“Who have come?” Calabressa said, in a low voice.

The little sallow-faced Secretary smiled.

“Several Brothers of the Council,” he said.  “They wish to see this young lady who has turned so many heads.  You, for example, my Calabressa, are mad with regard to her.  Well, they pay her a compliment.  It is the first time any woman has been in the presence of the Council.”

At this moment Von Zoesch came in, and hastily threw aside his travelling-cloak.

“Come, my friends,” said he, and he took them with him, leaving Granaglia to receive the ladies when they should arrive.

The lofty and spacious apartment they now entered, on the other side of the corridor, was apparently one of a suite of rooms facing the sea.  Its walls were decorated in Pompeian fashion, with simulated trellis-work, and plenty of birds, beasts, and fishes about; but the massive curtains and spreading chandeliers were all covered over as if the house had not been inhabited for some time.  All that was displayed of the furniture of the chambers were some chairs of blue satin, with white and gold backs and legs; and these looked strange enough, seeing that they were placed irregularly round an oblong, rough deal table, which looked as if it had just come from the workshop of some neighboring carpenter.  At or near this table several men, nearly all elderly, were sitting, talking carelessly to each other; one of them, indeed, at the farthermost corner, was a venerable patriarch, who wore a large soft wide-awake over his snow-white hair.  At the head of the table sat the handsome, pale-faced, Greek-looking man who has been mentioned as one Conventz.  He was writing a letter, but stopped when Brand and Evelyn were introduced to him.  Then Calabressa drew in some more of the gilt and blue chairs, and they sat down close by.

Brand kept anxiously looking toward the door.  He had not long to wait.  When it opened, Granaglia appeared, conducting into the room two figures dressed in black.  These dark figures looked impressive in the great, white, empty room.

For a second Natalie stood bewildered and irresolute, seeing all these faces turned to her; and when her eyes fell on her lover, she turned deadly pale.  But she went forward, along with her mother, to the two chairs brought for them by Granaglia, and they sat down.  The mother was veiled.  Natalie glanced at her lover again; there was a strange look in his face, but not of pain or fear.

“My dear young lady,” said Von Zoesch, in his pleasantest way, “we have nothing but good news to communicate to you, so you must not be alarmed.  You are among friends.  We are going away to-day; we all wish to say good-bye to you, and wish you a happy journey back to England; that is all.  But I will tell you that my first object in asking you to come here was to give you a good rating; when you and I should have been alone together I would have asked you if you had no consideration for old friends, that you should have turned away from my colleague, Calabressa, and wounded him grievously.  I would have reminded you that it was not he, but you yourself, who put the machinery in motion which secured your father’s righteous conviction.”