Just then several blows were struck on the pannel of the book-case through which we have seen S. Pignana enter, and also Signor Salvatori and M. H----. "This is some important information from Pignana," said Von Apsberg, and he touched the spring. The panel opened, but behind it was Monte-Leone instead of Pignana. All experienced great emotion when they saw him. Von Apsberg was the most agitated, for he was to speak, and had thus the most painful task to perform. "I am just now come," said Monte-Leone, "but I did not think I should enter Frederick's house openly. Prudence is now more needed than ever. You have heard," said he, "of the arrests of the chiefs of the two other central _ventes?_" "Yes," said Von Apsberg, "and we were seeking to discover who is our secret enemy." "This misfortune," said the Count, "is to be attributed rather to our friends than our enemies. One piece of indiscretion may have produced all this." "Imprudence," said Matheus, "in a conspiracy, is a crime. It endangers all who participate in it." "My friends," said the Count, "our association is menaced from all quarters. The journals of every day reveal to all Europe the misfortunes of the secret societies of Germany and Italy--the sisters of Carbonarism in France. The latter, attacked in the person of the chiefs of our central _ventes_, mortally wounded by the discouragement of a great number of our brothers, has now but one of two alternatives to take." "Revolt?" said Von Apsberg. "Violence?" said Taddeo. "No, my friend, prudence and inaction." All looked at him with surprise, and Von Apsberg felt again the strange feeling which the facts we have recounted had produced. The Count resumed. "What I say, it is evident, astonishes you. Burdened, though, with a heavy responsibility by the _ventes_ of Europe, which await, as a signal for action, only my word, I can give it to this immense secret association, which is beneath the surface of society, only when force and number are aided by opportunity. Opportunity now is wanting; for the uneasy eye of government penetrates our ranks, and the iron hand of despotism decimates us. Force and numbers now are paralysed by fear, and I am sorry to say all our future hope is found in prudence and inactivity." "This language is indeed strange in the month of Monte-Leone," said d'Harcourt. "Far different," said Taddeo, "from that you used yesterday." "Calm and cold," said Von Apsberg, "when we take into consideration the storm which howls around us--the shipwrecks which menace every day our vessels." "Because the heavens are in a blaze--because the tempests howls around us, I would have you for the time seek a shelter." "Once, though," said Apsberg, "you advised us to brave danger, to meet it face to face, to parry it with arms in our hands, to conquer or to die."