tly desperate. They see that now."

He was fingering the priest's sleeve by now, and his eyes were
full of a pitiable anxiety.

"What do you wish me to do?"

"Well, they'll say I was responsible--if the negotiations come to
anything, I mean. They'll say I urged them on. They'll sacrifice
me--me and the President. They'll say they never would have gone
to such lengths----What's that noise?"

Monsignor jerked his head impatiently. He began to see light.

"Well," went on the other nervously, "I want you to speak for me,
if necessary--_if necessary_, you understand? You're a Christian,
Monsignor. . . You'll stand by me."

The priest waited before answering; as the situation took
shape before his eyes, he began to understand more and more
clearly; and yet----

A voice called out sharply beyond the door, and Hardy leapt to
the handle, beckoning with his head; and as the priest obediently
followed, he gave him one more look of entreaty and opened the
door. The President stood there. The great man, more impressive
than ever now, as his great height showed itself, ran his eyes
slowly over the two.

"Come back to the hall," he said, so slowly that even the priest
understood it, and turned.

"The envoy's coming," whispered Hardy breathlessly, as he paused
before following. "You'll remember, Monsignor? . . ."

It was hardly a minute since they had left, and yet all confusion
had vanished. Every man was back in his seat, with that same
impassive and yet attentive air that they had worn when Monsignor
first saw them. Yet, with his new knowledge, it seemed to him as
if he could detect, beneath all that, something of the
indecisiveness of which he had just learned. Certainly they were
under admirable discipline; yet he began to see that even
socialistic discipline had its limitations.

The President was already in the act of sitting down, Hardy was
stepping up behind him, and the priest was still hesitating by
the door, when down at the lower end of the hall there was a
movement among those who guarded it, the great doors opened, and
a figure walked straight in, without looking to right or left.

He came on and up; and as he came the hush fell deeper. It was
impossible even to see his face; he was in a long travelling
cloak that fell to his feet; a travelling cap covered his head;
and about his throat and face was thrown a great white scarf,
such as the air-travellers often use. He came on, still without
looking to ri