\"Shegavemealookattheword\'republicans\'whichIimaginedfullofundyinghate。Butanhourorsoafterwards，aswedrewuptoletthebaggagemulesgofirstalonganarrowpathskirtingaprecipice，shelookedatmewithsuchawhite，troubledfacethatIfeltagreatpityforher。
\"\'Senorofficer，\'shesaid，\'Iamweak，Itremble。Itisaninsensatefear。\'Andindeedherlipsdidtremblewhileshetriedtosmile，glancingatthebeginningofthenarrowpathwhichwasnotsodangerousafterall。\'IamafraidIshalldropthechild。Gasparsavedyourlife，youremember……Takeherfromme。\'
\"Itookthechildoutofherextendedarms。\'Shutyoureyes，senora，andtrusttoyourmule，\'Irecom-
mended。
\"Shedidso，andwithherpallorandherwasted，thinfaceshelookeddeathlike。Ataturnofthepathwhereagreatcragofpurpleporphyryclosestheviewofthelowlands，Isawheropenhereyes。I
rodejustbehindherholdingthelittlegirlwithmyrightarm。\'Thechildisallright，\'Icriedencourag-
ingly。
\"\'Yes，\'sheanswered，faintly；andthen，tomyintenseterror，Isawherstanduponthefoot-rest，staringhorribly，andthrowherselfforwardintothechasmonourright。
\"Icannotdescribetoyouthesuddenandabjectfearthatcameovermeatthatdreadfulsight。Itwasadreadoftheabyss，thedreadofthecragswhichseemedtonoduponme。Myheadswam。Ipressedthechildtomysideandsatmyhorseasstillasastatue。Iwasspeechlessandcoldallover。Hermulestaggered，sidlingclosetotherock，andthenwenton。Myhorseonlyprickeduphisearswithaslightsnort。Myheartstoodstill，andfromthedepthsoftheprecipicethestonesrattlinginthebedofthefuriousstreammademealmostinsanewiththeirsound。
\"Nextmomentwewereroundtheturnandonabroadandgrassyslope。AndthenIyelled。Mymencamerunningbacktomeingreatalarm。ItseemsthatatfirstIdidnothingbutshout，\'Shehasgiventhechildintomyhands!Shehasgiventhechildintomyhands!\'TheescortthoughtIhadgonemad。\"
GeneralSantierraceasedandgotupfromthetable。
\"Andthatisall，senores，\"heconcluded，withacourte-
ousglanceathisrisingguests。
\"Butwhatbecameofthechild。General?\"weasked。
\"Ah，thechild，thechild。\"
Hewalkedtooneofthewindowsopeningonhisbeautifulgarden，therefugeofhisolddays。Itsfamewasgreatintheland。Keepingusbackwitharaisedarm，hecalledout，\"Erminia，Erminia!\"andwaited。
Thenhiscautioningarmdropped，andwecrowdedtothewindows。
Fromaclumpoftreesawomanhadcomeuponthebroadwalkborderedwithflowers。Wecouldheartherustleofherstarchedpetticoatsandobservedtheamplespreadofherold-fashionedblacksilkskirt。Shelookedup，andseeingalltheseeyesstaringatherstopped，frowned，smiled，shookherfingerattheGen-
eral，whowaslaughingboisterously，anddrawingtheblacklaceonherheadsoastopartlyconcealherhaughtyprofile，passedoutofoursight，walkingwithstiffdignity。
\"Youhavebeheldtheguardianangeloftheoldman——andhertowhomyouoweallthatisseemlyandcomfortableinmyhospitality。Somehow，senores，thoughtheflameoflovehasbeenkindledearlyinmybreast，Ihavenevermarried。Andbecauseofthatperhapsthesparksofthesacredfirearenotyetex-
tincthere。\"Hestruckhisbroadchest。\"Stillalive，stillalive，\"hesaid，withserio-comicemphasis。\"ButIshallnotmarrynow。SheisGeneralSantierra\'sadopteddaughterandheiress。\"
Oneofourfellow-guests，ayoungnavalofficer，describedherafterwardsasa\"short，stout，oldgirloffortyorthereabouts。\"Wehadallnoticedthatherhairwasturninggrey，andthatshehadveryfineblackeyes。
\"And，\"GeneralSantierracontinued，\"neitherwouldsheeverhearofmarryinganyone。Arealcalamity!
Good，patient，devotedtotheoldman。Asimplesoul。
ButIwouldnotadviseanyofyoutoaskforherhand，forifshetookyoursintohersitwouldbeonlytocrushyourbones。Ah!shedoesnotjestonthatsubject。Andsheistheowndaughterofherfather，thestrongmanwhoperishedthroughhisownstrength:
thestrengthofhisbody，ofhissimplicity——ofhislove!\"
ANIRONICTALE
THEINFORMER
MR。Xcametome，precededbyaletterofintro-
ductionfromagoodfriendofmineinParis，spe-
cificallytoseemycollectionofChinesebronzesandporcelain。
MyfriendinParisisacollector，too。Hecollectsneitherporcelain，norbronzes，norpictures，normedals，norstamps，noranythingthatcouldbeprofitablydis-
persedunderanauctioneer\'shammer。Hewouldreject，withgenuinesurprise，thenameofacollector。Never-
theless，that\'swhatheisbytemperament。Hecollectsacquaintances。Itisdelicatework。Hebringstoitthepatience，thepassion，thedeterminationofatruecol-
lectorofcuriosities。Hiscollectiondoesnotcontainanyroyalpersonages。Idon\'tthinkheconsidersthemsufficientlyrareandinteresting；but，withthatexcep-
tion，hehasmetwithandtalkedtoeveryoneworthknowingonanyconceivableground。Heobservesthem，listenstothem，penetratesthem，measuresthem，andputsthememoryawayinthegalleriesofhismind。
Hehasschemed，plotted，andtravelledalloverEuropeinordertoaddtohiscollectionofdistinguishedpersonalacquaintances。
Asheiswealthy，wellconnected，andunprejudiced，hiscollectionisprettycomplete，includingobjects(orshouldIsaysubjects?)whosevalueisunappreciatedbythevulgar，andoftenunknowntopopularfame。Oftrevolte)ofmoderntimes。Theworldknowshimasarevolutionarywriterwhosesavageironyhaslaidbaretherottennessofthemostrespectableinstitutions。Hehasscalpedeveryveneratedhead，andhasmangledatthestakeofhiswiteveryreceivedopinionandeveryrecognizedprincipleofconductandpolicy。Whodoesnotrememberhisflamingredrevolutionarypamph-
lets?TheirsuddenswarmingsusedtooverwhelmthepowersofeveryContinentalpolicelikeaplagueofcrimsongadflies。Butthisextremewriterhasbeenalsotheactiveinspirerofsecretsocieties，themysteriousunknownNumberOneofdesperateconspiraciessus-
pectedandunsuspected，maturedorbaffled。Andtheworldatlargehasneverhadaninklingofthatfact!
Thisaccountsforhimgoingaboutamongstustothisday，aveteranofmanysubterraneancampaigns，stand-
ingasidenow，safewithinhisreputationofmerelythegreatestdestructivepublicistthateverlived。\"
Thuswrotemyfriend，addingthatMr。Xwasanen-
lightenedconnoisseurofbronzesandchina，andaskingmetoshowhimmycollection。
Xturnedupinduecourse。Mytreasuresaredis-
posedinthreelargeroomswithoutcarpetsandcurtains。
Thereisnootherfurniturethantheetagresandtheglasscaseswhosecontentsshallbeworthafortunetomyheirs。Iallownofirestobelighted，forfearofaccidents，andafire-proofdoorseparatesthemfromtherestofthehouse。
Itwasabittercoldday。Wekeptonourovercoatsandhats。Middle-sizedandspare，hiseyesalertinalong，Roman-nosedcountenance，Xwalkedonhisneatlittlefeet，withshortsteps，andlookedatmycollectionintelligently。IhopeIlookedathimintelligently，too。
Asnow-whitemoustacheandimperialmadehisnut-
browncomplexionappeardarkerthanitreallywas。Inhisfurcoatandshinytallhatthatterriblemanlookedfashionable。Ibelievehebelongedtoanoblefamily，andcouldhavecalledhimselfVicomteXdelaZifhechose。Wetalkednothingbutbronzesandporcelain。
Hewasremarkablyappreciative。Wepartedoncordialterms。
WherehewasstayingIdon\'tknow。Iimaginehemusthavebeenalonelyman。Anarchists，Isuppose，havenofamilies——not，atanyrate，asweunderstandthatsocialrelation。Organizationintofamiliesmayanswertoaneedofhumannature，butinthelastin-
stanceitisbasedonlaw，andthereforemustbesome-
thingodiousandimpossibletoananarchist。But，in-
deed，Idon\'tunderstandanarchists。Doesamanofthat——ofthat——persuasionstillremainananarchistwhenalone，quitealoneandgoingtobed，forinstance?
Doeshelayhisheadonthepillow，pullhisbedclothesoverhim，andgotosleepwiththenecessityofthechambardementgeneral，astheFrenchslanghasit，ofthegeneralblow-up，alwayspresenttohismind?Andifsohowcanhe?Iamsurethatifsuchafaith(orsuchafanaticism)oncemasteredmythoughtsIwouldneverbeabletocomposemyselfsufficientlytosleeporeatorperformanyoftheroutineactsofdailylife。Iwouldwantnowife，nochildren；Icouldhavenofriends，itseemstome；andastocollectingbronzesorchina，that，Ishouldsay，wouldbequiteoutofthequestion。ButIdon\'tknow。AllIknowisthatMr。XtookhismealsinaverygoodrestaurantwhichIfrequentedalso。
Withhisheaduncovered，thesilvertop-knotofhisbrushed-uphaircompletedthecharacterofhisphysi-
ognomy，allbonyridgesandsunkenhollows，clothedinaperfectimpassivenessofexpression。Hismeagrebrownhandsemergingfromlargewhitecuffscameandwentbreakingbread，pouringwine，andsoon，withquietmechanicalprecision。Hisheadandbodyabovethetableclothhadarigidimmobility。Thisfirebrand，thisgreatagitator，exhibitedtheleastpossibleamountofwarmthandanimation。Hisvoicewasrasping，cold，andmonotonousinalowkey。Hecouldnotbecalledatalkativepersonality；butwithhisdetachedcalmmannerheappearedasreadytokeeptheconversationgoingastodropitatanymoment。
Andhisconversationwasbynomeanscommon-
place。Tome，Iown，therewassomeexcitementintalkingquietlyacrossadinner-tablewithamanwhosevenomouspen-stabshadsappedthevitalityofatleastonemonarchy。Thatmuchwasamatterofpublicknowledge。ButIknewmore。Iknewofhim——
frommyfriend——asacertaintywhattheguardiansofsocialorderinEuropehadatmostonlysuspected，ordimlyguessedat。
HehadhadwhatImaycallhisundergroundlife。
AndasIsat，eveningafterevening，facinghimatdinner，acuriosityinthatdirectionwouldnaturallyariseinmymind。Iamaquietandpeaceableproductofcivilization，andknownopassionotherthanthepassionforcollectingthingswhicharerare，andmustremainexquisiteevenifapproachingtothemonstrous。
SomeChinesebronzesaremonstrouslyprecious。Andhere(outofmyfriend\'scollection)，hereIhadbeforemeakindofraremonster。Itistruethatthismonsterwaspolishedandinasenseevenexquisite。Hisbeauti-
fulunruffledmannerwasthat。Butthenhewasnotofbronze。HewasnotevenChinese，whichwouldhaveenabledonetocontemplatehimcalmlyacrossthegulfofracialdifference。HewasaliveandEuropean；hehadthemannerofgoodsociety，woreacoatandhatlikemine，andhadprettynearthesametasteincook-
ing。Itwastoofrightfultothinkof。
Oneeveningheremarked，casually，inthecourseofconversation，\"There\'snoamendmenttobegotoutofmankindexceptbyterrorandviolence。\"
Youcanimaginetheeffectofsuchaphraseoutofsuchaman\'smouthuponapersonlikemyself，whosewholeschemeoflifehadbeenbaseduponasuaveanddelicatediscriminationofsocialandartisticvalues。
Justimagine!Uponme，towhomallsortsandformsofviolenceappearedasunrealasthegiants，ogres，andseven-headedhydraswhoseactivitiesaffect，fantasti-
cally，thecourseoflegendsandfairy-tales!
