r again and up the broad
zinc steps, and out into the moonlight. Evelyn was there, leaning with
his arms on the hand-rail, and idly watching, far below, the gleams of
light on the gray-black waves.

"It is too fine a night to go below," he said. "What do you say,
Brand--shall we wait up for the daylight and the first glimpse of
America?"

"If you like," said Brand, taking out his cigar-case, and hauling along
the chair in which Natalie had been sitting.

They had the whole of this upper deck to themselves, except when one or
other of the officers passed on his rounds. They could talk without risk
of being overheard: and they had plenty to talk about--of all that had
happened of late, of all that might happen to them in this new country
they were nearing.

"Well," he said, "Evelyn, that settlement in Genoa clinched everything,
as far as I am concerned. I have no longer any doubt, any hesitation:
there is nothing to be concealed now--nothing to be withheld, even from
those who are content to remain merely as our friends. One might have
gone on as before; for, after all, these death-penalties only attached
to the officers; and the great mass of the members, not being touched by
them, need have known nothing about them. But it is better now."

"It was Natalie's appeal that settled that," Lord Evelyn said, as he
still watched the shining waves.

"The influence of that girl is extraordinary. One could imagine that
some magnetism radiated from her; or perhaps it is her voice, and her
clear faith, and her enthusiasm. When she said something to old Anton
Pepczinski, on bidding him good-bye--not about herself, or about him,
but about what some of us were hoping for--he was crying like a child!
In other times she might have done great things: she might have led
armies."

By-and-by he said,

"As for those decrees, what use were they? From all I could learn, only
ten have been issued since the Society was in existence; and eight of
those were for the punishment of officers, who ought merely to have been
expelled. Of course you will get people like Calabressa, with a touch of
theatrical-mindedness, who have a love for the terrorism such a thing
can produce. But what use is it? It is not by striking down an
individual here or there that you can help on any wide movement; and
this great organization, that I can see in the future will have other
things to do than take heed of personal delinquencies--except in so far
as to pur