewasnostrangertothepart)wasspeakingharshly，andgivingbogusorderstohisbogussubordinatesfortheremovalofhisprisoners。Evi-

dentlynothingenlighteninghadhappenedsofar。

Horne，saturnineandswarthy，waitedwithfoldedarms，andhispatient，moodyexpectationhadanairofstoi-

cismwellinkeepingwiththesituation。IdetectedintheshadowsoneoftheHermioneStreetgroupsurrep-

titiouslychewingupandswallowingasmallpieceofpaper。Somecompromisingscrap，Isuppose；perhapsjustanoteofafewnamesandaddresses。Hewasatrueandfaithful"companion。"Butthefundofsecretmalicewhichlurksatthebottomofoursympathiescausedmetofeelamusedatthatperfectlyuncalled-

forperformance。

Ineveryotherrespecttheriskyexperiment，thetheatricalcoup，ifyouliketocallitso，seemedtohavefailed。Thedeceptioncouldnotbekeptupmuchlonger；theexplanationwouldbringaboutaveryembarrassingandevengravesituation。Themanwhohadeatenthepaperwouldbefurious。Thefellowswhohadboltedawaywouldbeangry，too。

"Toaddtomyvexation，thedoorcommunicatingwiththeothercellar，wheretheprinting-presseswere，flewopen，andouryoungladyrevolutionistappeared，ablacksilhouetteinaclose-fittingdressandalargehat，withtheblazeofgasflaringinthereatherback。

OverhershoulderIperceivedthearchedeyebrowsandtherednecktieofherbrother。

"ThelastpeopleintheworldIwantedtoseethen!

Theyhadgonethateveningtosomeamateurconcertforthedelectationofthepoorpeople，youknow；butshehadinsistedonleavingearly，onpurposetocallinHermioneStreetonthewayhome，underthepretextofhavingsomeworktodo。HerusualtaskwastocorrecttheproofsoftheItalianandFrencheditionsoftheAlarmBellandtheFirebrand。"……

"Heavens!"Imurmured。Ihadbeenshownonceafewcopiesofthesepublications。Nothing，inmyopinion，couldhavebeenlessfitfortheeyesofayounglady。Theywerethemostadvancedthingsofthesort；

advanced，Imean，beyondallboundsofreasonanddecency。Oneofthempreachedthedissolutionofallsocialanddomesticties；theotheradvocatedsystematicmurder。Tothinkofayounggirlcalmlytrackingprinters"errorsallalongthesortofabominablesen-

tencesIrememberedwasintolerabletomysentimentofwomanhood。Mr。X，aftergivingmeaglance，pursuedsteadily。

"Ithink，however，thatshecamemostlytoexerciseherfascinationsuponSevrin，andtoreceivehishomageinherqueenlyandcondescendingway。Shewasawareofboth——herpowerandhishomage——andenjoyedthemwith，Idaresay，completeinnocence。Wehavenogroundinexpediencyormoralstoquarrelwithheronthataccount。Charminwomanandexceptionalintelligenceinmanarealawuntothemselves。Isitnotso?"

Irefrainedfromexpressingmyabhorrenceofthatlicentiousdoctrinebecauseofmycuriosity。

"Butwhathappenedthen?"Ihastenedtoask。

Xwentoncrumblingslowlyasmallpieceofbreadwithacarelesslefthand。

"Whathappened，ineffect，"heconfessed，"isthatshesavedthesituation。"

"Shegaveyouanopportunitytoendyourrathersinisterfarce，"Isuggested。

"Yes，"hesaid，preservinghisimpassivebearing。

"Thefarcewasboundtoendsoon。Anditendedinaveryfewminutes。Anditendedwell。Hadshenotcomein，itmighthaveendedbadly。Herbrother，ofcourse，didnotcount。Theyhadslippedintothehousequietlysometimebefore。Theprinting-cellarhadanentranceofitsown。Notfindinganyonethere，shesatdowntoherproofs，expectingSevrintoreturntohisworkatanymoment。Hedidnotdoso。

Shegrewimpatient，heardthroughthedoorthesoundsofadisturbanceintheothercellarandnaturallycameintoseewhatwasthematter。

Sevrinhadbeenwithus。Atfirsthehadseemedtomethemostamazedofthewholeraidedlot。Heappearedforaninstantasifparalyzedwithastonish-

ment。Hestoodrootedtothespot。Henevermovedalimb。Asolitarygas-jetflarednearhishead；alltheotherlightshadbeenputoutatthefirstalarm。