Iseemedsuddenlytohearabovethefestivebustleandclatterofthebrilliantrestaurantthemutterofahungryandseditiousmultitude。
IsupposeIamimpressionableandimaginative。I
hadadisturbingvisionofdarkness，fullofleanjawsandwildeyes，amongstthehundredelectriclightsoftheplace。Butsomehowthisvisionmademeangry，too。
Thesightofthatman，socalm，breakingbitsofwhitebread，exasperatedme。AndIhadtheaudacitytoaskhimhowitwasthatthestarvingproletariatofEuropetowhomhehadbeenpreachingrevoltandviolencehadnotbeenmadeindignantbyhisopenlyluxuriouslife。
\"Atallthis，\"Isaid，pointedly，withaglanceroundtheroomandatthebottleofchampagnewegenerallysharedbetweenusatdinner。
Heremainedunmoved。
\"DoIfeedontheirtoilandtheirheart\'sblood?
AmIaspeculatororacapitalist?DidIstealmyfortunefromastarvingpeople?No!Theyknowthisverywell。Andtheyenvymenothing。Themiserablemassofthepeopleisgeneroustoitsleaders。WhatI
haveacquiredhascometomethroughmywritings；notfromthemillionsofpamphletsdistributedgratistothehungryandtheoppressed，butfromthehundredsofthousandsofcopiessoldtothewell-fedbourgeoisie。Youknowthatmywritingswereatonetimetherage，thefashion——thethingtoreadwithwonderandhorror，toturnyoureyesupatmypathos……orelse，tolaughinecstasiesatmywit。\"
\"Yes，\"Iadmitted。\"Iremember，ofcourse；andI
confessfranklythatIcouldneverunderstandthatinfatuation。\"
\"Don\'tyouknowyet，\"hesaid，\"thatanidleandselfishclasslovestoseemischiefbeingmade，evenifitismadeatitsownexpense?Itsownlifebeingallamatterofposeandgesture，itisunabletorealizethepowerandthedangerofarealmovementandofwordsthathavenoshammeaning。Itisallfunandsenti-
ment。Itissufficient，forinstance，topointouttheattitudeoftheoldFrencharistocracytowardsthephilosopherswhosewordswerepreparingtheGreatRevolution。EveninEngland，whereyouhavesomecommon-sense，ademagoguehasonlytoshoutloudenoughandlongenoughtofindsomebackingintheveryclassheisshoutingat。You，too，liketoseemis-
chiefbeingmade。Thedemagoguecarriestheamateursofemotionwithhim。Amateurisminthis，that，andtheotherthingisadelightfullyeasywayofkillingtime，andfeedingone\'sownvanity——thesillyvanityofbeingabreastwiththeideasofthedayafterto-morrow。
Justasgoodandotherwiseharmlesspeoplewilljoinyouinecstasiesoveryourcollectionwithouthavingtheslightestnotioninwhatitsmarvellousnessreallycon-
sists。\"
Ihungmyhead。Itwasacrushingillustrationofthesadtruthheadvanced。Theworldisfullofsuchpeople。AndthatinstanceoftheFrencharistocracybeforetheRevolutionwasextremelytelling，too。I
couldnottraversehisstatement，thoughitscynicism——alwaysadistastefultrait——tookoffmuchofitsvaluetomymind。However，IadmitIwasimpressed。I
felttheneedtosaysomethingwhichwouldnotbeinthenatureofassentandyetwouldnotinvitediscussion。
\"Youdon\'tmeantosay，\"Iobserved，airily，\"thatextremerevolutionistshaveeverbeenactivelyassistedbytheinfatuationofsuchpeople?\"
\"IdidnotmeanexactlythatbywhatIsaidjustnow。Igeneralized。Butsinceyouaskme，Imaytellyouthatsuchhelphasbeengiventorevolutionaryactivities，moreorlessconsciously，invariouscountries。
Andeveninthiscountry。\"
\"Impossible!\"Iprotestedwithfirmness。\"Wedon\'tplaywithfiretothatextent。\"
\"Andyetyoucanbetterafforditthanothers，perhaps。Butletmeobservethatmostwomen，ifnotalwaysreadytoplaywithfire，aregenerallyeagertoplaywithaloosesparkorso。\"
\"Isthisajoke?\"Iasked，smiling。
\"Ifitis，Iamnotawareofit，\"hesaid，woodenly。
\"Iwasthinkingofaninstance。Oh!mildenoughinaway……\"
Ibecameallexpectationatthis。Ihadtriedmanytimestoapproachhimonhisundergroundside，sotospeak。Theverywordhadbeenpronouncedbetweenus。Buthehadalwaysmetmewithhisimpenetrablecalm。
\"Andatthesametime，\"Mr。Xcontinued，\"itwillgiveyouanotionofthedifficultiesthatmayariseinwhatyouarepleasedtocallundergroundwork。Itissometimesdifficulttodealwiththem。Ofcoursethereisnohierarchyamongsttheaffiliated。Norigidsystem。\"
Mysurprisewasgreat，butshort-lived。Clearly，amongstextremeanarchiststherecouldbenohier-
archy；nothinginthenatureofalawofprecedence。
Theideaofanarchyrulingamonganarchistswascomforting，too。Itcouldnotpossiblymakeforefficiency。
Mr。Xstartledmebyasking，abruptly，\"YouknowHermioneStreet?\"
Inoddeddoubtfulassent。HermioneStreethasbeen，withinthelastthreeyears，improvedoutofanyman\'sknowledge。Thenameexistsstill，butnotonebrickorstoneoftheoldHermioneStreetisleftnow。
