e sentence of democratic sentiment when suddenly
doubts overwhelmed him. His belief in his heroic quality and calling
he found had altogether lost its assured conviction. The picture of a
little strutting futility in a windy waste of incomprehensible destinies
replaced it. Abruptly it was perfectly clear to him that this revolt
against Ostrog was premature, foredoomed to failure, the impulse of
passionate inadequacy against inevitable things. He thought of that
swift flight of aeroplanes like the swoop of Fate towards him. He was
astonished that he could have seen things in any other light. In that
final emergency he debated, thrust debate resolutely aside, determined
at all costs to go through with the thing he had undertaken. And he
could find no word to begin. Even as he stood, awkward, hesitating, with
an indiscrete apology for his inability trembling on his lips, came the
noise of many people crying out, the running to and fro of feet. "Wait,"
cried someone, and a door opened. "She is coming," said the voices.
Graham turned, and the watching lights waned.

Through the open doorway he saw a slight grey figure advancing across
a spacious hall. His heart leapt. It was Helen Wotton. Behind and about
her marched a riot of applause. The man in yellow came out of the nearer
shadows into the circle of light.

"This is the girl who told us what Ostrog had dune," he said.

Her face was aflame, and the heavy coils of her black hair fell about
her shoulders. The folds of the soft silk robe she wore streamed from
her and floated in the rhythm of her advance. She drew nearer and
nearer, and his heart was beating fast. All his doubts were gone. The
shadow of the doorway fell athwart her face and she was near him. "You
have not betrayed us?" she cried. "You are with us?"

"Where have you been?" said Graham.

"At the office of the south-west wards. Until ten minutes since I did
not know you had returned. I went to the office of the south-west wards
to find the Ward Leaders in order that they might tell the people."

"I came back so soon as I heard--."

"I knew," she cried, "knew you would be with us. And it was I--it was
I that told them. They have risen. All the world is rising. The people
have awakened. Thank God that I did not act in vain! You are Master
still."

"You told them" he said slowly, and he saw that in spite of her steady
eyes her lips trembled and her throat rose and fell.

"I told them. I knew of the order