Andpresently，frommydarkcorner，Iobservedonhisshavenactor"sfaceanexpressionofpuzzled，vexedwatchfulness。Heknittedhisheavyeyebrows。Thecornersofhismouthdroppedscornfully。Hewasangry。Mostlikelyhehadseenthroughthegame，andIregrettedIhadnottakenhimfromthefirstintomycompleteconfidence。

"Butwiththeappearanceofthegirlhebecameobviouslyalarmed。Itwasplain。Icouldseeitgrow。Thechangeofhisexpressionwasswiftandstartling。AndIdidnotknowwhy。Thereasonneveroccurredtome。Iwasmerelyastonishedattheextremealterationoftheman"sface。Ofcoursehehadnotbeenawareofherpresenceintheothercellar；butthatdidnotexplaintheshockheradventhadgivenhim。

Foramomentheseemedtohavebeenreducedtoimbecility。Heopenedhismouthasiftoshout，orperhapsonlytogasp。Atanyrate，itwassomebodyelsewhoshouted。ThissomebodyelsewastheheroiccomradewhomIhaddetectedswallowingapieceofpaper。Withlaudablepresenceofmindheletoutawarningyell。

""It"sthepolice!Back!Back!Runback，andboltthedoorbehindyou。"

"Itwasanexcellenthint；butinsteadofretreatingthegirlcontinuedtoadvance，followedbyherlong-

facedbrotherinhisknickerbockersuit，inwhichhehadbeensingingcomicsongsfortheentertainmentofajoylessproletariat。Sheadvancednotasifshehadfailedtounderstand——theword"police"hasanun-

mistakablesound——butratherasifshecouldnothelpherself。Shedidnotadvancewiththefreegaitandexpandingpresenceofadistinguishedamateuranarchistamongstpoor，strugglingprofessionals，butwithslightlyraisedshoulders，andherelbowspressedclosetoherbody，asiftryingtoshrinkwithinherself。

HereyeswerefixedimmovablyuponSevrin。Sevrintheman，Ifancy；notSevrintheanarchist。Butsheadvanced。Andthatwasnatural。Foralltheirassumptionofindependence，girlsofthatclassareusedtothefeelingofbeingspeciallyprotected，as，infact，theyare。Thisfeelingaccountsforninetenthsoftheiraudaciousgestures。Herfacehadgonecom-

pletelycolourless。Ghastly。Fancyhavingitbroughthometohersobrutallythatshewasthesortofpersonwhomustrunawayfromthepolice!Ibelieveshewaspalewithindignation，mostly，thoughtherewas，ofcourse，alsotheconcernforherintactpersonality，avaguedreadofsomesortofrudeness。And，naturally，sheturnedtoaman，tothemanonwhomshehadaclaimoffascinationandhomage——themanwhocouldnotconceivablyfailheratanyjuncture。"

"But，"Icried，amazedatthisanalysis，"ifithadbeenserious，real，Imean——asshethoughtitwas——whatcouldsheexpecthimtodoforher?"

Xnevermovedamuscleofhisface。

"Goodnessknows。Iimaginethatthischarming，generous，andindependentcreaturehadneverknowninherlifeasinglegenuinethought；Imeanasinglethoughtdetachedfromsmallhumanvanities，orwhosesourcewasnotinsomeconventionalperception。AllI

knowisthatafteradvancingafewstepssheextendedherhandtowardsthemotionlessSevrin。Andthatatleastwasnogesture。Itwasanaturalmovement。Astowhatsheexpectedhimtodo，whocantell?Theimpossible。Butwhateversheexpected，itcouldnothavecomeup，Iamsafetosay，towhathehadmadeuphismindtodo，evenbeforethatentreatinghandhadappealedtohimsodirectly。Ithadnotbeennecessary。

Fromthemomenthehadseenherenterthatcellar，hehadmadeuphismindtosacrificehisfutureusefulness，tothrowofftheimpenetrable，solidlyfastenedmaskithadbeenhispridetowear——"

"Whatdoyoumean?"Iinterrupted，puzzled。

"WasitSevrin，then，whowas——"

"Hewas。Themostpersistent，themostdangerous，thecraftiest，themostsystematicofinformers。A

geniusamongstbetrayers。Fortunatelyforus，hewasunique。Themanwasafanatic，Ihavetoldyou。