Itwastheoldstreethemeant，forhesaid:
\"Therewasarowoftwo-storiedbrickhousesontheleft，withtheirbacksagainstthewingofagreatpublicbuilding——youremember。Woulditsurpriseyouverymuchtohearthatoneofthesehouseswasforatimethecentreofanarchistpropagandaandofwhatyouwouldcallundergroundaction?\"
\"Notatall，\"Ideclared。HermioneStreethadneverbeenparticularlyrespectable，asIrememberedit。
\"Thehousewasthepropertyofadistinguishedgovernmentofficial，\"headded，sippinghischampagne。
\"Oh，indeed!\"Isaid，thistimenotbelievingawordofit。
\"Ofcoursehewasnotlivingthere，\"Mr。Xcontinued。
\"Butfromtentillfourhesatnextdoortoit，thedearman，inhiswell-appointedprivateroominthewingofthepublicbuildingI\'vementioned。Tobestrictlyaccurate，ImustexplainthatthehouseinHermioneStreetdidnotreallybelongtohim。Itbelongedtohisgrown-upchildren——adaughterandason。Thegirl，afinefigure，wasbynomeansvulgarlypretty。Tomorepersonalcharmthanmereyouthcouldaccountfor，sheaddedtheseductiveappearanceofenthusiasm，ofindependence，ofcourageousthought。Isupposesheputontheseappearancesassheputonherpicturesquedressesandforthesamereason:toassertherindividu-
alityatanycost。Youknow，womenwouldgotoanylengthalmostforsuchapurpose。Shewenttoagreatlength。Shehadacquiredalltheappropriategesturesofrevolutionaryconvictions——thegesturesofpity，ofanger，ofindignationagainsttheanti-humanitarianvicesofthesocialclasstowhichshebelongedherself。
Allthissatonherstrikingpersonalityaswellasherslightlyoriginalcostumes。Veryslightlyoriginal；justenoughtomarkaprotestagainstthephilistinismoftheoverfedtaskmastersofthepoor。Justenough，andnomore。Itwouldnothavedonetogotoofarinthatdirection——youunderstand。Butshewasofage，andnothingstoodinthewayofherofferingherhousetotherevolutionaryworkers。\"
\"Youdon\'tmeanit!\"Icried。
\"Iassureyou，\"heaffirmed，\"thatshemadethatverypracticalgesture。Howelsecouldtheyhavegotholdofit?Thecauseisnotrich。And，moreover，therewouldhavebeendifficultieswithanyordinaryhouse-
agent，whowouldhavewantedreferencesandsoon。
Thegroupshecameincontactwithwhileexploringthepoorquartersofthetown(youknowthegestureofcharityandpersonalservicewhichwassofashionablesomeyearsago)acceptedwithgratitude。ThefirstadvantagewasthatHermioneStreetis，asyouknow，wellawayfromthesuspectpartofthetown，speciallywatchedbythepolice。
\"ThegroundfloorconsistedofalittleItalianrestau-
rant，oftheflyblownsort。Therewasnodifficultyinbuyingtheproprietorout。Awomanandamanbelongingtothegrouptookiton。Themanhadbeenacook。Thecomradescouldgettheirmealsthere，unnoticedamongsttheothercustomers。Thiswasanotheradvantage。ThefirstfloorwasoccupiedbyashabbyVarietyArtists\'Agency——anagencyforper-
formersininferiormusic-halls，youknow。Afellow-
calledBomm，Iremember。Hewasnotdisturbed。Itwasratherfavourablethanotherwisetohavealotofforeign-lookingpeople，jugglers，acrobats，singersofbothsexes，andsoon，goinginandoutalldaylong。
Thepolicepaidnoattentiontonewfaces，yousee。Thetopfloorhappened，mostconveniently，tostandemptythen。\"
Xinterruptedhimselftoattackimpassively，withmeasuredmovements，abombeglaceewhichthewaiterhadjustsetdownonthetable。Heswallowedcarefullyafewspoonfulsoftheicedsweet，andaskedme，\"DidyoueverhearofStone\'sDriedSoup?\"
\"Hearofwhat?\"
\"Itwas，\"Xpursued，evenly，\"acomestiblearticleonceratherprominentlyadvertisedinthedailies，butwhichnever，somehow，gainedthefavourofthepublic。
Theenterprisefizzledout，asyousayhere。Parcelsoftheirstockcouldbepickedupatauctionsatconsider-
ablylessthanapennyapound。Thegroupboughtsomeofit，andanagencyforStone\'sDriedSoupwasstartedonthetopfloor。Aperfectlyrespectablebusi-
ness。Thestuff，ayellowpowderofextremelyunappe-
tizingaspect，wasputupinlargesquaretins，ofwhichsixwenttoacase。Ifanybodyevercametogiveanorder，itwas，ofcourse，executed。Buttheadvantageofthepowderwasthis，thatthingscouldbeconcealedinitveryconveniently。Nowandthenaspecialcasegotputonavanandsentofftobeexportedabroadundertheverynoseofthepolicemanondutyatthecorner。
Youunderstand?\"
\"IthinkIdo，\"Isaid，withanexpressivenodattheremnantsofthebombemeltingslowlyinthedish。
\"Exactly。Butthecaseswereusefulinanotherway，too。Inthebasement，orinthecellarattheback，rather，twoprinting-presseswereestablished。AlotofrevolutionaryliteratureofthemostinflammatorykindwasgotawayfromthehouseinStone\'sDriedSoupcases。Thebrotherofouranarchistyoungladyfoundsomeoccupationthere。Hewrotearticles，helpedtosetuptypeandpulloffthesheets，andgenerallyas-
