Temporal Power: A Study in Supremacy

ion. Max Graub upset his glass, and seemed to be

ancing at his friends with an a

, no-but what man will have his beer

said Regor ang

e a pistol in your pocket! I object to be shown a pistol. So I have taken

er darkened L

you carried arms,

d noticed hi

-"We all carry arms,-there is not one of us at this table who h

have no loaded pistol,-and I will

tly-"I never suspect any man o

ely and stretched out her hand,-a beautiful ha

e said-"It is the natural

e took her hand, pressed it gently, and let

the worst of me at once! My experience of life has perhaps been exceptionally unpleasant; bu

d Thord, smiling,-"However, without any argument,

s permissible he

e always prepared for some disaster,-always on our guard against treachery. Comrades!" and r

, there was a goodly number of daggers, chiefly of the small kind such as are used in Corsica, encased in leather sheaths. Pa

Gentlemen, I have still to make my speech, and if you permit it, I will speak now,-unarmed as I am,-with all th

have picked up a trump card! Speak, Pasquin Leroy!

ment, but he did not appear to be conscious of their observation. On the contrary, some very deeply seated feeling seemed to be absor

us without hesitation, as members of your Committee, and as associates in the work of the Cause you have determined to maintain. It is an Ideal Cause,-I need not tell you that! To rescue and protect the poor from the tyranny of the rich and strong, was the mission of Christ when He visited this earth; and it would perhaps be unwise on my part, and di

lightened with eager enthusiasm, and every

o come again, the first thing He would probably do would be to destroy all the churches, saying: 'I never knew you: depart from me ye that work iniquity!' But till He does come again, it rests with the thinkers of the time to protest against wrongs and abuses, even if they cannot destroy them,-to expose falsehood, even if they cannot utterly undo its vicious work. Seeing, however, that the greater majority of men are banded on the side of wealth and material self-interest, it is unfortunately only a few who remain to work for the cause of the poor, and for such equal rights of justice as you-as we-in our present Association claim to be most worthy of man's best efforts. It may

nate. A close observer might perhaps have detected a sudden pallor on Leroy's face as he heard this o

iends! You ha

erruption was evidently unwelcome, all eyes bei

cause, apart from whatever may be the thoughts and opinions of these who are assembled here to-night, I have a special reason of my own for hating the King! That reason is marked on my countenance! I bear an extraordinary resemblance to him,-so

t, and Sergius Thord bent forward to examine his features with close attention. Every man at the table did the same, but none regarded him more earnest

d-"That is,-so far as I am able to judge by hi

I wonder I did not notice the strange resemblance you bear to him bef

one of them! But I pray you again all to carefully note this hateful resemblance,-a resemb

mitting himself to the fire of a hundred wondering, q

ou, Sergius Thord,-my chief and commander,

But sorry that your personality re

ax Graub, but he quickly buried his nose and his

posed in me and my companions. I am proud to be one of you; and I promise that you shall all have reason to be glad that I am associated with your Cause! And to prove my good faith, I undertake to

rd sprang u

mes more like the King than you are, you shall

he men gathered close up about Leroy. He looke

aitor, and how you think it best his treachery should be proved. For, remember, I am a stranger to

know all the highways and byways of the Pérousse policy, you must penetrate into the depths and gutter-slushes of the great newspaper which is subsidised by the party to that policy! And this is difficult-exceedingly difficult, let me assure you, my bold Pas

I have no access to the centres of diplomacy or journa

his soul looked out eloquently from the darkening flash of h

y not bid them rise against the evil and ty

hook hi

ng lions from their forest dens, and give them freedom to slay and devour! Nay!-t

enched hand and expressi

he destruction of one's enemies-the Pen?" asked Max Graub. "Start a newspape

more by that method!" said Zegota contemptuously; "And besides, a n

r feet; to fawn and flatter and lie, and be anything but honest men! The rich are the vulgar of this world;-no one who has heart, or soul, or sense,

rial, which Genius may as well use to pave its way through

said Lotys with a laugh; "I tell you I would sooner starv

dea of hunger. We men cannot bear much pain,-but you,-woman,-can endure suffering of your own without complaint, while attending to our various lesser hurts and scratches. Wherefore, just because we feel you are above us in this and many other things, we have set you amongst us as a warning Figurehead, which cries shame upon us if we falter, and reminds us that you, a woman, can d

said Thord gloomily. "Personally, I a

treated as children always, by women! Come, little ones! To

e streets were wet and glistening below, but the clouds had clear

month we will meet here again,-and our new comrades will then rep

dame, if you had determined, on proving the corruption and fal

-"If I could get the signet!-which I cannot! Nor can you! But if I could, I should persuade Jost to talk f

y, when he was answered b

ng is a

ng is a

him as being rightly and wisely ordained,-and

o anything for the People, you only get the secretary's usual answer-'His

ch called for a moment's silence; "The questi

ould be a man if he chose, instead of a dummy! The King could cease to waste his time on fools and light women!-and though he is, and must be a constitutional Monarch,

t her for a mo

e said courteously;-"But where Society is proved worse, instead of better for a ki

