ident
rose in token of the end of the conference. As he did so he said
somewhat abruptly to Arnold--

"So far so good. Now there is nothing more to be done but to lay
those plans before the Chief and get his authority for withdrawing
out of the treasury sufficient money to commence operations. I
presume you could reproduce them from memory if necessary--at any
rate, in sufficient outline to make them perfectly intelligible?"

"Certainly," was the reply. "I could reproduce them in _fac simile_
without the slightest difficulty. Why do you ask?"

"Because the Chief is in Russia, and you must go to him and place
them before him from memory. They are far too precious to be trusted
to any keeping, however trustworthy. There are such things as railway
accidents, and other forms of sudden death, to say nothing of the
Russian customs, false arrests, personal searches, and imprisonments
on mere suspicion.

"We can risk none of these, and so there is nothing for it but your
going to Petersburg and verbally explaining them to the Chief. You
can be ready in three days, I suppose?"

"Yes, in two, if you like," replied Arnold, not a little taken aback
at the unexpected suddenness of what he knew at once to be the first
order that was to test his obedience to the Brotherhood. "But as I am
absolutely ignorant of Russia and the Russians, I suppose you will
make such arrangements as will prevent my making any innocent but
possibly awkward mistakes."

"Oh yes," replied the President, with a smile, "all arrangements have
been made already, and I expect you will find them anything but
unpleasant. Natasha goes to Petersburg in company with another lady
member of the Circle whom you have not yet seen.

"You will go with them, and they will explain everything to you _en
route_, if they have no opportunity of doing so before you start. Now
let us go upstairs and have some supper. I am famished, and I suppose
every one else is too."

Arnold simply bowed in answer to the President; but one pair of eyes
at least in the room caught the quick, faint flush that rose in his
cheek as he was told in whose company he was to travel. As for
himself, if the journey had been to Siberia instead of Russia, he
would have felt nothing but pleasure at the prospect after that.

They left the Council-chamber by the passage and the ante-room, the
sentry standing to attention as they passed him, each giving the word
in turn, till the President came last an