sistedthemanincharge，averyableyoungfellowcalledSevrin。
\"Theguidingspiritofthatgroupwasafanaticofsocialrevolution。Heisdeadnow。Hewasanengraverandetcherofgenius。Youmusthaveseenhiswork。Itismuchsoughtafterbycertainamateursnow。Hebeganbybeingrevolutionaryinhisart，andendedbybecomingarevolutionist，afterhiswifeandchildhaddiedinwantandmisery。Heusedtosaythatthebourgeoisie，thesmug，overfedlot，hadkilledthem。
Thatwashisrealbelief。Hestillworkedathisartandledadoublelife。Hewastall，gaunt，andswarthy，withalong，brownbeardanddeep-seteyes。Youmusthaveseenhim。HisnamewasHorne。\"
AtthisIwasreallystartled。OfcourseyearsagoI
usedtomeetHorneabout。Helookedlikeapowerful，roughgipsy，inanoldtophat，witharedmufflerroundhisthroatandbuttonedupinalong，shabbyovercoat。
Hetalkedofhisartwithexaltation，andgaveonetheimpressionofbeingstrunguptothevergeofinsanity。
Asmallgroupofconnoisseursappreciatedhiswork。
Whowouldhavethoughtthatthisman……
Amazing!Andyetitwasnot，afterall，sodifficulttobelieve。
\"Asyousee，\"Xwenton，\"thisgroupwasinaposi-
tiontopursueitsworkofpropaganda，andtheotherkindofwork，too，underveryadvantageousconditions。
Theywereallresolute，experiencedmenofasuperiorstamp。AndyetwebecamestruckatlengthbythefactthatplanspreparedinHermioneStreetalmostinvariablyfailed。\"
\"Whowere\'we\'?\"Iasked，pointedly。
\"SomeofusinBrussels——atthecentre，\"hesaid，hastily。\"WhatevervigorousactionoriginatedinHermioneStreetseemeddoomedtofailure。Somethingalwayshappenedtobafflethebestplannedmanifesta-
tionsineverypartofEurope。Itwasatimeofgeneralactivity。Youmustnotimaginethatallourfailuresareofaloudsort，witharrestsandtrials。Thatisnotso。Oftenthepoliceworkquietly，almostsecretly，defeatingourcombinationsbyclevercounter-plotting。
Noarrests，nonoise，noalarmingofthepublicmindandinflamingthepassions。Itisawiseprocedure。
ButatthattimethepoliceweretoouniformlysuccessfulfromtheMediterraneantotheBaltic。Itwasannoyingandbegantolookdangerous。AtlastwecametotheconclusionthattheremustbesomeuntrustworthyelementsamongsttheLondongroups。AndIcameovertoseewhatcouldbedonequietly。
\"MyfirststepwastocalluponouryoungLadyAmateurofanarchismatherprivatehouse。Shere-
ceivedmeinaflatteringway。IjudgedthatsheknewnothingofthechemicalandotheroperationsgoingonatthetopofthehouseinHermioneStreet。Theprint-
ingofanarchistliteraturewastheonly\'activity\'sheseemedtobeawareofthere。Shewasdisplayingverystrikinglytheusualsignsofsevereenthusiasm，andhadalreadywrittenmanysentimentalarticleswithferociousconclusions。Icouldseeshewasenjoyingherselfhugely，withallthegesturesandgrimacesofdeadlyearnestness。Theysuitedherbig-eyed，broad-browedfaceandthegoodcarriageofhershapelyhead，crownedbyamagnificentlotofbrownhairdoneinanunusualandbecomingstyle。Herbrotherwasintheroom，too，aseriousyouth，witharchedeyebrowsandwearingarednecktie，whostruckmeasbeingabsolutelyinthedarkabouteverythingintheworld，includinghimself。Byandbyatallyoungmancamein。Hewasclean-shavedwithastrongbluishjawandsomethingoftheairofataciturnactororofafanaticalpriest:thetypewiththickblackeyebrows——youknow。Buthewasverypre-
sentableindeed。Heshookhandsatoncevigorouslywitheachofus。Theyoungladycameuptomeandmurmuredsweetly，\'ComradeSevrin。\'
\"Ihadneverseenhimbefore。Hehadlittletosaytous，butsatdownbythesideofthegirl，andtheyfellatonceintoearnestconversation。Sheleanedforwardinherdeeparmchair，andtookhernicelyroundedchininherbeautifulwhitehand。Helookedattentivelyintohereyes。Itwastheattitudeoflove-making，serious，intense，asifonthebrinkofthegrave。Isupposeshefeltitnecessarytoroundandcompleteherassumptionofadvancedideas，ofrevolutionarylawlessness，bymakingbelievetobeinlovewithananarchist。Andthisone，Irepeat，wasextremelypresentable，notwith-
standinghisfanaticalblack-browedaspect。Afterafewstolenglancesintheirdirection，Ihadnodoubtthathewasinearnest。Astothelady，hergestureswereunapproachable，betterthantheverythingitselfintheblendedsuggestionofdignity，sweetness，condescension，fascination，surrender，andreserve。Sheinterpretedherconceptionofwhatthatprecisesortoflove-makingshouldbewithconsummateart。Andsofar，she，too，nodoubt，wasinearnest。Gestures——butsoperfect!
