Havoc
the thoroughfare beneath. Both men were laboring under a bitter sense of failure. Bellamy's face was dark with forebodings; Dorward was irritated and nervous. Failure was a n
ed lines the volume of sound arose and grew, a faint murmur at first, swelling and growing to a thunderous roar. Myriads of hats w
to the railway statio
lliant in their white uniforms, their flashing helmets. The small brougham with its great black horses was almost hidd
of the Lord!
s, muffled yet insistent, charged with that faint, exciting
ed Bellamy. "He goes
feet and a murmur of voices. The two men turned from their window back into the room. Dorward commenced to roll a ciga
" he said, half to himself, half to Dorward.
scarcely more than an
"That little room in the Palace,
tte and lighting it, "we should be big bidders, I think. I'd give fifty thousand
ctions, both of us. With infinite pains I planted-I may tell you this now that the thing is over-seven spies in the Palac
nodded g
n the room. Carstairs was nearly thrown out, and he had a permit to enter the Palace. The gr
my si
er guns before we are many mont
d at his friend keenl
rugged his
Russia stand whispering in a corner, can't you believe it is across the North Sea that
ys," Dorward declared impatiently. "I'd just
with faint but
t of about two hundred journalists. Very likely he will give you an exact account of everything that transpired. First of all, he will assure you that this meeting h
rupted calmly. "I wonder what you'd give me for
f expressing himself candidly and openly. Peace is to be the watchword of the future. The white doves have hovered over the Palace. The rulers of the earth have met that the crash of arms may be stilled and that this terrible unrest which broods over Europe shall finally be broken up. They have pledged themselves hand in hand to work together for this object,-Russia, broken and humiliated, but with an immense army still available, whose only ch
ed his shoulders and
ll part of the game, of course. I am not exactly chicken enough to expect the truth. All the sam
amy declared, "to throw dus
don't care so long as I get the
my no
ps, to-morrow," he said. "I can
a week, at any rate," Dorward answered. "I hear th
miled tho
nt a place among the
le Idiale,
my as
f of the Committee for National Defence. The jewels that are sent her anonymously go to the same place, all to buy arms to fight these people who worship her. I tell you, Dorward," he added, rising to his feet and walking to the window, "the patriotism of th
re at the clock and ro
waiting. Good-bye, and cheer up, Bellamy! Your o
ndow, watching the dispersal of the crowds and the marching by of a regiment of soldiers, whose movements he followed with critical interest, for he, too, had been in the service. He had still a military bearing,-tall, and
could open his lips some one had entered. He heard the soft swirl of draperies and turned sharply round, then sprang to
xclaimed. "Wha
ck veil. Bellamy looked at her for a moment in sorrowful silence. There were violet lines underneath her beautiful eyes, her cheeks were destitute of a
id softly, "this meeting.
d stood by
her, "we do not know w
her head m
see it in the faces of the people who throng the city! I can hear it in t
shook
very little opportunity. I filled the Palace with spies, but they hadn't a dog's chance. There wasn't ev
n reserve, I know, as stenographer. I have but to lift my hand and it
ress of every European nation had called her the most beautiful woman
n allowed to cross the th
mething about the lines of her long, supple body suggested to him the savage animal crouching for a spring. She wa
to-night?"
blazing out of her eyes, shaking in her vo
t the whole city is placarded with notices. It is to be a
quiver like a tree
e Samson, if I could pull down the pillars of their Ope
and and smoot
this. You do everything that
eaming and her fi
a tyrant's hand come creeping out, to know that your life-blood and the life-blood of all your people must be shed, and shed in vain. To rob a nation of
and she clutched hi
so long. I can do no more good here. I come to tell you that I go away till the ti
reak your e
d at him s
about the stage-oh, I could strike them all dead! They come to me, these young Austrian noblemen, as though I were already one of a conquered race. I keep their diamonds but I destroy their messages. Their jewels go to my chor
my no
all you cold here in the ca
d out h
the Opera House. I came here to be in hiding for a while. They will
od thoughtf
" he said. "You take it too much
elf believe it?" she
is no proof,"
ro
s thrust him from her, her bosom heave
r voices when that miserable monarch rode back to his captivity? We are doomed-betrayed! You remember the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, a blood-stained page of history for all time. The world would
is hand soothingly on hers. It was heart-rend
er all, this is profitless.
in his, but the bitterness did n
themselves passively to be led into captivity? My country can be conquered in one way, and one way only,-not until her sons, ay, and her daughters too, have perished, can these people rul
d back with a sudden
e, is not yet a conquered race. And there is France-Italy, too, if
, but here she is powerless. Already it has been proved. Last year you declared yourself our f
Bellamy had known Arthur Dorward, but this man was surely a stranger! He was hatless, dishev
he cried.
e leaned against the table,
ake, man," B
rupted. "I must see yo
rose. She touched Be
e, or telephone," s
t, with a farewell pressure of his finger