“I have fought all through that, Evelyn,” he said, absently.  “It was my first impulse—­I confess it.  The thought of being associated with such men sickened me; I despaired; I wished they had never been found out, and that I had been let blindly go on to the end.  Well, I got over the fit—­with a struggle.  It was not reasonable, after all.  Surely one’s belief in the future of the Society ought to be all the firmer that these black sheep have been thrust out?  As for myself, at all events, I ought to have more hope, not less.  I never did trust Lind, as you know; I believed in his work, in the usefulness of it, and the prospects of its success; but I never was at ease in his presence; I was glad to get away to my own work in the north.  And now, with the way clearer, why should one think of giving up?  To tell you the truth, Evelyn, I would give anything to be in America at the present moment, if only Natalie and her mother were in safety.  There is a chance for us there bigger than anything Lind ever dreamed about.  You know the Granges, the associations of the ‘Patrons of Husbandry,’ that were founded by the Scotchman Saunders?  It is an immense social organization; the success of it has been quite unprecedented; they have an immense power in their hands.  And it isn’t only agriculture they deal with; they touch on politics here and there; they control elections; and the men they choose are invariably men of integrity.  Well, now, don’t you see this splendid instrument ready-made?  From what I hear from Philadelphia—­”

Lord Evelyn’s thoughts were elsewhere than in Philadelphia.

“You must tell me about yourself, Brand!” he exclaimed.  “Your life is no longer in danger, then?  How has it happened?”

“Oh,” said Brand, somewhat carelessly, “I don’t know all the particulars as yet.  What I do know is that Natalie and her mother disappeared from London; I had no idea whither they had gone.  Then Calabressa turned up; and I heard that Natalie had appealed to the Council.  Fancy, she, a young girl, had had the courage to go and appeal to the Council!  Then Calabressa suspected something, I saw by his questions; then Lind, Beratinsky, and Reitzei appear to have been summoned to Naples.  The result is in that letter; that is about all I know.”

“And these others in there?” said Lord Evelyn, glancing to the door.

“They know nothing at all.  That is what I am uncertain about:  whether to leave the disappearance of Lind unaccounted for—­merely saying he had been summoned away by the Council—­or to let everybody who may hear of it understand that, powerful as he was, he had to succumb to the laws of the Society, and accept the penalty for his error.  I am quite uncertain; I have no instructions.  You might find out for me in Naples, Evelyn, if you went over there—­you might find out what they consider advisable.”

“You are in Lind’s place, then?”

“Not at all,” said he, quickly, and with a slight flush.  “Edwards and I are merely keeping the thing going until matters are settled.  Did you notice whether Molyneux was in the next room when you came through?”