Adventure and adventurers -- Fiction; Short stories
done in an unusual and becoming style. Her brother was in the room, too, a
serious youth, with arched eyebrows and wearing a red necktie, who struck
me as being absolutely in the dark about everything in the world,
including himself. By and by a tall young man came in. He was clean-shaved
with a strong bluish jaw and something of the air of a taciturn actor or
of a fanatical priest: the type with thick black eyebrows—you know.
But he was very presentable indeed. He shook hands at once vigorously with
each of us. The young lady came up to me and murmured sweetly, ‘Comrade
Sevrin.’
</p>
<p>
“I had never seen him before. He had little to say to us, but sat down by
the side of the girl, and they fell at once into earnest conversation. She
leaned forward in her deep armchair, and took her nicely rounded chin in
her beautiful white hand. He looked attentively into her eyes. It was the
attitude of love-making, serious, intense, as if on the brink of the
grave. I suppose she felt it necessary to round and complete her
assumption of advanced ideas, of revolutionary lawlessness, by making
believe to be in love with an anarchist. And this one, I repeat, was
extremely presentable, notwithstanding his fanatical black-browed aspect.
After a few stolen glances in their direction, I had no doubt that he was
in earnest. As to the lady, her gestures were unapproachable, better than
the very thing itself in the blended suggestion of dignity, sweetness,
condescension, fascination, surrender, and reserve. She interpreted her
conception of what that precise sort of love-making should be with
consummate art. And so far, she, too, no doubt, was in earnest. Gestures—but
so perfect!
</p>
<p>
“After I had been left alone with our Lady Amateur I informed her
guardedly of the object of my visit. I hinted at our suspicions. I wanted
to hear what she would have to say, and half expected some perhaps
unconscious revelation. All she said was, ‘That’s serious,’ looking
delightfully concerned and grave. But there was a sparkle in her eyes
which meant plainly, ‘How exciting!’ After all, she knew little of
anything except of words. Still, she undertook to put me in communication
with Horne, who was not easy to find unless in Hermione Street, where I
did not wish to show myself just then.
</p>
<p>
“I met Horne. This was another kind of a fanatic altogether. I exposed to
him the conclusion we in Brussels had arrived at, and pointed out the
significant series of failures. To this he answered with irrelevant
exaltation:
</p>
<p>
“‘I have something in hand that shall strike terror into the heart of
these gorged brutes.’
</p>
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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