\"AfterIhadbeenleftalonewithourLadyAmateurIinformedherguardedlyoftheobjectofmyvisit。I
hintedatoursuspicions。Iwantedtohearwhatshewouldhavetosay，andhalfexpectedsomeperhapsun-
consciousrevelation。Allshesaidwas，\'That\'sserious，\'
lookingdelightfullyconcernedandgrave。Buttherewasasparkleinhereyeswhichmeantplainly，\'Howexciting!\'Afterall，sheknewlittleofanythingexceptofwords。Still，sheundertooktoputmeincom-
municationwithHorne，whowasnoteasytofindunlessinHermioneStreet，whereIdidnotwishtoshowmyselfjustthen。
\"ImetHorne。Thiswasanotherkindofafanaticaltogether。IexposedtohimtheconclusionweinBrusselshadarrivedat，andpointedoutthesignificantseriesoffailures。Tothisheansweredwithirrelevantexaltation:
\"\'Ihavesomethinginhandthatshallstriketerrorintotheheartofthesegorgedbrutes。\'
\"AndthenIlearnedthat，byexcavatinginoneofthecellarsofthehouse，heandsomecompanionshadmadetheirwayintothevaultsunderthegreatpublicbuildingIhavementionedbefore。Theblowingupofawholewingwasacertaintyassoonasthematerialswereready。
\"IwasnotsoappalledatthestupidityofthatmoveasImighthavebeenhadnottheusefulnessofourcentreinHermioneStreetbecomealreadyveryprob-
lematical。Infact，inmyopinionitwasmuchmoreofapolicetrapbythistimethananythingelse。
\"Whatwasnecessarynowwastodiscoverwhat，orratherwho，waswrong，andImanagedatlasttogetthatideaintoHorne\'shead。Heglared，perplexed，hisnostrilsworkingasifheweresniffingtreacheryintheair。
\"Andherecomesapieceofworkwhichwillnodoubtstrikeyouasasortoftheatricalexpedient。Andyetwhatelsecouldhavebeendone?Theproblemwastofindouttheuntrustworthymemberofthegroup。
Butnosuspicioncouldbefastenedononemorethananother。Tosetawatchuponthemallwasnotverypracticable。Besides，thatproceedingoftenfails。Inanycase，ittakestime，andthedangerwaspressing。I
feltcertainthatthepremisesinHermioneStreetwouldbeultimatelyraided，thoughthepolicehadevidentlysuchconfidenceintheinformerthatthehouse，forthetimebeing，wasnotevenwatched。Hornewaspositiveonthatpoint。Underthecircumstancesitwasanunfavourablesymptom。Somethinghadtobedonequickly。
\"Idecidedtoorganizearaidmyselfuponthegroup。
Doyouunderstand?Araidofothertrustycomradespersonatingthepolice。Aconspiracywithinacon-
spiracy。Youseetheobjectofit，ofcourse。WhenapparentlyabouttobearrestedIhopedtheinformerwouldbetrayhimselfinsomewayorother；eitherbysomeunguardedactorsimplybyhisunconcernedde-
meanour，forinstance。Ofcoarsetherewastheriskofcompletefailureandthenolesserriskofsomefatalaccidentinthecourseofresistance，perhaps，orintheeffortsatescape。For，asyouwilleasilysee，theHer-
mioneStreetgrouphadtobeactuallyandcompletelytakenunawares，asIwassuretheywouldbebytherealpolicebeforeverylong。Theinformerwasamongstthem，andHornealonecouldbeletintothesecretofmyplan。
\"Iwillnotenterintothedetailofmypreparations。
Itwasnotveryeasytoarrange，butitwasdoneverywell，withareallyconvincingeffect。Theshampoliceinvadedtherestaurant，whoseshutterswereimmedi-
atelyputup。Thesurprisewasperfect。MostoftheHermioneStreetpartywerefoundinthesecondcellar，enlargingtheholecommunicatingwiththevaultsofthegreatpublicbuilding。Atthefirstalarm，severalcomradesboltedthroughimpulsivelyintotheaforesaidvault，where，ofcourse，hadthisbeenagenuineraid，theywouldhavebeenhopelesslytrapped。Wedidnotbotheraboutthemforthemoment。Theywereharm-
lessenough。ThetopfloorcausedconsiderableanxietytoHorneandmyself。There，surroundedbytinsofStone\'sDriedSoup，acomrade，nick-namedthePro-
fessor(hewasanex-sciencestudent)wasengagedinperfectingsomenewdetonators。Hewasanab-
stracted，self-confident，sallowlittleman，armedwithlargeroundspectacles，andwewereafraidthatunderamistakenimpressionhewouldblowhimselfupandwreckthehouseaboutourears。Irushedupstairsandfoundhimalreadyatthedoor，onthealert，listening，ashesaid，to\'suspiciousnoisesdownbelow。\'BeforeI
hadquitefinishedexplainingtohimwhatwasgoingonheshruggedhisshouldersdisdainfullyandturnedawaytohisbalancesandtest-tubes。Hiswasthetruespiritofanextremerevolutionist。Explosiveswerehisfaith，hishope，hisweapon，andhisshield。Heperishedacoupleofyearsafterwardsinasecretlaboratorythroughtheprematureexplosionofoneofhisimproveddetonators。
\"Hurryingdownagain，Ifoundanimpressivesceneinthegloomofthebigcellar。Themanwhopersonatedtheinspector(hewasnostrangertothepart)wasspeakingharshly，andgivingbogusorderstohisbogussubordinatesfortheremovalofhisprisoners。Evi-
dentlynothingenlighteninghadhappenedsofar。
Horne，saturnineandswarthy，waitedwithfoldedarms，andhispatient，moodyexpectationhadanairofstoi-
cismwellinkeepingwiththesituation。IdetectedintheshadowsoneoftheHermioneStreetgroupsurrep-
titiouslychewingupandswallowingasmallpieceofpaper。Somecompromisingscrap，Isuppose；perhapsjustanoteofafewnamesandaddresses。Hewasatrueandfaithful\'companion。\'Butthefundofsecretmalicewhichlurksatthebottomofoursympathiescausedmetofeelamusedatthatperfectlyuncalled-
forperformance。
Ineveryotherrespecttheriskyexperiment，thetheatricalcoup，ifyouliketocallitso，seemedtohavefailed。Thedeceptioncouldnotbekeptupmuchlonger；theexplanationwouldbringaboutaveryembarrassingandevengravesituation。Themanwhohadeatenthepaperwouldbefurious。Thefellowswhohadboltedawaywouldbeangry，too。
\"Toaddtomyvexation，thedoorcommunicatingwiththeothercellar，wheretheprinting-presseswere，flewopen，andouryoungladyrevolutionistappeared，ablacksilhouetteinaclose-fittingdressandalargehat，withtheblazeofgasflaringinthereatherback。
OverhershoulderIperceivedthearchedeyebrowsandtherednecktieofherbrother。
\"ThelastpeopleintheworldIwantedtoseethen!
