“True!--my genius is of an absorbing quality! Silence, gentlemen! Silence for our new comrade! ‘Pasquin’ stands for the beginning of a jest--so we may hope he will be amusing,--‘Leroy’ stands for the king, and so we may expect him to be non-political!” CHAPTER VIII THE KING’S DOUBLE As Leroy rose to speak, there was a little commotion. Max Graub upset his glass, and seemed to be having a struggle under the table with Axel Regor. “What ails you?” said Leroy, glancing at his friends with an amazed air--“Are you quarrelling?” “Quarrelling!” echoed Max Graub, “Why, no--but what man will have his beer upset without complaint? Tell me that!” “You upset it!” said Regor angrily--“I did not.” “You did!” retorted Graub, “and because I pushed you for it, you showed me a pistol in your pocket! I object to be shown a pistol. So I have taken it away. Here it is!” and he laid the weapon on the table in front of him. A look of anger darkened Leroy’s brows. “I was not aware you carried arms,” he said coldly. Sergius Thord noticed his annoyance. “There is nothing remarkable in that, my friend!” he interposed--“We all carry arms,--there is not one of us at this table who has not a loaded pistol,--even Lotys is no exception to this rule.” “Now by my word!” said Graub, “_I_ have no loaded pistol,--and I will swear Leroy is equally unarmed!” “Entirely so!” said Leroy quietly--“I never suspect any man of evil intentions towards me.” As he said this, Lotys leaned forward impulsively and stretched out her hand,--a beautiful hand, well-shaped and white as a white rose petal. “I like you for that!”--she said--“It is the natural attitude of a brave man!” A slight colour warmed his bronzed skin as he took her hand, pressed it gently, and let it go again. Axel Regor looked up defiantly. “Well, I _do_ suspect every man of evil intentions!” he said, “So you may all just as well know the worst of me at once! My experience of life has perhaps been exceptionally unpleasant; but it has taught me that as a rule no man is your friend till you have made it worth his while!” “By favours bestowed, or favours to come?” queried Thord, smiling,--“However, without any argument, Axel Regor, I am inclined to think you are right!” “Then a weapon is permissible here?” asked Graub. “Not only permissible, but necessary,” replied Thord. “As members of this Brotherhood we live always prepared for some disaster,--always on our guard against treachery. Comrades!” and raising his voice he addressed the whole party. “Lay down your arms, all at once and together!” In one instant, as if in obedience to a military order, the table was lined on either side with pistols. Beside these weapons, there was a goodly number of daggers, chiefly of the small kind such as are used in Corsica, encased in leather sheaths. Pasquin Leroy smiled as he saw Lotys lay down one of those tiny but deadly weapons, together with a small silver-mounted pistol.