The Golden Bough

the newcomer? He was sure that the fingers which touched his sleeve in warning were trembling as she glanced wide-eyed toward the door

which steel-blue eyes appraised the room and its occupants. His nose was straight and well chiseled, and his small brown mustache carefully groomed, defined rather than concealed the straight firm line

girl, and taking the fingers she extended, b

leasant voice. "The days have sped into weeks,

ian straightened, turned toward the American whom she indicated with a graceful gesture.

land had a sense that it was the garments which Monsieur Khodkine noted, not the man within them, and had a feeling of being still further ignored w

rylo Ivanitc

table, her gaze upon the floor. Her v

anitch is-

started v

at Stepan and at Rowland. "When did this ha

rettes of Monsieur Ivanitch from the table and was now lighting it, very much at h

h nerves, in a kind of strange fit of uncertainty. He was frightened.... He bade us keep watch upon the Tree and what lies b

ked from one to the other in

t how? Wha

onsieur Rowlan', in the garden, as he was leaving Nemi. Monsieur Rowlan' defen

-" said t

he girl, raising her pallid face from

t the eyes of the oth

Picard. "We saw. It was a fair comba

ther and at last rested on Rowland, who met his glance c

"he was dangerous, and so----" He shrugged. "What

an stared

u----" H

smiled a

said coolly, "that I am

d more intently as though correcting a former and mistaken impress

u knew?"

," said

now

y: "All the conditions have been fulfilled, Mons

were put to her. If there had been restraint in her acceptance of this successor to Ivanitch, or wonder at the strange chain of facts which linked this matter-of-fact American with the destinies of Nemi, she spoke now with an air of definite assurance and fatalism which went far to convince Rowland that if she were not sincere in her beliefs she was playing a skillful part which warned him how deeply he too was committed to his strange new office. But it was Monsieur Khodkine that Rowland watched the closest. From an expression of consternation the face of the Russian

ve surely! And the combat--either one may challenge.... The Visconti.... There seems no

vanitch was dead," said T

act of Destiny, striking as with the hand of God from out of the mists of the Eternal

sed nothing of the alert intelligence of Monsieur Khodkine's pale blue eyes, keen

e a politician of an advanced type, a doctrinaire perhaps, but an intriguer with a definite and perhaps sordid purpose, who had come expecting to find the dreamer Ivanitch, and instead had found a heretic and an unbeliever. But under this skillful camouflage of mere words, wh

en given Rowland returned with Monsieur Khodkine to the room on the lower floor where Tanya, after a warning glance which Rowland interpreted and answered, left the two men to

lighted their cigarettes. "It is indeed a far cry from th

New York?" a

a wonderful people--intensely practical. Bu

ould long since have finished disastrously our experiment in individualism.

new interest. Was this smiling Am

ves to liberty, which has made you th

sieur Khodkine?" asked Row

the heart of Russia which throbs with the pulse-beats of humanity. The

s and fixed a cool look

r I have been in a prison camp. As you must see, I a

the rights of the people. The people of Russia are drunk with freedom and accept the new order of things because they think it is what they h

Democrat, then, Monsi

freedom--call me by wh

ged and blew a

those in power who are in sympa

e length of the room while

Is it not cl

sputin is dead. The Czarina has gone. In them you will admi

t the evil stream still flows--secretly, below the gr

threw his cigaret

be of service here, I must trust myself into the hands of those who have a deeper insight into the politics of Europe than myself. I have promised Mademoiselle Korasov to stay at Nemi

ne white teeth showing in a smile and t

that you wi

lici

le eyes glowe

which guides the destiny of Nemi is still unerring." And t

s told me something,--bu

the wheat from the chaff. I shall tell you whom to trust. Russia must be born again. You shall help her in t

iety of Nemi may be powerful, but I can hardly bel

umblings in the Reichstag. Liebknecht the el

ebknecht. I'

ave revolted and in the navy--mutiny. Those men realize that there is a force let loose into the world, before which the selfish aims of the rulers of the co

hough in deep thought, Khodkine thre

e. The time c

me, Monsieur?" Rowl

heart and i

he should not start with any advantage. The new Leader of Nemi was learning, still moving in the dark, for the names of those who had come into power in Russia, Lvoff, Rodzianko--and the others had seemed to stand for all that was best in the interests of free gover

Whatever the society of Nemi is in the minds of its legion of followers, to me it is merely a means to a great end--the safety and peace of all Europe. The fulfillment of the promises of the legend is extraordinary--almost incredible, but neither you nor I as men of the world can believe that it comes fr

cks me, stabs me with a knife. If he is kill

tand each other." He

the vile Rasputin was not long in finding out. A little ceremonial does no

he new priest of Nemi shall find me out. Then at lea

odkine, easily. "A Miracle such as this may sometime

ed cheerfully, "you may be

with a smile. And then after a pause--"Tell me, Monsieur. Did Mad

"As you know, this affair h

found upon the body

ed by Issad or Stepan, they

Monsieur Khodkine made his way out of the ro

mmediately. It seemed that she must have been near th

careful?"

walks on a floor carpeted with egg-

told you anything,

nd no

o search the b

he pocket-book of Kirylo Ivanitch. I took it--there in the ga

72 Gauche 23

u can rem

es

stroy it

hrew it into the hearth. She went toward the door, stood

guard against him always. For the present noth

g her voice, spoke easily in a conversational tone of the members of the Council who were to join them la

nothing?" a

an, some keys, a littl

looking for, Monsieu

ced at Tanya

um--it does