Theyhadgonethateveningtosomeamateurconcertforthedelectationofthepoorpeople，youknow；butshehadinsistedonleavingearly，onpurposetocallinHermioneStreetonthewayhome，underthepretextofhavingsomeworktodo。HerusualtaskwastocorrecttheproofsoftheItalianandFrencheditionsoftheAlarmBellandtheFirebrand。\"……
\"Heavens!\"Imurmured。Ihadbeenshownonceafewcopiesofthesepublications。Nothing，inmyopinion，couldhavebeenlessfitfortheeyesofayounglady。Theywerethemostadvancedthingsofthesort；
advanced，Imean，beyondallboundsofreasonanddecency。Oneofthempreachedthedissolutionofallsocialanddomesticties；theotheradvocatedsystematicmurder。Tothinkofayounggirlcalmlytrackingprinters\'errorsallalongthesortofabominablesen-
tencesIrememberedwasintolerabletomysentimentofwomanhood。Mr。X，aftergivingmeaglance，pursuedsteadily。
\"Ithink，however，thatshecamemostlytoexerciseherfascinationsuponSevrin，andtoreceivehishomageinherqueenlyandcondescendingway。Shewasawareofboth——herpowerandhishomage——andenjoyedthemwith，Idaresay，completeinnocence。Wehavenogroundinexpediencyormoralstoquarrelwithheronthataccount。Charminwomanandexceptionalintelligenceinmanarealawuntothemselves。Isitnotso?\"
Irefrainedfromexpressingmyabhorrenceofthatlicentiousdoctrinebecauseofmycuriosity。
\"Butwhathappenedthen?\"Ihastenedtoask。
Xwentoncrumblingslowlyasmallpieceofbreadwithacarelesslefthand。
\"Whathappened，ineffect，\"heconfessed，\"isthatshesavedthesituation。\"
\"Shegaveyouanopportunitytoendyourrathersinisterfarce，\"Isuggested。
\"Yes，\"hesaid，preservinghisimpassivebearing。
\"Thefarcewasboundtoendsoon。Anditendedinaveryfewminutes。Anditendedwell。Hadshenotcomein，itmighthaveendedbadly。Herbrother，ofcourse，didnotcount。Theyhadslippedintothehousequietlysometimebefore。Theprinting-cellarhadanentranceofitsown。Notfindinganyonethere，shesatdowntoherproofs，expectingSevrintoreturntohisworkatanymoment。Hedidnotdoso。
Shegrewimpatient，heardthroughthedoorthesoundsofadisturbanceintheothercellarandnaturallycameintoseewhatwasthematter。
Sevrinhadbeenwithus。Atfirsthehadseemedtomethemostamazedofthewholeraidedlot。Heappearedforaninstantasifparalyzedwithastonish-
ment。Hestoodrootedtothespot。Henevermovedalimb。Asolitarygas-jetflarednearhishead；alltheotherlightshadbeenputoutatthefirstalarm。
Andpresently，frommydarkcorner，Iobservedonhisshavenactor\'sfaceanexpressionofpuzzled，vexedwatchfulness。Heknittedhisheavyeyebrows。Thecornersofhismouthdroppedscornfully。Hewasangry。Mostlikelyhehadseenthroughthegame，andIregrettedIhadnottakenhimfromthefirstintomycompleteconfidence。
\"Butwiththeappearanceofthegirlhebecameobviouslyalarmed。Itwasplain。Icouldseeitgrow。Thechangeofhisexpressionwasswiftandstartling。AndIdidnotknowwhy。Thereasonneveroccurredtome。Iwasmerelyastonishedattheextremealterationoftheman\'sface。Ofcoursehehadnotbeenawareofherpresenceintheothercellar；butthatdidnotexplaintheshockheradventhadgivenhim。
Foramomentheseemedtohavebeenreducedtoimbecility。Heopenedhismouthasiftoshout，orperhapsonlytogasp。Atanyrate，itwassomebodyelsewhoshouted。ThissomebodyelsewastheheroiccomradewhomIhaddetectedswallowingapieceofpaper。Withlaudablepresenceofmindheletoutawarningyell。
\"\'It\'sthepolice!Back!Back!Runback，andboltthedoorbehindyou。\'
\"Itwasanexcellenthint；butinsteadofretreatingthegirlcontinuedtoadvance，followedbyherlong-
facedbrotherinhisknickerbockersuit，inwhichhehadbeensingingcomicsongsfortheentertainmentofajoylessproletariat。Sheadvancednotasifshehadfailedtounderstand——theword\'police\'hasanun-
mistakablesound——butratherasifshecouldnothelpherself。Shedidnotadvancewiththefreegaitandexpandingpresenceofadistinguishedamateuranarchistamongstpoor，strugglingprofessionals，butwithslightlyraisedshoulders，andherelbowspressedclosetoherbody，asiftryingtoshrinkwithinherself。
HereyeswerefixedimmovablyuponSevrin。Sevrintheman，Ifancy；notSevrintheanarchist。Butsheadvanced。Andthatwasnatural。Foralltheirassumptionofindependence，girlsofthatclassareusedtothefeelingofbeingspeciallyprotected，as，infact，theyare。Thisfeelingaccountsforninetenthsoftheiraudaciousgestures。Herfacehadgonecom-
pletelycolourless。Ghastly。Fancyhavingitbroughthometohersobrutallythatshewasthesortofpersonwhomustrunawayfromthepolice!Ibelieveshewaspalewithindignation，mostly，thoughtherewas，ofcourse，alsotheconcernforherintactpersonality，avaguedreadofsomesortofrudeness。And，naturally，sheturnedtoaman，tothemanonwhomshehadaclaimoffascinationandhomage——themanwhocouldnotconceivablyfailheratanyjuncture。\"
\"But，\"Icried，amazedatthisanalysis，\"ifithadbeenserious，real，Imean——asshethoughtitwas——whatcouldsheexpecthimtodoforher?\"
