The Golden Bough

robes and sensible of his own importance, greeted them with all solemnity and conducted them to the house where Tanya Korasov, Khodkine and Rowl

discovered, no spirits of any kind had ever passed his lips. Then came Liederman and Mademoiselle Colodna. Liederman was heavy, Hebraic and noisy; Irina Colodna silent, abstracted and in

an or Spanish, and her gown might have come from Paris or Vienna. She spoke all languages, French, German, Russian, English with equal facility, each it seemed with a slight accent or tinge of the others, but without preference or favor. Her eyes, set a little obliquely in her head, were of the night, dark and unfathomable, and he

ight of their own understanding and showed them the body of Ivanitch and the broken Bough, in token of the fulfillment of the prophecy. As to his own mind, he said, that was already made up. As a member of the Order, he would take commands from none other than Monsieur Rowland, who was now the President

from one foot to the other, like a great brown bear, his hairy fists clenched, his blac

er in your country. You should permit us to apply it here--

the Order----"

es is extraordinary, but let us accept it as such and end the matter. The Council of Nemi has borne with Kirylo Ivanitch, because as we all know he formed a proper buffer between our conflicting aims. But Kirylo Ivanitch is dead. When our numbers

on Rowland's face. "The new Leader of the Order of Nemi has already been selected in acc

d stared at the speaker, a look o

oya!" h

es. "And why not? God knows we need new wits t

t--

turned to Shestov

r Russia I can speak. A man who is willing to offer his own blood unselfishly

mously behind his goggles. "I am for the old order o

d Khodkine sententiously. "Amen.

in her soft Italian accent. "Whatever

ship of the cause of the world by investing this adven

Zoya Rochal shrilly

ence and then sank into a chair, hi

rward, faced them, and after a glance at Khodkine spoke quietly, and with growing assurance, while the

soldier of France which stands resolute, undaunted, immovable upon its new frontier. I have been in the cauldron before Verdun and thus am the only one among you who has seen Hell upon this earth. I say to you Messieurs and Mesdames that death is nothing when compared to the tension of nerves tightened like bow-strings. After that I say there is no war that can be right--

one white hand in a wide gesture. "We need you at N

ot fire at the silent Liederman, who stared

he said; "I have

nya had stood at one side, a silent spectator of this scene smiling slightly, aware of her own part in this decision, but watching ke

your indulgence,

ed, "we are of many minds at Nemi. But the danger li

Perhaps you'l

. We sha

lowing Margot, the old woman whom Rowland had seen in the kitchen, went up the stairs

beautiful?" t

tiful--? The beauté du Diable

her expres

st dangerous w

"The only powder a soldier

sm

ot jes

warn me ag

. She is an agent of

But her na

a friend of princes, in Russia, in Austria, a go-betwee

iederm

obvious? He

to accept me without question as

lent a momen

of least resistance best suited to her methods of attack. Kirylo Ivanitch was immune. She thinks

but not too guileless to be ungrateful to you." She shrugged and laug

rthou are perhaps on my side. Before the hour passes I shall swear allegiance to Signorina Colodna and H

is no

I shall not cr

ems in my own way? If I seem to be guileless, humor me for my simplicity but do not distrus

it?" she

my h

suddenly and h

ceremony, been put below the ground. But the lines at Monsieur Khodkine's brows were not born of this gruesome informality for it seem

a, "Mademoiselle Korasov is best informed to speak of the affairs

you, Monsieur?"

one of us--o

something satirical

n good-humoredly, "what'

ations of money to carry on the propaganda and the plans for Russia. But first it is necess

t?" echoe

ded and glan

e order. Only Ivanitch knew the secret of the doors to the vault----"

y. "I have merely obeyed orders. Kirylo Ivanitch entr

nge, that no record

tch died with

his confidence. He must have give

, his room, his des

e so. There

rette which he lighted wit

led, "what are you g

ne shr

e question, Mon

. Khodkine paced the floor slowly

ake a thorough search. Perhaps you

hen paused. "And the others, what

he truth," s

and then coming close to the new Preside

ide in the garden, deep under the Tree, we must find a way in

but

the sound of voices he glanced toward the do

w apart as Madame Rochal an

rward with a smile--"already wrapping

laughed

grow so far or cling so tigh

ed at Rowland who

the new Priest quietly, "the oak a

e pretty speeches? But be sure that I am

that the poison-vine loves.

at once a challenge and a reproach

break the golden Bough," mutte

You, Grisha Khodkine?"

ine s

ame," he rep

rvitude into another. But to have political opin

rom one to the o

take it at once." He picked up the dagger of Kirylo Ivanitch which had been brought into the house and put upon the table, and thrust the handle t

saw no humor in

ense, Monsieur. Let

t good humor and air of guilelessness which seemed to see nothing but good humor and guilelessness in all those about him, had the effect of providing a common meeting ground of good-fellowship for tho

the conclusion of the meal Rowland and Ma

at the end of the garden. "At times you seem very much like an overgrown boy," she b

laugh, "but I've never managed to learn anything, except tha

ingers along h

d with sudden earnestness, "that you have

's great, I tell you. You haven't been in a German prison pen, Madame. The conversation is hardly worth mentioning, the food is unmentionable and now for the first time in a year I find myself set down in

d smoked luxuriously, gazing a

on his arm

are in great danger, here at thi

you say," he said s

epeated. "Danger--of--de

I can imagine no moment more

u no eyes to see what

and glanced careles

oing on about

ou do not believe me. It is true. Around you, here at Nemi, seethes a strugg

hat upon your eye

after looking cautiously around them in

st in there, when I saw you, I knew that I should like you. I don't know why." She shrugged expressiv

worthy of the best traditions of Offenbach, with chaps in cowls and cassocks pottering about a saddish-looking tree and muttering about escaping slaves. And you ask me

are impossible. Think of what I shall tell you, for it is very important. Under the mound below the tree is the treasure-vault of Nemi. It is built of st

d Rowland as she paused.

in that vault, Philip

with a ring in the end

ime can amount to little less than twenty-five millions of francs. They are th

ite of himself had b

e almost everything--but safe cra

sibility for this money devolves. If it

Who will

in to emphasize the importance of her words. "To help the cause of Free In

em to be more causes than one at Nemi, more axes than one to grind. Let m

ed at him

o not

r I should no

tion she turned and spoke in a low tone. "These others believe that I am acting f

what

ing you, Mo

ry in your eye

ugh to be sure of her effe

of the Provisional

en laid his hand over hers while h

d softly. "Our cause is the same. You and I togeth

youth refreshed her. She sighed and then laughed sof

rmured, "you ma

Madame Rochal knew what he was about had caught

her glance and turned to find Tanya Korasov standing before them. Rowland spr

elle----"

g rapidly and he saw that she was very pale a

house at once. In the name of Fr

l go a

Rowland had taken only a few paces when Zoya Ro

she whispered tensely, "for it

as he caught her f

hall kill me at Nemi but you. That I promi