"We should have the same majority against us," replied Radzivil. "Insert a clause in the bill," suggested Paul, "to the effect that the Convent of the Transfiguration shall be exempted from the operation of the bill." "Useless," answered the premier, "since that convent is the one particularly aimed at." "A clause giving her Highness sole power to appoint the Commissioners." Dorislas grinned. "I moved that amendment myself, but it was rejected." "Play Cromwell's game: on the day of the voting station troopers at the doors of the Diet-house to exclude obnoxious members; or the night before carry some off and detain them till the voting is over." "Unconstitutional," said Barbara. "To secure the rejection of the bill by such methods would be to court the intervention of the three Powers." "Secretly withdraw the documents and the treasure from the convent." "With soldiers patrolling the precincts?" said Dorislas. "Lipski, subtle knave that he is, has artfully turned our own bayonets against us. Every one passing out of the convent is carefully searched." "Bribe the soldiers." "Lipski is alive to that manoeuvre. Day and night his creatures are watching that monastery." "Let the monks, then, bury the arms and the treasure within their own walls." "Lipski, who is certain to be appointed one of the Commissioners, will dig up every foot of ground and pull down every brick in his endeavors to discover something of disadvantage to the ministry," returned Dorislas. Paul made no more suggestions; how, indeed, could he, when it passed the wit of the premier himself to devise a plan adequate for defeating the manoeuvres of Lipski? "If the bill should pass," continued Dorislas, "I see but one way out of our difficulty. The monks must contrive to steal out some dark night, leaving a slow match burning in the powder-magazine." "And we must lose the fruit of years?" said the princess, mournfully. "Why, your Highness, consider what would happen otherwise. Here, close to the Russian frontier, and commanding the highroad to Warsaw, is an edifice, presumably a monastery, but in reality a fortress and an arsenal. True, Abbot Faustus can destroy the treasonable documents; yet, nevertheless, here will be found, because impossible to be annihilated or concealed, a vast store of gold, rifles for one hundred thousand men, and other war _matériel_. Vain would it be for the Czernovese ministry to put an innocent interpretation upon their attempts to keep the interior workings of this convent from public view. The Czar would be wanting in common sense if he should not see in all this a menace to his own dominions. His ministers, in fact, already have their suspicions, and hence they are more eager than Lipski himself for the passing of the Appropriation Bill."