Bring the urn, and draw
your duties for the next three months."

The man who had last arrived rose and walked to the opposite wall, at
which the president pointed, as he said, "Press the golden button which
you see fixed in the wall."

The conspirator obeyed, and immediately a small door opened, revealing a
black urn, which he handed to the president, who said, "Come hither,
brethren, and draw your lots."

The twelve men rose successively and stepped to the urn, from which each
drew a small folded paper, and, approaching the light, immediately
learned his mission by opening the lot; as soon as he had read its
contents, he burned it, extinguished his tapers, and withdrew, without
word, glance, or gesture. Nine had already left. Only four candlesticks
remained lighted--three of the conspirators, besides the president, were
still in the room. Each of these three men stood near the burning
tapers, and looked in grave silence at the open paper in his hand.

"Why are you here still, brethren?" asked the president.

"My order says that I am to remain here," answered the man to whom the
president addressed himself.

"My order says the same," exclaimed the second brother.

"Mine is the same," said the third.

"Come hither and listen to me, brethren," commanded the president. "What
is the motto of our league?"

"'Liberty or death!'" exclaimed the three men, simultaneously. "Our
fortunes, our lives, our blood, for Germany! If need be, death for the
attainment of liberty, whether it be on the field of battle, in a
dungeon, or on the scaffold!"

"Or on the scaffold!" echoed the president. "Do you remember, brethren,
that, when we met for the first time, I told you Germany might stand in
need of a Mutius Scaevola, and require him to assassinate Porsenna? Do
you remember that we all swore, if the day should come to imitate that
ancient patriot?"

"We do."

"That day has come," said the president, solemnly. "Germany requires a
Mutius Scaevola, to kill Porsenna, and, if he should miss him, to suffer
as stoically as the Roman youth. Enough German blood has been shed.
Thousands of our brethren would still have to die, if we meet the tyrant
in open combat. We must do this, if we cannot get rid of him in any
other way. But before resorting to it, before permitting Germany to be
again devastated by revolution and war, we will try another way, the
course pursued by the Roman. When the tyrant is dead, Germany will be
free and