down and made a little gesture. Then
they, too, were in their chairs, upright and intent. For perhaps the
hundredth time, Oliver, staring upon the President, marvelled at the
quietness and the astounding personality of Him. He was in the English
judicial dress that had passed down through centuries--black and scarlet
with sleeves of white fur and a crimson sash--and that had lately been
adopted as the English presidential costume of him who stood at the head
of the legislature. But it was in His personality, in the atmosphere
that flowed from Him, that the marvel lay. It was as the scent of the
sea to the physical nature--it exhilarated, cleansed, kindled,
intoxicated. It was as inexplicably attractive as a cherry orchard in
spring, as affecting as the cry of stringed instruments, as compelling
as a storm. So writers had said. They compared it to a stream of clear
water, to the flash of a gem, to the love of woman. They lost all
decency sometimes; they said it fitted all moods, as the voice of many
waters; they called it again and again, as explicitly as possible, the
Divine Nature perfectly Incarnate at last....

Then Oliver's reflections dropped from him like a mantle, for the
President, with downcast eyes and head thrown back, made a little
gesture to the ruddy-faced secretary on His right; and this man, without
a movement, began to speak like an impersonal actor repeating his part.

* * * * *

"Gentlemen," he said, in an even, resonant voice, "the President is come
direct from Paris. This afternoon His Honour was in Berlin; this
morning, early, in Moscow. Yesterday in New York. To-night His Honour
must be in Turin; and to-morrow will begin to return through Spain,
North Africa, Greece and the southeastern states."

This was the usual formula for such speeches. The President spoke but
little himself now; but was careful for the information of his subjects
on occasions like this. His secretaries were perfectly trained, and this
speaker was no exception. After a slight pause, he continued:

"This is the business, gentlemen.

"Last Thursday, as you are aware, the Plenipotentaries signed the Test
Act in this room, and it was immediately communicated all over the
world. At sixteen o'clock His Honour received a message from a man named
Dolgorovski--who is, it is understood, one of the Cardinals of the
Catholic Church. This he claimed; and on inquiry it was found to be a
fact. His information confirmed what was alread