The younger man did not fail to observe his eagerness, and no doubt attributed it to a wrong cause.  It was no sudden hope of succeeding to Lind’s position that prompted the exclamation; it was the possibility of Natalie being carried away from England.

“He would have to live in the place called nowhere,” said Reitzei, with a calm smile.  “He would have to live in the dark—­in the middle of the night—­everywhere and nowhere at the same moment.”

Brand was on the point of asking what would then become of Natalie, but he forbore.  He changed the subject altogether.

“How is that mad Russian fellow getting on—­Kirski?  Still working?”

“Yes; at another kind of work.  Calabressa has undertaken to turn his vehemence into a proper channel—­to let off the steam, as it were, in another direction.”

“Calabressa?”

“Kirski has become the humble disciple of Calabressa, and has gone to Genoa with him.”

“What folly is this!” Brand said.  “Have you admitted that maniac?”

“Certainly; such force was not to be wasted.”

“A pretty disciple!  How much Russian does Calabressa know?”

“Gathorne Edwards is with them; it is some special business.  Both Calabressa and Kirski will be capital linguists before it is over.”

“But how has Edwards got leave again from the British Museum?”

Reitzei shrugged his shoulders.

“I believe Lind wants to buy him over altogether.  We could pay him more than the British Museum.”

At this moment there was a sound outside of some one ascending the stair, and directly afterward Mr. Lind entered the room.  As he came in Reitzei left.

“How do you do, Mr. Brand?” Lind said, shaking his visitor’s hand with great warmth.  “Very glad to see you looking so well; hard work does not hurt you, clearly.  I hope I have not incommoded you in asking you to run up to London?”

“Not at all,” Brand said.  “Molyneux came up with me last night.”

“Ah!  You have gained him over?”

“Quite.”

“Again I congratulate you.  Well, now, since we have begun upon business, let us continue upon business.”

He settled himself in his chair, as if for some serious talk.  Brand could not help being struck by the brisk, vivacious, energetic look of this man; and on this morning he was even more than usually smartly dressed.  Was it his daughter who had put that flower in his button-hole?

“I will speak frankly to you, and as clear as I can in my poor English.  You must let me say, without flattery, that we are all very indebted to you—­very proud of you; we are glad to have you with us.  And now that you see farther and farther about our work, I trust you are not disappointed.  You understand at the outset you must take so much on trust.”

“I am not in the least disappointed; quite the reverse,” Brand said; and he remembered Calabressa, and spoke in as friendly a way as possible.  “Indeed, many a time I am sorry one cannot explain more fully to those who are only inquiring.  If they could only see at once all that is going on, they would have no more doubt.  And it is slow work with some of them.”