"That is excellent," said he, as he shook hands with them and, against both their protests, took his leave. He carried away that picture in his mind. He had left these two together, and they were happy. What mattered it to him what became of himself? It was on the evening of that day that he had to obey the summons of the Council. CHAPTER XL. A CONCLAVE. Punctual to the moment George Brand arrived in Lisle Street. He was shown into an inner room, where he found Lind seated at a desk, and Reitzei and Beratinsky standing by the fireplace. On an adjacent table where four cups of black coffee, four small glasses, a bottle of brandy, and a box of cigarettes. Lind rose to receive him, and was very courteous indeed--apologizing for having had to break in on his preparations for leaving, and offering him coffee, cigarettes, and what not. When the new-comer had declined these, Lind resumed his place and begged the others to be seated. "We will proceed to business at once, gentlemen," said he, speaking in quite an ordinary and matter-of-fact way, "although, I will confess to you, it is not business entirely to my liking. Perhaps I should not say so. This paper, you see, contains my authorization from the Council to summon you and to explain the service they demand: perhaps I should merely obey, and say nothing. But we are friends; we can speak in confidence." Here Reitzei, who was even more pallid than usual, and whose fingers seemed somewhat shaky, filled one of the small glasses of brandy, and drank it off. "I do not say that I hesitate," continued Lind--"that I am reluctant, because the service that is required from us--from one of us four--is dangerous--is exceedingly dangerous. No," he said, with a brief smile, "as far as I am myself concerned, I have carried my life in my hands too often to think much about that. And you, gentlemen, considering the obligations you have accepted, I take it that the question of possible harm to yourselves is not likely to interfere with your obedience to the commands of the Council." "As for me," said Reitzei, eagerly and nervously, "I tell you this, I should like to have something exciting now--I do not care what. I am tired of this work in London; it is slow, regular, like the ticking of a clock. I am for something to stir the blood a little. I say that I am ready for anything." "As for me," said Beratinsky, curtly, "no one has ever yet called me a coward." Brand said nothing; but he perceived that this was something unusually serious, and almost unconsciously he closed his right hand that he might feel the clasp of Natalie's ring. There was no need to appeal to his oaths of allegiance. Lind proceeded, in a graver fashion,