"For my work here is finished, or so I think," he said. "Only this morning, indeed, I met Father Nikolas, who alone has been more detrimental to the cause than even the Turks; but he seemed most friendly to me, and regretted that I was going." The Capsina was combing out Michael's ruff after his bath, and was not attending very closely. But at these words she left the comb in Michael's hair and looked up. "What is that?" she said. "I met Father Nikolas an hour ago," said Economos; "he thanked me for all I had done here, and said that he had hoped I was stopping longer. In fact, I think he has quite withdrawn all his opposition." Now the Capsina had excellently sure reason for knowing that the primate still harbored the bitterest grudge against Economos for having first proposed and eventually carrying the institution of the war-fund, and her next question seemed at first strangely irrelevant. "Do you walk armed?" she asked. "Not in Hydra." She drew the comb out of Michael's ruff, and clapped her hands. The servant came in at the summons. "I want to see Kanaris," she said. "Send for him at once." She stood silent a moment or two, until the servant had left the room, and then turned to Economos. "I don't really know what to say to you," she remarked, "or how to account for my own feelings. But it is borne in upon me that you are in danger. Nikolas friendly and genial to you! It is not in the man. He is genial to none. That he should be genial to you of all men is impossible. Afterwards I will tell you why. Come, what did he say to you?" "He asked me to sup with him this evening," said Economos, "and I told him that for aught I knew I might be gone before." "He asked you to sup with him?" said the Capsina, frowning. "God send us understanding and charity! But really--" and she broke off, still frowning. Then after a pause: