“Well, Mr. Lind,” he said, “so far as I can see and hear, your scheme has been framed not only with great ability, but also with a studied moderation and wisdom.  The only point I would urge is this—­that, in England, as little as possible should be said about kings and priests.  A great deal of what you said would scarcely be understood here.  You see, in England it is not the Crown nowadays which instigate or insists on war; it is Parliament and the people.  Dynastic ambitions do not trouble us.  There is no reason whatever why we here should hate kings when they are harmless.”

“You are right; the case is different,” Lind admitted.  “But that makes adhesion to our programme all the easier.”

“I was only speaking of the police of mentioning things which might alarm timid people.  Then as for the priests; it may be the interest of the priests in Ireland to keep the peasantry ignorant; but it is certainly not so in England.  The Church of England fosters education—­”

“Are not your clergymen the bitterest enemies of the School Board schools?”

“Well, they may dislike seeing education dissociated from religion—­that is natural, considering what they believe; but they are not necessary enemies of education.  Perhaps I am a very young member to think of making such a suggestion.  But the truth is, that when an ordinary Englishman hears anything said against kings and priests, he merely thinks of kings and priests as he knows them—­and as being mostly harmless creatures nowadays—­and concludes that you are a Communist wanting to overturn society altogether.”

“Precisely so.  I told Natalie this morning that if she were to be allowed to join our association her English friends would imagine her to be petroleuse.”

“Miss Lind is not in the association?” Brand said, quickly.

“As yet no women have been admitted.  It is a difficulty; for in some societies with which we are partly in alliance women are members.  Ah, such noble creatures many of them are, too!  However, the question may come forward by-and-by.  In the mean time, Natalie, without being made aware of what we are actually doing—­that, of course, is forbidden—­knows something of what our work must be, and is warm in her sympathy.  She is a good help, too:  she is the quickest translator we have got.”

“Do you think,” Brand said, somewhat timidly, but with a frown on his face, “that it is fair to put such tedious labor on the shoulders of a young girl?  Surely there are enough of men to do the work?”

“You shall propose that to her yourself,” Lind said laughing.

Well, they arrived at the house in Curzon Street, and, when they went up-stairs to the drawing-room, they found Lord Evelyn there.  Natalie Lind came forward—­with less than usual of her graciously self-possessed manner—­and shook hands with him briefly, and said, with averted look,

“I am glad to see you, Mr. Brand.”