was afoot.

"Lagmann," said Michael Sunlocks, "I wish you to summon both Chambers
to meet at the Senate House to-morrow night."

"It will be inconvenient," said the Speaker, "for the Committee of
Althing has risen, and the members are preparing to go back home."

"That is why I wish them to be summoned at once," said Michael
Sunlocks.

"Is the matter of such pressing importance?" asked the Speaker.

"It is; and it admits of no delay," answered Michael Sunlocks.

"May I mention its purport?" said the Speaker.

"Say only that the President has a message for Althing," said Michael
Sunlocks.

"At what hour to-morrow night?" asked the Speaker.

"At mid-evening," answered Michael Sunlocks, and then, with the sigh
of a weary man, he turned towards the stove.

The Speaker glanced at him with his dim eyes screwed up, pushed back
his little skullcap, and ran his forefinger along his bald crown,
then shook his head gravely and left the room, saying within himself,
"Why this haste? And why the message? Ah, these impetuous souls that
rise so high and so fast sometimes go down headlong to the abyss!"

VI.

Michael Sunlocks was turning round from the stove when Greeba
entered, and for all the womanly courage with which she tried to
carry herself before him, he could see that she looked frightened,
and that her eyes sought his eyes for mercy and cheer.

"Michael," she cried, "what is it that you are about to do? Tell me.
I cannot bear this suspense any longer."

He made her no answer, but sat at his desk and lifted his pen. At
that she stamped her foot and cried again--

"Tell me, tell me. I cannot, and I will not bear it."

But he knew, without lifting his head, that with all her brave
challenge, and the spark of her defiant eyes, behind her dark lashes
a great tear-drop lay somewhere veiled. So he showed no anger, and
neither did he reply to her appeal, but made some show of going on
with his writing.

And being now so far recovered from her first fear as to look upon
his face with eyes that could see it, Greeba realized all that she
had but partly guessed from the chatter of her maid, of the sad havoc
the night had made with him. At that she could bear up no longer, for
before her warm woman's feeling all her little stubborn spirit went
down as with a flood, and she flung herself at his feet and cried,
"Michael, forgive me; I don't know what I am saying."

But getting no answer to her passionate agony any mo