Xnevermovedamuscleofhisface。
\"Goodnessknows。Iimaginethatthischarming，generous，andindependentcreaturehadneverknowninherlifeasinglegenuinethought；Imeanasinglethoughtdetachedfromsmallhumanvanities，orwhosesourcewasnotinsomeconventionalperception。AllI
knowisthatafteradvancingafewstepssheextendedherhandtowardsthemotionlessSevrin。Andthatatleastwasnogesture。Itwasanaturalmovement。Astowhatsheexpectedhimtodo，whocantell?Theimpossible。Butwhateversheexpected，itcouldnothavecomeup，Iamsafetosay，towhathehadmadeuphismindtodo，evenbeforethatentreatinghandhadappealedtohimsodirectly。Ithadnotbeennecessary。
Fromthemomenthehadseenherenterthatcellar，hehadmadeuphismindtosacrificehisfutureusefulness，tothrowofftheimpenetrable，solidlyfastenedmaskithadbeenhispridetowear——\"
\"Whatdoyoumean?\"Iinterrupted，puzzled。
\"WasitSevrin，then，whowas——\"
\"Hewas。Themostpersistent，themostdangerous，thecraftiest，themostsystematicofinformers。A
geniusamongstbetrayers。Fortunatelyforus，hewasunique。Themanwasafanatic，Ihavetoldyou。
Fortunately，again，forus，hehadfalleninlovewiththeaccomplishedandinnocentgesturesofthatgirl。Anactorindesperateearnesthimself，hemusthavebe-
lievedintheabsolutevalueofconventionalsigns。Astothegrossnessofthetrapintowhichhefell，theexplanationmustbethattwosentimentsofsuchab-
sorbingmagnitudecannotexistsimultaneouslyinoneheart。Thedangerofthatotherandunconsciouscomedianrobbedhimofhisvision，ofhisperspicacity，ofhisjudgment。Indeed，itdidatfirstrobhimofhisself-possession。Butheregainedthatthroughthenecessity——asitappearedtohimimperiously——todosomethingatonce。Todowhat?Why，togetheroutofthehouseasquicklyaspossible。Hewasdesperatelyanxioustodothat。Ihavetoldyouhewasterrified。Itcouldnotbeabouthimself。Hehadbeensurprisedandannoyedatamovequiteunforeseenandpremature。Imayevensayhehadbeenfurious。
Hewasaccustomedtoarrangethelastsceneofhisbetrayalswithadeep，subtleartwhichlefthisrevolu-
tionistreputationuntouched。Butitseemscleartomethatatthesametimehehadresolvedtomakethebestofit，tokeephismaskresolutelyon。Itwasonlywiththediscoveryofherbeinginthehousethatevery-
thing——theforcedcalm，therestraintofhisfanaticism，themask——allcameofftogetherinakindofpanic。
Whypanic，doyouask?Theanswerisverysimple。
Heremembered——or，Idaresay，hehadneverforgotten——theProfessoraloneatthetopofthehouse，pursuinghisresearches，surroundedbytinsupontinsofStone\'sDriedSoup。Therewasenoughinsomefewofthemtoburyusallwherewestoodunderaheapofbricks。
Sevrin，ofcourse，wasawareofthat。Andwemustbelieve，also，thatheknewtheexactcharacteroftheman。Hehadgaugedsomanysuchcharacters!OrperhapsheonlygavetheProfessorcreditforwhathehimselfwascapableof。But，inanycase，theeffectwasproduced。Andsuddenlyheraisedhisvoiceinauthority。
\"\'Gettheladyawayatonce。\'
\"Itturnedoutthathewasashoarseasacrow；
result，nodoubt，oftheintenseemotion。Itpassedoffinamoment。Butthesefatefulwordsissuedforthfromhiscontractedthroatinadiscordant，ridiculouscroak。
Theyrequirednoanswer。Thethingwasdone。How-
ever，themanpersonatingtheinspectorjudgeditex-
pedienttosayroughly:
\"\'Sheshallgosoonenough，togetherwiththerestofyou。\'
\"Thesewerethelastwordsbelongingtothecomedypartofthisaffair。
\"Obliviousofeverythingandeverybody，Sevrinstrodetowardshimandseizedthelapelsofhiscoat。
Underhisthinbluishcheeksonecouldseehisjawsworkingwithpassion。
\"\'Youhavemenpostedoutside。Gettheladytakenhomeatonce。Doyouhear?Now。Beforeyoutrytogetholdofthemanupstairs。\'
\"\'Oh!Thereisamanupstairs，\'scoffedtheother，openly。\'Well，heshallbebroughtdownintimetoseetheendofthis。\'
\"ButSevrin，besidehimself，tooknoheedofthetone。
\'\"Who\'stheimbecilemeddlerwhosentyoublunder-
inghere?Didn\'tyouunderstandyourinstructions?
Don\'tyouknowanything?It\'sincredible。Here——\'
\"Hedroppedthelapelsofthecoatand，plunginghishandintohisbreast，jerkedfeverishlyatsome-
thingunderhisshirt。Atlastheproducedasmallsquarepocketofsoftleather，whichmusthavebeenhanginglikeascapularyfromhisneckbythetapewhosebrokenendsdangledfromhisfist。
\"\'Lookinside，\'hespluttered，flingingitintheother\'sface。Andinstantlyheturnedroundtowardsthegirl。
Shestoodjustbehindhim，perfectlystillandsilent。
Herset，whitefacegaveanillusionofplacidity。Onlyherstaringeyesseemedbiggeranddarker。
\"Hespokerapidly，withnervousassurance。Iheardhimdistinctlypromisehertomakeeverythingasclearasdaylightpresently。ButthatwasallIcaught。Hestoodclosetoher，neverattemptingtotouchherevenwiththetipofhislittlefinger——andshestaredathimstupidly。Foramoment，however，hereyelidsde-