Fortunately，again，forus，hehadfalleninlovewiththeaccomplishedandinnocentgesturesofthatgirl。Anactorindesperateearnesthimself，hemusthavebe-

lievedintheabsolutevalueofconventionalsigns。Astothegrossnessofthetrapintowhichhefell，theexplanationmustbethattwosentimentsofsuchab-

sorbingmagnitudecannotexistsimultaneouslyinoneheart。Thedangerofthatotherandunconsciouscomedianrobbedhimofhisvision，ofhisperspicacity，ofhisjudgment。Indeed，itdidatfirstrobhimofhisself-possession。Butheregainedthatthroughthenecessity——asitappearedtohimimperiously——todosomethingatonce。Todowhat?Why，togetheroutofthehouseasquicklyaspossible。Hewasdesperatelyanxioustodothat。Ihavetoldyouhewasterrified。Itcouldnotbeabouthimself。Hehadbeensurprisedandannoyedatamovequiteunforeseenandpremature。Imayevensayhehadbeenfurious。

Hewasaccustomedtoarrangethelastsceneofhisbetrayalswithadeep，subtleartwhichlefthisrevolu-

tionistreputationuntouched。Butitseemscleartomethatatthesametimehehadresolvedtomakethebestofit，tokeephismaskresolutelyon。Itwasonlywiththediscoveryofherbeinginthehousethatevery-

thing——theforcedcalm，therestraintofhisfanaticism，themask——allcameofftogetherinakindofpanic。

Whypanic，doyouask?Theanswerisverysimple。

Heremembered——or，Idaresay，hehadneverforgotten——theProfessoraloneatthetopofthehouse，pursuinghisresearches，surroundedbytinsupontinsofStone"sDriedSoup。Therewasenoughinsomefewofthemtoburyusallwherewestoodunderaheapofbricks。

Sevrin，ofcourse，wasawareofthat。Andwemustbelieve，also，thatheknewtheexactcharacteroftheman。Hehadgaugedsomanysuchcharacters!OrperhapsheonlygavetheProfessorcreditforwhathehimselfwascapableof。But，inanycase，theeffectwasproduced。Andsuddenlyheraisedhisvoiceinauthority。

""Gettheladyawayatonce。"

"Itturnedoutthathewasashoarseasacrow；

result，nodoubt，oftheintenseemotion。Itpassedoffinamoment。Butthesefatefulwordsissuedforthfromhiscontractedthroatinadiscordant，ridiculouscroak。

Theyrequirednoanswer。Thethingwasdone。How-

ever，themanpersonatingtheinspectorjudgeditex-

pedienttosayroughly:

""Sheshallgosoonenough，togetherwiththerestofyou。"

"Thesewerethelastwordsbelongingtothecomedypartofthisaffair。

"Obliviousofeverythingandeverybody，Sevrinstrodetowardshimandseizedthelapelsofhiscoat。

Underhisthinbluishcheeksonecouldseehisjawsworkingwithpassion。

""Youhavemenpostedoutside。Gettheladytakenhomeatonce。Doyouhear?Now。Beforeyoutrytogetholdofthemanupstairs。"

""Oh!Thereisamanupstairs，"scoffedtheother，openly。"Well，heshallbebroughtdownintimetoseetheendofthis。"

"ButSevrin，besidehimself，tooknoheedofthetone。

""Who"stheimbecilemeddlerwhosentyoublunder-

inghere?Didn"tyouunderstandyourinstructions?

Don"tyouknowanything?It"sincredible。Here——"

"Hedroppedthelapelsofthecoatand，plunginghishandintohisbreast，jerkedfeverishlyatsome-

thingunderhisshirt。Atlastheproducedasmallsquarepocketofsoftleather，whichmusthavebeenhanginglikeascapularyfromhisneckbythetapewhosebrokenendsdangledfromhisfist。

""Lookinside，"hespluttered，flingingitintheother"sface。Andinstantlyheturnedroundtowardsthegirl。

Shestoodjustbehindhim，perfectlystillandsilent。

Herset，whitefacegaveanillusionofplacidity。Onlyherstaringeyesseemedbiggeranddarker。

"Hespokerapidly，withnervousassurance。Iheardhimdistinctlypromisehertomakeeverythingasclearasdaylightpresently。ButthatwasallIcaught。Hestoodclosetoher，neverattemptingtotouchherevenwiththetipofhislittlefinger——andshestaredathimstupidly。Foramoment，however，hereyelidsde-