This exclamation burst suddenly from the lips of the man called Max Graub.
"What ails you?" said Thord, turning full upon him his glittering eyes that flashed ferocity from under their s.h.a.ggy brows--"Are you afraid?"
"Afraid? Not I!" protested Graub--"But, gentlemen, think a moment! You speak of putting us--myself and my friends--through an examination! Why should you examine us? We are three poor adventurers--what can we have to tell?"
"Much, I should imagine!" retorted Zegota--"Adventurers are not such without adventures! Your white hairs testify to some experience of life."
"My white hairs--_my_ white hairs!" exclaimed Graub, when a touch from Axel Regor apparently recalled something to his mind for he began to laugh--"True, gentlemen! Very true! I had forgotten! I have had some adventures and some experiences! My good friend there, Pasquin Leroy, has also had adventures and experiences,--so have we all! Myself, I am a poor German, grown old in the service of a bad king! I have been kicked out of that service--Ach!--just for telling the truth; which is very much the end of all truth telling, is it not? Tell lies,--and kings will reward you and make you rich and great!--but tell truth, and see what the kings will give you for it! Kicks, and no halfpence! Pardon! I interrupt this so pleasant meeting!"
All the men present looked at him curiously, but said nothing in response to his outburst. Johan Zegota, seating himself next to Sergius Thord, opened a large parchment volume that lay on the table, and taking up a pen addressed himself to Thord, saying--
"Will you ask the questions, or shall I?"
"You, by all means! Proceed in the usual manner."
Whereupon Zegota began.--
"Stand forth, comrades!"
The three strangers advanced.
"Your names? Each one answer separately, please!"
"Pasquin Leroy!"
"Axel Regor!"
"Max Graub!"
"Of what nationality, Pasquin Leroy?"
Leroy smiled. "Truly I claim none!" he said; "I was born a slave."
"A slave!"
The words were repeated in tones of astonishment round the room.
"Why, yes, a slave!" repeated Leroy quietly. "You have heard of black slaves,--have you not heard of white ones too? There are countries still, where men purchase other men of their own blood and colour;--tyrannous governments, which force such men to work for them, chained to one particular place till they die. I am one of those,--though escaped for the present. You can ask me more of my country if you will; but a slave has no country save that of his master. If you care at all for my services, you will spare me further examination on this subject!"
Zegota looked enquiringly at Thord.
"We will pa.s.s that question," said the latter, in a low tone.
Zegota resumed--
"You, Axel Regor--are you a slave too?"
Axel Regor smiled languidly.
"No! I am what is called a free-born subject of the realm. I do what I like, though not always how I like, or when I like!"
"And you, Max Graub?"
"German!" said that individual firmly; "German to the backbone--Socialist to the soul!--and an enemy of all ruling sovereigns,--particularly the one that rules _me_!"
Thord smiled darkly.
"If you feel inclined to jest, Max Graub, I must warn you that jesting is not suited to the immediate moment."
"Jesting! I never was more in earnest in my life!" declared Graub,--"Why have I left my native country? Merely because it is governed by Kaiser Wilhelm!"
Thord smiled again.
"The subject of nationality seems to excite all three of you," he said, "and though we ask you the question _pro forma_, it is not absolutely necessary that we should know from whence you come. We require your names, and your oath of fealty; but before binding yourselves, I will read you our laws, and the rules of membership for this society; rules to which, if you join us, you are expected to conform."
"Suppose, for the sake of argument," said Pasquin Leroy,--"that after hearing the rules we found it wisest to draw back? Suppose my friends,--if not myself,--were disinclined to join your Society;--what would happen?"
As he asked the question a curious silence fell upon the company, and all eyes were turned upon the speaker. There was a dead pause for a moment, and then Thord replied slowly and with emphasis:--
"Nothing would happen save this,--that you would be bound by a solemn oath never to reveal what you had heard or seen here to-night, and that you would from henceforth be tracked every day and hour of your life by those who would take care that you kept your oath!"
"You see!" exclaimed Axel Regor excitedly, "There is danger----"
"Danger? Of what?" asked Pasquin Leroy coldly;--"Of death? Each one of us, and all three of us would fully merit it, if we broke our word!
Gentlemen both!"--and he addressed his two companions, "If you fear any harm may come to yourselves through joining this society, pray withdraw while there is yet time! My own mind is made up; I intend to become familiar with the work of the Revolutionary Committee, and to aid its cause by my personal service!"
A loud murmur of applause came from the company. Axel Regor and Max Graub glanced at Leroy, and saw in his face that his decision was unalterable.
"Then we will work for the Cause, also," said Max Graub resignedly.
"What you determine upon, we shall do, shall we not, Axel?"
Axel Regor gave a brief a.s.sent.
Sergius Thord looked at them all straightly and keenly.
"You have finally decided?"
"We have!" replied Leroy. "We will enrol ourselves as your a.s.sociates at once."
Whereupon Johan Zegota rose from his place, and unlocking an iron safe which stood in one corner of the room, took out a roll of parchment and handed it to Thord, who, unfolding it, read in a clear though low voice the following:--
"We, the Revolutionary Committee, are organized as a Brotherhood, bound by all the ties of life, death, and our common humanity, to destroy the abuses, and redress the evils, which self-seeking and tyrannous Governments impose upon the suffering poor.
"_Firstly:_ We bind ourselves to resist all such laws as may in any degree interfere with the reasonable, intellectual, and spiritual freedom of man or woman.
"_Secondly:_ We swear to agitate against all forms of undue and excessive taxation, which, while scarcely affecting the rich, make life more difficult and unendurable to the poor.
"_Thirdly:_ We protest against the domination of priestcraft, and the secret methods which are employed by the Church to obtain undue influence in Governmental matters.