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Pasquin Leroy and his companions spoke now and then, guardedly, and in low whispers, concerning the appearance and demeanour of the crowd, Max Graub being particularly struck by the general physiognomy and type of the people present. "Plenty of good heads!" he said cautiously. "There are thinkers here and thinkers are a very dangerous class!"
"When you please," replied Axel Regor irritably, "The sooner the better for me! Here we are probably watched, we had best go down to the quay, and from thence " He did not finish his sentence, but Graub evidently understood its conclusion and they walked quickly away together in quite an opposite direction to that in which Leroy had gone.
Max Graub and Axel Regor sprang up with a kind of smothered cry, but Leroy stood immovable. Instead of returning to his seat as the others had done, he remained standing on the platform in front of the Committee table, between Lotys and Sergius Thord. A strange smile rested on his lips, his attitude was inexplicable.
Whereupon she pressed an invisible spring under the table, which set a bell ringing in some lower quarter of the house. "Pasquin Leroy, Axel Regor, Max Graub!" she said "Take your places for to-night beside me newcomers are always thus distinguished! And all of you sit down! You are grouped at present like hungry wolves waiting to spring.
And if you had seen as much of them as I have, the 'sometimes' would be rare!" "Yet you play before them?" put in Max Graub. "Because I must do so to satisfy the impresarios who advertise me to the public," said Valdor. "Alas! why will the public be so foolish as to wish their favourite artist to play before kings and queens?
A murmur of sullen approval ran through the room, and somewhat lowering glances were cast at the audacious Graub, who had, by his few words, created the very undesirable impression that he wished, in some remote way, to interfere with the Committee solemnities in progress, and to defend the King from attack. He sat down again looking more or less crushed and baffled, and Thord went on.
He seated himself with the air of a king, his whole aspect betokening an authority that would not be trifled with or gainsaid. "Gott in Himmel!" This exclamation burst suddenly from the lips of the man called Max Graub. "What ails you?" said Thord, turning full upon him his glittering eyes that flashed ferocity from under their shaggy brows "Are you afraid?" "Afraid?
"You tell me you write Socialistic works you should know something concerning the press." "Ah!" said Max Graub, nodding his head sagely, "He does know much, but not all! It would need more penetration than even he possesses, to know all! Alas! my friend was never a popular writer!" "Like myself!" exclaimed Zouche, "I am not popular, and I never shall be.
Stumbling on hands and knees they spoke not a word; though once Max Graub uttered something like an oath in rough German; but a whisper from Leroy rebuked and silenced him, and they pursued their difficult ascent until, arriving at the room mentioned, they found themselves in the company of about fifteen to twenty men, all sitting round a table under two flaring billiard lamps, suspended crookedly from the ceiling.
His large brown eyes, like those of a faithful dog, followed every movement of Lotys with anxious and wistful affection, and Leroy, noticing this, began to wonder whether she was his wife or daughter? Or was she related in either of these ways to Sergius Thord? His reflections were interrupted by a slight touch from Max Graub who was seated next to him.
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