otys;-"She has never loved her husband. If she had loved him

singularly tender and touching. Anon, as if imp

w it, and we have done no business at all this evening. To enrol three new ass

d,' as you so poetically call them,-though, truly, I for one am more fit to be your grandfather! And do

on him with a l

ake care to make it at the right time, and in the right place. They should not play with edge

ried! Behold me, an unhappy bachelor! I have spared any one of your beauti

, and extended her hand with a

d,-"And so I will not quar

and he held. "I shall hope you will command me

dubiously; "What can you do best? W

that of all my various accomplishments, which are ma

iso

ly from all the company. Graub loo

obe of mischief-and I can make all your enemies die of cholera, typhoid, bubonic plague, or what you please! I am what i

smiled. Sergius Thord laid on

save the lives of thousands, why then that traitor must die. If we know that by killing a king we destroy a country's abuses, that king is sent to his account. But never without warning!-never w

e; "You understand? We try t

ustice is the very eye of God!-the very

ughed dis

he question personally-but He hides Himself behind the great big pendulum He has set swinging-tick-tock!-tick-tock! Life-Death!-Life-Death!-and never a reason why the clock is set going! And so we shall never have justice,-simply because there is none! It is not just or reasonable to propound a question to which there is no answer; it is not just or reasonable to endow man with all the thinking powers of brain, and all the imaginative movements of mind, merely to turn him into a pinch of dust afterwards. Every generation, eve

n some of the wild things you say, there is a grain of truth. If I were God, I should be the most miserable of all beings, to look upon al

were in striking contrast to the awful profundity of the suggestion

he worlds I had made to answer for,-and such an agony would surely kill me. Oh,-the pain, the tears, the mistakes, the sins, the anguish of humanity! All these are frightful to m

her soul transfigured her face, and made it for the moment exquisitely lovely, and the men arou

ight, c

ike schoolboys retiring from a class where the lessons had been more or less badly done. Paul Zouche was not very steady on his feet, and two of his comrades assisted him to

e faithful?

th!" answ

lanced meaningly towards Sergius Thord, who was standing at

geniuses of this world,-savage as a lion, yet simple as

a sudden impulse, catching her hand

nd her eyes lightened first w

-all the same barbaric, foolish babes and children-all to be loved and pitied alike! But Sergius Thord picked me ou

eir turn, went out, one by one, down the tortuous staircase. Sholto, the hunchback, was below, and he let them out without a word, closing and bar

rn alone?" enq

one!" was

you at a distance?

, is-'No member shall track, follow or enquire into the movements of any oth

red. His two friends remained gazin

?" at last s

sooner the better for me! Here we are probably watch

ood its conclusion-and they walked quickly away together in

Lotys stood looking at Sergius Thord, who had thrown himself into a chair an

id gently. "You work, you write, you sp

ed up f

u doubt it? A word from me, and the m

would fire on the people, and there would be riot and bloodsh

t kill the Kin

re miserable, perhaps, than any of us imagine ourselves to be. No, Sergius!-I repeat it, you work vainly! You have made me the

with great, earne

t down the tyranny of priestcraft-power to relieve the oppressed, and

sm

you to do nothing for my sake, if it is for my sake only? I am a very simple

ched out his arms towards he

ce I found you a little forsaken child, shivering and weeping on the cold marble steps of the Temesvar place in Buda.

eyes. Her black cloak fell away on either side of her in two shadowy folds,

s!" she said simply

clamation of

gives you his heart, and you set it aside with a cold

, save that which is the result of duty and gratitude. I do not forget!-I know that you rescued me from starvation and death-though sometimes I question whether it would not have been better to have

ne nothing! You are a genius in yourself, and would h

led dou

is a woman! Good-night again, Sergius! Try to rest,-you look worn out. And do n

th jealous eyes, as she moved towards

ates of yours-are they

esture of i

ourselves? That man, Leroy, is honest,-of that I am confid

en with another low breathed

t closed behind her-at the

" he wh

cho on the empty space, and with a great sigh he rose,

and hair of the newest social 'beauty,'-with the magical expression, the glamour in the eyes of Lotys,-and perfection of feature becomes the rankest ugliness! Once in a hundred centuries a woman is born like Lotys, to drive men mad with desire for the unattainable-to fire them with such ambition as should make them emperors of the world, if they had but sufficient courage to snatch their thrones-and yet,-to fill them with such sick despair at the

indow panes, and he opened the casement and looked out. There was a faint scent o

work broad-cast together,-all for Lotys! Always a woman in it! Search to the very depth of every political imbroglio,-dig out the secret reason of every war that ever was begun or ended in the world,-and there we shall find the love or the hat

ents the sentries walked, pacing to and fro in regular march, with regular changes, all through the night hours. Half after midnight! 'All's well!' Three-quarters, and still 'All's well' sounded with the clash of steel and a tinkle of silvery chimes. One o'clock struck,-and the drifting clouds in heaven cleared fully, showing many brilliant stars in the western horizon,-and a sentry passing, as noiselessly as his armour and accoutrements would permit, along the walled battlement which

Who goe

s cloak. The pale moonlight fell slantwis

I! The

and the door to the turret-stairs,-of which only the King possessed the key,-was fast locked; and for the next hour or more the startled sentr

I! Th